1939 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1939 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1939 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of four wins, five losses and one tie (4–5–1).

1939 VPI Gobblers football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record4–5–1 (1–4–1 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainDavid Marion Pitts
Home stadiumMiles Stadium
1939 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 Duke $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0
No. 12 Clemson 4 –0 –09 –1 –0
William & Mary 2 –0 –16 –2 –1
North Carolina 5 –1 –08 –1 –1
VMI 3 –1 –16 –3 –1
Richmond 3 –1 –17 –1 –2
Furman 3 –3 –05 –4 –0
Wake Forest 3 –3 –07 –3 –0
NC State 2 –4 –02 –8 –0
Washington and Lee 1 –2 –03 –4 –1
South Carolina 1 –3 –03 –6 –1
VPI 1 –4 –14 –5 –1
Davidson 1 –7 –02 –7 –0
Maryland 0 –1 –02 –7 –0
The Citadel 0 –4 –03 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

VPI was ranked at No. 110 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[1]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23Randolph–Macon*
W 26–02,500[2][3]
September 30at Marshall*
L 0–20[4]
October 72:00 p.m.vs. North Carolina
L 6–1315,000[5][6][7]
October 142:30 p.m.vs. William & Mary
T 6–66,500[8][9]
October 21Centre*dagger
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 28–04,000[10]
October 282:30 p.m.vs. Washington and Lee
L 0–610,000-12,000[11][12][13][14]
November 42:30 p.m.Furman
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 20–72,500[15]
November 112:30 p.m.at Richmond
  • City Stadium
  • Richmond, VA
L 0–138,000[16][17][18]
November 18at Virginia*
W 13–0[19][20]
November 232:15 p.m.vs. VMI
L 7–1920,000[21][22][23]

Game summaries

Washington & Lee

The game against Washington & Lee on October 28 was the first game played at Lynchburg Municipal Stadium.[24][25][26][27]

Players

Roster
VPI 1939 roster
Quarterbacks
  • Dick Kern
  • Samuel B. Rose, Jr.

Guards

  • Cecil Anderson
  • Roland M. Cocker
  • Woodrow Gosney
  • Preston Graves
  • Joseph Franklin Smith
  • Bill Tate
  • John Charles Wycoff

Tackles

  • Jim Coleman
  • Frank L. DeBord, Jr.
  • C. Thomas McCurdy
  • Dave Pitts (Capt.)
  • Benjamin C. Tate
  • Andrew Wellington Todd
  • Ralph Travis Unterzuber
 Centers
  • Graham Buchanan
  • Herbert Andrews Markle
  • Frank Streiff
  • Bill Zydiak

Ends

  • Gerald Clark
  • John Henderson
  • Lewis W. Kincaid
  • Bob Lawson
  • Dan Shawhan
  • Louis Willson
 Halfbacks
  • William T. Barnes
  • Phil DeMuro
  • Sonny Ellison
  • Willard Joseph Henderson
  • William W. James
  • Sherwood A. Roudabush
  • Herbert Joseph Thomas
  • Albert Crawford Traynham
  • Garrett Ernest Taylor
  • W. H. Trimble
  • James Walter Woolwine

Fullbacks

  • I. Ward Boswell
  • Rankin Hudson
  • George Warriner

Varsity letter winners

Twenty-two players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1939 VPI team.[28]

Player Hometown Notes
Cecil Van Anderson Andersonville, Virginia World War II veteran (Major, Army Air Corps).
Irving Ward Boswell, Jr. Arlington, Virginia
Graham Sullivan Buchanan, Jr. Saltville, Virginia
Gerald Harley Clark Bristol, Tennessee
James Emory Coleman Fayetteville, West Virginia
Philip Galliano DeMuro Passaic, New Jersey
Mathew Leslie "Sonny" Ellison Beckley, West Virginia
H. Woodrow Gosney Clarksburg, West Virginia
Robert Preston Graves Salem, Virginia World War II and Vietnam War veteran (Colonel, Army). Awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
John L. Henderson Sevierville, Tennessee
Rankin McGuire Hudson Sweetwater, Tennessee
Richard Davis Kern Winchester, Virginia
J. Robert "Bob" Lawson Cambria, Virginia
David Marion Pitts (Capt.) Manassas, Virginia
Daniel Green Shawhan Washington, D.C. World War II veteran (Lieutenant Colonel, Army).
Frank Arthur Streiff Savannah, Georgia World War II veteran (Lieutenant commander, Navy).
William Lee "Bill" Tate Pulaski, Virginia
Herbert Joseph Thomas South Charleston, West Virginia World War II veteran (Sergeant, Marines). Awarded the Medal of Honor.
W. H. Trimble
George Daniel Warriner Montgomery County, Virginia World War II veteran (Captain, Army). Awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Louis C. Willson Blacksburg, Virginia
William Daniel Zydiak Manville, New Jersey

