1909 Western Conference football season

August 2023 1909 Western Conference football season Football Minnesota Champion Football 1908 1910 The 1909 Western Conference football season was the fourteenth season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference (later known as the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1909 college football season. Season overview Minnesota was declared the Western Conference champion with an undefeated league record of 3–0, going 6–1 overall. Their only loss was to former conference-mate Michigan, in the first-ever game played for the Little Brown Jug. After finishing the last two seasons as conference champion, Chicago came in second at 4-1-2 (4-1-1 in league play). Illinois was third at 5-2 (3–1) and Wisconsin fourth with an overall record of 3-1-1 (2–1–1), which rounded out the schools with league records over .500. Indiana wound up at 4–3, but went 1–3 in conference play; tying Northwestern, who finished overall at 1–3–1. Iowa and Purdue went winless on the year, but both managed to secure two non-conference victories. Minnesota Central September 25 w y 1909 Lawrence Vikings Lawrence Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 25–0 3,000 October 2 w Iowa Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN rivalry 41–0 6,000 October 9 w y Iowa State Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 18–0 2,000 October 16 w y y Nebraska Omaha, NE rivalry 14–0 7,000 October 30 w Chicago Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 20–6 26,000 November 13 w y Wisconsin Randall Field Madison, WI rivalry 34–6 7,500 November 20 1:01 p.m. l y Michigan Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN Little Brown Jug 6–15 22,000–25,000 Chicago section January 2026 y y October 2 Purdue (rivalry) Marshall Field Chicago, IL W 40-0 October 9 Indiana Marshall Field Chicago, IL W 21-0 October 16 Illinois Marshall Field Chicago, IL W 14-8 October 30 at Minnesota Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN L 6-20 26,000 November 6 Northwestern Marshall Field Chicago, IL W 34-0 November 13 at Cornell<ncg> Percy Field Ithaca, NY T 6-6 November 20 Wisconsin Marshall Field Chicago, IL T 6-6 Illinois y y y October 2 1909 Millikin Big Blue Millikin<ncg> Illinois Field Champaign, IL W 23-0 October 9 Kentucky State College<ncg> Illinois Field Champaign, IL L 2-6 October 16 at Chicago Marshall Field Chicago, IL L 8-14 October 30 Purdue Illinois Field Champaign, IL(rivalry) W 24-6 November 6 Indiana Illinois Field Champaign, IL (rivalry) W 6-5 November 13 at Northwestern Northwestern Field Evanston, IL (rivalry) W 35-0 November 20 2:15 p.m. at Syracuse<ncg> Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY W 17-8 7,000 Victory For Illinois By Score Of 17 To 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/syracuse-herald-journal/161621048/ The Syracuse Herald Syracuse, New York November 21, 1909 1B December 26, 2024 Newspapers.com Wisconsin section January 2026 October 9 w y 1909 Lawrence Vikings Lawrence Randall Field Madison, WI 22–0 October 23 w Indiana Randall Field Madison, WI 6–3 October 30 w y Northwestern Northwestern Field Evanston, IL 21–11 November 13 l y Minnesota Randall Field Madison, WI rivalry 6–34 7,500 November 20 t y Chicago Marshall Field Chicago, IL 6–6 Indiana Eastern October 2 w y 1909 DePauw DePauw Jordan Field Bloomington, IN 28–5 https://depauwtigers.com/sports/football/schedule/1909 2024-11-09 1909 Football Schedule - DePauw University DePauw University October 9 l y Chicago Marshall Field Chicago, IL 0–21 Saturday's Football Chronicling America https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042373/1909-10-11/ed-1/seq-3/ November 21, 2024 The evening times October 11, 1909 3 October 16 w y 1909 Lake Forest Foresters Lake Forest Jordan Field Bloomington, IN 27–5 Football Results https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92053934/1909-10-18/ed-1/seq-3/ November 21, 2024 Rock Island Argus