1916 VPI Gobblers football team
American college football season
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The 1916 VPI Gobblers football team represented the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1916 college football season. Led by Jack E. Ingersoll in his only year as head coach, the team went 7â2 and claims a South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SAIAA) championship.[1]
| 1916 VPI Gobblers football | |
|---|---|
SAIAA champion | |
| Conference | South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Record | 7â2 (4â0 SAIAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | John Staub Caffee |
| Home stadium | Miles Field |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VPI $ | 4 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 7 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 2 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 8 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington and Lee | 1 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 2 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| George Washington | 2 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 2 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catholic University | 2 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | 2 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 5 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davidson | 1 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richmond | 1 | â | 3 | â | 1 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VMI | 1 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 5 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. John's (MD) | 0 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 0 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William & Mary | 0 | â | 2 | â | 1 | 2 | â | 5 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Johns Hopkins | 0 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 0 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina A&M | 0 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 2 | â | 5 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | Richmond | W 13â0 | [2][3] | |||
| October 7 | HampdenâSydney* |
| W 10â0 | [4] | ||
| October 14 | vs. West Virginia* | Charleston, WV (rivalry) | L 0â20 | [5][6] | ||
| October 20 | 2:30 p.m. | at Yale* | L 0â19 | 5,000 | [7][8][9][10] | |
| October 28 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. North Carolina A&M |
| W 40â0 | 3,000 | [11][12][13] |
| November 4 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. North Carolina |
| W 14â7 | [14][15][16][17] | |
| November 11 | Wake Forest* |
| W 52â0 | [18] | ||
| November 18 | Roanoke* |
| W 41â0 | [19][20] | ||
| November 30 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. VMI |
| W 23â14 | 5,000 | [21][22][23][24] |
| ||||||
Before the season
The 1915 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 4â4 record and were led by Branch Bocock in his sixth season as head coach.
Game summaries
Richmond
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠VPI | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: September 30, 1916
- Location: Miles Field
Blacksburg, VA - Referee: Branch Bocock
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Richmond at Miles Field.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Nelson (left end), Parrish (left tackle), Howell (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), A. P. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), Lancaster (quarterback), Gaines (left halfback), Mack (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Engleby, Funkhouser, Gregory, Hall, McNeil, D. Roden, E. Roden, Somerville, Stringer and Treakle.
The starting lineup for Richmond was: Willey Broaddus (left end), Harry Carter (left tackle), Robinson (left guard), Ashby Henderson (center), Ollie Oakes (right guard), Bertram Robins (right tackle), Robert Whittet (right end), Caldwell Wicker (quarterback), H. C. Spencer (left halfback), Goodwyn Kuyk (right halfback), Thomas Miller (fullback). The substitutes were: Harvey Milbourne, Clyde Shepherd and Thomas Taliaferro.
HampdenâSydney
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠VPI | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
- Date: October 7, 1916
- Location: Miles Field
Blacksburg, VA - Referee: Branch Bocock
After their victory over Richmond, VPI played HampdenâSydney College at Miles Field.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Howell (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), A. P. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Nelson (right end), Lancaster (quarterback), Stringer (left halfback), Mack (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: E. Roden, Somerville and Younger.
The starting lineup for HampdenâSydney was: Walter Aylor (left end), R. F. Porter (left tackle), J. W. Hogshead (left guard), Royster Lyle (center), Henry Allen (right guard), Ernest Herzig (right tackle), Robert Gillespie (right end), Walter Thurman (quarterback), Thomas Parrish (left halfback), Peyton Palmore (right halfback), James Warren (fullback).
West Virginia
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠WVU | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
- Date: October 14, 1916
- Location: Charleston, WV
- Referee: Tiny Maxwell
The starting lineup for VPI was: Younger (left end), Hall (left tackle), Howell (left guard), A. P. Moore (center), A. B. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Nelson (right end), Funkhouser (quarterback), Gaines (left halfback), Stringer (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Gregory, McNeil, Parrish, E. Roden and Treakle.
The starting lineup for West Virginia was: Harold Hutchinson (left end), Harry Curry (left tackle), Howard Henrie (left guard), Russ Bailey (center), Dorsey Brannan (right guard), J. Burns Webster (right tackle), Paul Hager (right end), Fred Chenoweth (quarterback), Rip King (left halfback), Clay Hite (right halfback), Ira Rodgers (fullback). The substitutes were: Lane Anderson, James Shughrou and Rowley Thornburg.
Yale
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠Yale | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 19 |
- Date: October 20, 1916
- Location: Yale Field
New Haven, CT - Game start: 2:30 p.m.
- Game attendance: 5,000
- Game weather: "drizzle and heavy fog"
- Referee: Whiting (Cornell)
Former President and future Chief Justice William Howard Taft attended the Yale-VPI game to watch his son Charles play in the game.[26]
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Parrish (left guard), A. P. Moore (center), A. B. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), E. Roden (quarterback), Mack (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), Gardner (fullback). The substitutes were: Funkhouser, McNeil, Redd and D. Roden.
The starting lineup for Yale was: Artemus Gates (left end), Charles Taft (left tackle), Fred Graham (left guard), Reginald Hutchinson (center), Charles Galt (right guard), Howard M. Baldrige (right tackle), Charles Comerford (right end), Howell Van Nostrand (quarterback), Robert Bingham (left halfback), Harry LeGore (right halfback), Emile Jacques (fullback). The substitutes were: James Braden, Harold Carey, Lawrence Fox, Joseph Neville and Philip Zenner.
