1931 VPI Gobblers football team
American college football season
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The 1931 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1931 Southern Conference football season. The team was led by their head coach Orville Neal and finished with a record of three wins, four losses and two ties (3â4â2).[1]
- Orville Neal (2nd season)
| 1931 VPI Gobblers football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southern Conference |
| Record | 3â4â2 (1â4â1 SoCon) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Charles Eugene Brown |
| Home stadium | Miles Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Tulane $ | 8 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 11 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Tennessee | 6 | â | 0 | â | 1 | 9 | â | 0 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 7 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 9 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Georgia | 6 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 8 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 4 | â | 1 | â | 1 | 8 | â | 1 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 4 | â | 2 | â | 2 | 5 | â | 2 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 3 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 3 | â | 3 | â | 1 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duke | 3 | â | 3 | â | 1 | 5 | â | 3 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 3 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sewanee | 3 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 6 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 3 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 2 | â | 3 | â | 3 | 4 | â | 3 | â | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington and Lee | 2 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 5 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 2 | â | 4 | â | 2 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 2 | â | 4 | â | 1 | 2 | â | 7 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VMI | 2 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 6 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NC State | 2 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 6 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VPI | 1 | â | 4 | â | 1 | 3 | â | 4 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 1 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 1 | â | 6 | â | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 1 | â | 5 | â | 0 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | 0 | â | 5 | â | 1 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 0 | â | 5 | â | 0 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | King* | W 33â0 | [2][3] | |||
| October 3 | 3:00 p.m. | at Georgia | L 0â40 | 15,000 | [4][5][6] | |
| October 10 | Davidson* |
| W 18â6 | [7][8][9] | ||
| October 17 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. William & Mary* | T 6â6 | [10][11][12] | ||
| October 24 | 2:30 p.m. | at Kentucky | L 6â20 | 6,000 | [13][14][15] | |
| October 31 | Maryland |
| L 0â20 | 5,000 | [16][17][18] | |
| November 7 | vs. Washington and Lee |
| L 0â6 | 5,000 | [19][20][21][22][23] | |
| November 14 | at Virginia | T 0â0 | 7,000 | [24][25][26] | ||
| November 26 | vs. VMI |
| W 13â6 | 18,000 | [27][28][29] | |
| ||||||
Before the season
The 1930 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 5â3â1 record and were led by Orville Neal in his first season as head coach.
Game summaries
King
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠VPI | 14 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 33 |
- Date: September 26, 1931
- Location: Miles Stadium
Blacksburg, VA
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over King at Miles Stadium.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Chandler (left end), Stark (left tackle), Swart (left guard), Brown (center), Hite (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Seaman (right end), Groth (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Porterfield (fullback). The substitutes were: Dyke, Hall, Hardwick, Hoenstine, Jennings, Kasun, Kelsey, Miles, Morgan, Oliver, Ottley, Palmer, Sifford, Simmons and Yorke.
The starting lineup for King was: Klein (left end), Cox (left tackle), Bell (left guard), Owens (center), Cook (right guard), Robinson (right tackle), Bricker (right end), Arnold (quarterback), Isaac (left halfback), Harris (right halfback), Barnett (fullback). The substitutes were: Emert, Flenore and Gannaway.
Georgia
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠Georgia | 13 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 40 |
- Date: October 3, 1931
- Location: Sanford Stadium
Athens, GA - Game start: 3:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 15,000
- Referee: Buck Flowers
After their victory over King, VPI played the University of Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Swart (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Chandler (right end), Groth (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Porterfield (fullback).
The starting lineup for Georgia was: Vernon Smith (left end), Robert Rose (left tackle), Ralph Maddox (left guard), Graham Batchelor (center), Milton Leathers (right guard), James Hamrick (right tackle), Weddington Kelley (right end), Austin Downes (quarterback), Spud Chandler (left halfback), Marion Dickens (right halfback), Jack Roberts (fullback). The substitutes were: Homer Key, Wendell Sullivan and Jodie Whire.