Coaching and training staff
  • Head coach: Henry Redd
  • Assistant coaches
  • Freshman coaches
    • Freshman head coach: Red Laird
    • Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Willard D. Altman
    • Assistant freshman coach and trainer: Thomas A. Slusser

References
  1. E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Virginia Tech Live Up to Promises in Routing Jackets". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. September 24, 1939. p. 51. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  3. "Yellow Jackets Lose To V.P.I. By Score 26-0". The Yellow Jacket Weekly. Library of Virginia. September 29, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  4. "Elkin's 95-Yard Run Spices Marshall's Win Over V. P. I." The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 1, 1939. p. 26. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  5. "Varsity Takes On VPI Today at Norfolk". The Daily Tar Heel. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. October 7, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  6. "Lalanne Leads Varsity To 13-6 Victory". The Daily Tar Heel. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. October 8, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  7. "Lalanne's Two Drives For Carolina Top V. P. I., 13 to 6". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 8, 1939. p. 27. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  8. "Stubborn Indians Hold Tech To 6-6 Tie" (PDF). The Flat Hat. College of William & Mary. October 17, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  9. "W.-M. Blocks Kick Behind Goal to Tie V. P. I. at 6 to 6". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 15, 1939. p. 35. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  10. "Virginia Tech Smothers Centre Easily, 28-0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 22, 1939. p. 26. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  11. "Justice's touchdown gives Generals victory over Tech". The Daily News Leader. October 29, 1939. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Brilliant Defense Gives Generals 6-0 Victory of VPI" (PDF). The Ring-tum Phi. Washington and Lee University. October 31, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  13. "Generals Trip V. P. I. As Justice Thrills His Homefolk". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 29, 1939. p. 33. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  14. "Generals Beat Tech As Stadium Is Dedicated". Rockbridge County News. Library of Virginia. November 2, 1939. p. 7. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  15. "Engineers Down McLeod's Team In Snow Fall". The Furman Hornet. Furman University. November 10, 1939. p. 5. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  16. "Virginia Tech to Oppose Spiders at City Stadium". The Richmond Collegian. University of Richmond. November 10, 1939. p. 4. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  17. "Undefeated Spiders Score Victory Over Gobblers, 13-0". The Richmond Collegian. University of Richmond. November 17, 1939. p. 5. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  18. "Undefeated Richmond Adds Virginia Tech To Victims, 13-0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. November 12, 1939. p. 29. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  19. "Cavaliers Downed By V.P.I., 13 To 0". The Daily Progress. University of Virginia. November 20, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  20. "Virginia Backs Bottled As V. P. I. Triumphs In Upset, 13 to 0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. November 19, 1939. p. 27. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  21. "The Bugle 1940". Virginia Tech Bugle. 1940. p. 237. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  22. "Fighting Squadron Humbles Gobblers 19-to-7 And Win State Championship". The V.M.I. Cadet. Virginia Military Institute. November 28, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  23. "Shu Stars For V. M. I. In Roanoke Game". Rockbridge County News. Library of Virginia. November 30, 1939. p. 7. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  24. "Lynchburg's New $250,000 Stadium Dedicated". The Highland Recorder. Library of Virginia. November 3, 1939. p. 2. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  25. "Generals - Gobblers Dedicate New Lynchburg Football Stadium Oct. 28". The Farmville Herald. Library of Virginia. October 20, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  26. "W. & L.-V. P. I. Game Dedicates Lynchburg Stadium Saturday". Rockbridge County News. Library of Virginia. October 19, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  27. "Where Washington and Lee Will Meet V. P. I. This Week-end". The Lexington Gazette. Library of Virginia. October 27, 1939. p. 6. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  28. "1939 VPI Letterwinners". Virginia Tech. Retrieved January 3, 2023.


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