North Carolina A&M
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠VPI | 7 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 40 |
- Date: October 28, 1916
- Location: League Park
Norfolk, VA - Game start: 2:30 p.m.
- Game attendance: 3,000
- Referee: Jack Gass
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Parrish (left tackle), Treakle (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), A. P. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), E. Roden (quarterback), Funkhouser (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Gaines, Gardner, Howell, Lancaster, McNeil, Palmer, G. Parrish, Pritchard, D. Roden, Somerville, Stringer and Turber.
The starting lineup for North Carolina A&M was: N. D. Pierson (left end), Solomon Homewood (left tackle), Lawrence (left guard), William Whitaker (center), A. D. Nance (right guard), Cooke (right tackle), Andrew McMurray (right end), James McDougall (quarterback), Lee (left halfback), Rice (right halfback), Van Brocklin (fullback). The substitutes were: J. H. Baugham, Haynes, Hill, William Hodgin, Johnson, Parks and Spivey.
North Carolina
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| ⢠VPI | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: November 4, 1916
- Location: Fair Grounds
Roanoke, VA - Game start: 3:00 p.m.
- Referee: Jack Gass
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Parrish (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), A. P. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), Lancaster (quarterback), Nelson (left halfback), Gardner (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Funkhouser, Gaines, Howell and E. Roden.
The starting lineup for North Carolina was: James Love (left end), John Tayloe (left tackle), William Grimes (left guard), Yank Tandy (center), Beemer Harrell (right guard), James Ramsay (right tackle), Edward Proctor (right end), Macon Williams (quarterback), Edward Fitzsimmons (left halfback), Bill Folger (right halfback), George Tennant (fullback). The substitutes were: Barton, Hargrove Bellamy, Hugh Black, James Coleman and Davis.
Wake Forest
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Howell (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), Parrish (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), E. Roden (quarterback), Gardner (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: D. Roden and Stringer.
The starting lineup for Wake Forest was: William Harris (left end), Olive (left tackle), Blizzard (left guard), Blankenship (center), Shaw (right guard), T. C. McKnight (right tackle), Langston (right end), D. Pace (quarterback), Phinehas Croom (left halfback), Champion (right halfback), Charles Parker (fullback).
Roanoke
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠VPI | 13 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 41 |
- Date: November 18, 1916
- Location: Miles Field
Blacksburg, VA - Game weather: "exceptionally cold"
- Referee: Izard (W&L)
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Parrish (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), Howell (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), E. Roden (quarterback), Gardner (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Funkhouser, Lancaster, McNeil and Stringer.
The starting lineup for Roanoke was: C. M. Huddle (left end), Fred Easter (left tackle), Frank Cadwallader (left guard), Kreiger (center), P. B. Smith (right guard), S. L. Bonham (right tackle), Douglas Chapman (right end), J. B. Anspach (quarterback), Douglas Bunting (left halfback), R. H. Duncan (right halfback), J. H. Bonham (fullback). The substitutes were: Buschong, Fray, J. E. Hollingsworth, W. D. Hull, Kegey and S. White Rhyne.
VMI
The starting lineup for VPI was: Gregory (left end), Hall (left tackle), Parrish (left guard), A. B. Moore (center), A. P. Moore (right guard), Caffee (right tackle), Younger (right end), E. Roden (quarterback), Gaines (left halfback), Nelson (right halfback), Redd (fullback). The substitutes were: Funkhouser, Howell, Lancaster, McNeil, Reimer, Somerville and Stringer.
The starting lineup for VMI was: Mose Goodman (left end), Matthew Steele (left tackle), Hawkins (left guard), James Nelms (center), Root (right guard), Steele Hawkins (right tackle), Peyton Marshall (right end), Gray (quarterback), Stanton Bertschey (left halfback), George Engleby (right halfback), Hart (fullback). The substitutes were: Jimmy Leech, Horace Roberdeau, Silverstein, Sullivan, Thomas, William Whittle and Samuel Witt.
After the season
In December 1916, the VPI players elected James Atkins Gregory as captain of the 1917 VPI Gobblers football team.[27]
Players
Roster
| VPI 1916 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
|
Center
|
Substitutes
| ||||||
Monogram Club members
Fifteen players received monograms for their participation on the 1916 VPI team.[27]
| Player | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Staub Caffee | Norfolk, Virginia | |
| Frank Allison Engleby | Roanoke, Virginia | |
| Edward Kramer Funkhouser | Harrisonburg, Virginia | |
| Leonard Myrton Gaines | Richmond, Virginia | |
| James Atkins Gregory | Chase City, Virginia | |
| Lysle George Hall | Charlottesville, Virginia | |
| Russell Minor Howell | Fincastle, Virginia | |
| George Douglas Lancaster | Ashland, Virginia | |
| Arthur Blakie Moore | Buchanan, Virginia | Fought in World War I and was killed during the MeuseâArgonne offensive. |
| Arthur Penick Moore | Ringgold, Virginia | |
| Robert Rodes Nelson | Roanoke, Virginia | |
| Harry Temple Parrish | Bristol, Virginia | |
| Henry Redd | Martinsville, Virginia | |
| Edwin Lee Roden | Richmond, Virginia | |
| William Lee Younger | Lynchburg, Virginia |
Coaching and training staff
- Head coach: Jack E. Ingersoll
- Assistant coach: Harlan Sanborn
- Manager: Walton Ellingsworth
- Assistant managers
- W. Reed Williams
- George Caffee