Davidson
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| ⢠VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 |
- Date: October 10, 1931
- Location: Miles Stadium
Blacksburg, VA - Referee: Richard Carrington (UVA)
The starting lineup for VPI was: Palmer (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Swart (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Chandler (right end), Porterfield (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Hardwick (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Murphy and Ottley.
The starting lineup for Davidson was: Lelon Raker (left end), John Wagner (left tackle), Graham Mathis (left guard), Ulrich Gardner (center), Powhatan Conway (right guard), Whitfield (right tackle), Robert Johnston (right end), Donald King (quarterback), Charles Pearce (left halfback), Edward Peabody (right halfback), Donald McQueen (fullback). The substitutes were: Barrier, Eugene Cannon, Jerome Clark, William Flinn, Calvin Kuykendall, John McConnell, McElrath, Allen Mills, Frederick Ogden and West.
William & Mary
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W&M | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| VPI | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
- Date: October 17, 1931
- Location: City Stadium
Richmond, VA - Referee: Richard Carrington (UVA)
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Stark (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Brown (center), Swart (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Palmer (right end), Hardwick (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Groth (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Hite, Ottley and Porterfield.
The starting lineup for William & Mary was: Bob Henderson (left end), Otis Douglas (left tackle), George Fisher (left guard), Thomas Ayers (center), Edwin Meade (right guard), Gerry Quirk (right tackle), Thomas Halligan (right end), Edward Bergin (quarterback), Barrett Roberts (left halfback), William Palese (right halfback), Butch Constantino (fullback). The substitutes were: Harold Balkan, E. A. DeBordenave, Aime LaCroix and Nash Lindsey.
Kentucky
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPI | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| ⢠Kentucky | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
- Date: October 24, 1931
- Location: McLean Stadium
Lexington, KY - Game start: 2:30 p.m.
- Game attendance: 6,000
- Game weather: "Soggy and muggy"
- Referee: Frank Lane
The starting lineup for VPI was: Palmer (left end), Stark (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Brown (center), Hite (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Seaman (right end), Groth (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Howard (fullback). The substitutes were: Betts, Chandler, English, Hardwick, Hoenstine, Miles, Morgan, Ottley, Porterfield, Simmons and Swart.
The starting lineup for Kentucky was: U. T. Duff (left end), Ralph Wright (left tackle), O. L. "Bud" Davidson (left guard), Frank Seale (center), Darrell Darby (right guard), Kenneth Andrews (right tackle), George Skinner (right end), Dick Richards (quarterback), Shipwreck Kelly (left halfback), Cecil Urbaniak (right halfback), Ralph Kercheval (fullback). The substitutes were: Stanley Bach, Thomas Cassady, M. J. "Bud" Cavana, Engel, Foster, Janes, Ellis T. Johnson, Robert Kipping, Howard Kreuter, William Luther, Robert Montgomery, Parrish, Pribble, Newell Wilder, Worthington and George Yates.
Maryland
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⢠Maryland | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: October 31, 1931
- Location: Miles Stadium
Blacksburg, VA - Game attendance: 5,000
- Game weather: "Chilly"
VPI's 1931 homecoming game was a loss to Maryland.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Swart (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), Palmer (right end), Groth (quarterback), Hardwick (left halfback), Porterfield (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Casey, Howard and Murphy.
The starting lineup for Maryland was: Alfred Pease (left end), Ernie Carliss (left tackle), Courtney Hayden (left guard), Parker Faber (center), Jesse Krajcovic (right guard), George Cole (right tackle), Jack Norris (right end), Charles May (quarterback), Boze Berger (left halfback), George V. Chalmers (right halfback), Ray Poppelman (fullback). The substitutes were: Charles Keenan, Paul Kiernan and John Mitchell.
Washington and Lee
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⢠W&L | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: November 7, 1931
- Location: Maher Field
Roanoke, VA - Game attendance: 5,000
- Referee: Lane (W&J)
The starting lineup for VPI was: Palmer (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Dyke (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Chandler (right end), Ottley (quarterback), Hardwick (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Howard (fullback). The substitutes were: Casey, Groth, Morgan, Porterfield, Seaman and Swart.
The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: Solomon Mosovich (left end), Thomasson Boland (left tackle), Amos Bolen (left guard), Patrick Mitchell (center), Charles Tilson (right guard), Robert Morris (right tackle), John Hanley (right end), Louis Wilson (quarterback), Wilbur Mattox (left halfback), Eugene Martin (right halfback), Frank Bailey (fullback). The substitutes were: William Grove and Joseph Sawyers.
Virginia
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: November 14, 1931
- Location: Scott Stadium
Charlottesville, VA - Game attendance: 7,000
- Referee: Frank Lane
The starting lineup for VPI was: Chandler (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Dyke (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Palmer (right end), Howard (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Hardwick (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Groth, Ottley and Porterfield.
The starting lineup for Virginia was: William Condon (left end), Charles Poss (left tackle), Herbert Bryant (left guard), Lewis Reiss (center), Bill DeButts (right guard), Ray Burger (right tackle), Gene Wager (right end), William Edgar (quarterback), William Thomas (left halfback), Douglas Myers (right halfback), Ward Brewer (fullback).
VMI
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VMI | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| ⢠VPI | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
- Date: November 26, 1931
- Location: Maher Field
Roanoke, VA - Game attendance: 18,000
- Game weather: "Balmy November weather"
- Referee: Black (Davidson)
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Stark (left tackle), Hite (left guard), Brown (center), Betts (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), Swart (right end), Groth (quarterback), Hardwick (left halfback), Porterfield (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Casey and Howard.
The starting lineup for VMI was: John Gill (left end), Pus Hilliard (left tackle), Al Rochelle (left guard), James Rea (center), Arthur Marklis (right guard), Charles Straub (right tackle), Randolph Gregory (right end), William Smith (quarterback), Paul Travers (left halfback), Tucker Watkins (right halfback), Ralph Waite (fullback). The substitutes were: Charles Bailey, William Kaylor, Ed Kostainsek, Jack Lavinder, Louis Seigel, Irvin Smith, Eugene Spaulding and Fred Urick.
Players
Roster
| VPI 1931 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||
Monogram Club members
Eighteen players received monograms for their participation on the 1931 VPI team.[30]
| Player | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| William Earle Betts | Richmond, Virginia | World War II veteran (Captain, Army Corps of Engineers). Awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Croix de Guerre. |
| Charles Eugene "Dolly" Brown | Portsmouth, Virginia | |
| Alfred Layden Casey | Portsmouth, Virginia | |
| Edwin F. Chandler | Newport News, Virginia | World War II veteran (Commander, Naval Reserve). |
| Earl E. Dyke | Newport News, Virginia | |
| Bill Grinus | Orient, Illinois | |
| Charles Alexander "Heinie" Groth | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | |
| Earl Jenis "Bus" Hall | Princeton, West Virginia | |
| Samuel Elkana Hardwick | Dublin, Virginia | |
| Frank A. Howard | Childress, Virginia | |
| John Marshall Murphy | Knoxville, Tennessee | |
| Waightes Gibbs Ottley | Norfolk, Virginia | |
| Benny Palmer | Newport News, Virginia | |
| William Breckenridge Porterfield, Jr. | Glade Spring, Virginia | World War II veteran (Lieutenant Commander, Navy). |
| Carl Francis Robison | Watertown, New York | World War II veteran (Lieutenant Commander, Navy). Awarded the Navy Cross. |
| Alfred Elsworth Seaman | Pontiac, Michigan | World War II veteran (Sergeant, Army). |
| Harry Hyman Stark | Portsmouth, Virginia | |
| James L. Swart |
Coaching and training staff
- Head coach: Orville Neal
- Assistant coaches
- P. Hotchkiss
- Herbert McEver
- Line coach: Lyal Clark
- Manager: H. D. Shank
- Freshman head coach: Henry Redd
- Freshman Manager: W. H. Walthall