October 18, 1909 3 October 23 l y Wisconsin Randall Field Madison, WI 3–6 October 30 4:00 p.m. w y y Saint Louis League Park St. Louis, MO 30–0 4,000 Warner's Warriors Meet Indiana To-day https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115932910/st-louis-globe-democrat/ St. Louis Globe-Democrat St. Louis, Missouri October 30, 1909 10 January 6, 2023 Newspapers.com Hoosiers Humble St. Louis U., 30-0 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115932769/st-louis-globe-democrat/ St. Louis Globe-Democrat St. Louis, Missouri October 31, 1909 1B January 6, 2023 Newspapers.com November 6 l y Illinois Illinois Field Champaign, IL rivalry 5–6 November 20 w Purdue Bloomington, IN rivalry 36–3 Purdue Bites Dust https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86058226/1909-11-21/ed-1/seq-2 November 21, 2024 The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram November 21, 1909 Richmond, Virginia 2 1909 Indiana Hoosiers Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/indiana/1909-schedule.html College Football @ Sports-Reference.com Sports Reference December 29, 2023 1909 Football Schedule https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/football/schedule/1909 Indiana University December 29, 2023 Indiana Football 2023 Record Book https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/pdf/fb/2023/23-FB-Record_Book_Full.pdf Indiana University 11 December 29, 2023 Northwestern section January 2026 October 2 1909 Illinois Wesleyan Titans Illinois Wesleyan<ncg> Northwestern Field Evanston, IL T 0-0 October 9 at Purdue Stuart Field West Lafayette, IN W 14-5 October 30 Wisconsin Northwestern Field Evanston, IL L 11-21 November 6 at Chicago Marshall Field Chicago, IL L 0-34 November 13 Illinois Northwestern Field Evanston, IL (rivalry) L 0-35 Iowa October 2 l y Minnesota Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN rivalry 0–41 6,000 Gophers Swamp Iowa by Brilliant Play: Gophers Trample over Hawkeyes Winning Easily by Score of 41 to 0 The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune Frank E. Force October 3, 1909 1, 3 (sporting section) https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-gophers-swamp-iowa-by-brill/172249031/ Newspapers.com October 9 w y 1909 Cornell Purple Cornell (IA) Iowa Field Iowa City, IA 3–0 Iowa Won From Cornell: Close Score Was 3 to 0; Brilliant Exhibition of Early Season Football was Given The Iowa Citizen October 11, 1909 7 https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-iowa-won-from-co/172250219/ Newspapers.com October 23 t y Nebraska Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE rivalry 6–6 Hawkeye Team Held To a Tie: The Cornhuskers Met a Very Worthy Foe In the Players From Iowa City The Lincoln Daily Star October 24, 1909 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star-hawkeye-team-held-to-a/172249882/ Newspapers.com October 30 l Missouri Iowa Field Iowa City, IA 12–13 Iowa Bows To Missouri: Let the Visitors Win Game; Close Score of 12 to 13 Tells Relative Consistency of Teams The Iowa City Citizen November 1, 1909 3 https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-iowa-bows-to-mis/172248408/ Newspapers.com November 6 l y Drake Haskins Field Des Moines, IA 14–17 5,000 Drake Wins Fierce Contest With Iowa The Register and Leader (Des Moines, Iowa) November 7, 1909 1, 15 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32200729/drake_wins_fierce_contest_with_iowa/ Newspapers.com November 13 w Iowa State Iowa Field Iowa City, IA rivalry 16–0 Won Great Victory: Iowa Humbled Her Ancient Adversary from Ames; Score Was 16 to 0 for Her The Iowa City Citizen November 15, 1909 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-won-great-victor/172247837/ Newspapers.com November 20 l y Kansas McCook Field Lawrence, KS 7–20 Kansas Takes Scalps: Iowa Lost Saturday 20 to 7 Iowa City Citizen November 22, 1909 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-kansas-takes-sca/172248076/ Newspapers.comIowa Goes Down Before Kansas; Only Tigers Left The Topeka Daily Capital November 21, 1909 18 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115641255/iowa-goes-down-before-kansas/ Newspapers.com Purdue y y October 2 at Chicago Stagg Field Chicago, IL (rivalry) L 0-40 October 9 Northwestern Stuart Field West Lafayette, IN L 5-14 October 16 1909 DePauw DePauw<ncg> Stuart Field West Lafayette, IN W 15-12 October 30 at Illinois Illinois Field Champaign, IL (rivalry) L 6-24 November 6 Wabash<ncg> Stuart Field West Lafayette, IN L 17-18 November 13 Rose Polytechnic<ncg> Stuart Field West Lafayette, IN W 26-3 November 20 at Indiana Jordan Field Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) L 3-36 Purdue Bites Dust https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86058226/1909-11-21/ed-1/seq-2 November 21, 2024 The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram November 21, 1909 Richmond, Virginia 2 2022 Purdue Football Record Book https://purduesports.com/documents/2022/8/23/2022_Purdue_Record_Book.pdf Purdue University Athletics 81 January 29, 2023 Bowl games No Western Conference schools participated in any bowl games during the 1909 season. All-American honors 1909 All-America college football team Ends Harlan Page, Chicago (WC-3) Tackles James Walker, Minnesota (TC-1) Centers H. E. Farnum, Minnesota (WC-3) Quarterbacks John McGovern, Minnesota (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC-1; TC-1) Harlan Page, Chicago (NYT-2) Key NCAA recognized selectors for 1909 WC = Collier's Weekly as selected by Walter CampSix Yale Men on Camp's First Team The New York Times December 19, 1909 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/12/17/101909173.pdf Other selectors NYT = The New York TimesAll-America Team Picked on Form Shown During 1909: Problems Confronting Experts Who Take Up This Thankless and Difficult Task of Choosing the So-Called "Best." The New York Times November 28, 1909 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/11/28/106723792.pdf PDFBenbrook of Michigan Is Picked For First Team--Captain Allerdice and Magidsohn Are on Second--Western Football Receives Warm Praise Detroit Free Press December 15, 1909 11 https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/access/1747859342.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+15%2C+1909&author=&pub=Detroit+Free+Press+(1858-1922)&desc=Benbrook+of+Michigan+Is+Picked+For+First+Team--Captain+Allerdice+and+Magidsohn+Are+on+Second--Western+Football+Receives+Warm+Praise.&pqatl=google https://archive.today/20130216161915/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/access/1747859342.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+15,+1909&author=&pub=Detroit+Free+Press+(1858-1922)&desc=Benbrook+of+Michigan+Is+Picked+For+First+Team--Captain+Allerdice+and+Magidsohn+Are+on+Second--Western+Football+Receives+Warm+Praise.&pqatl=google dead February 16, 2013 TC = Tommy Clark, noted sports writer whose work appeared in several papersAll-American Team Chosen The Daily Review Decatur, IL 1909-12-01Tommy Clark All American Football Team For Season Of 1909 Lowell Sun 1909-12-06Tommy Clark The All American Team Has Been Selected The Piqua Daily Call 1909-12-08Tommy Clark All American Football Team For Season Of 1909 Fresno Morning Republican 1909-12-09Tommy Clark All American Football Team For Season Of 1909 Waterloo Times-Tribune 1909-12-05 UP = United Press consensus All-American team, based on selections from 22 of "the best football experts." The numbers shown in parentheses reflect the number of voters (out of the total of 22) who selected the person as a first-team All-American.Greatest Football Team Is Selected The Des Moines News 1909-12-26 AC = The Atlanta Constitution based on aggregating the All-America selections of ten leading Eastern newspapers. The numbers shown in parentheses reflect the number of voters (out of the total of 10) who selected the person as a first-team All-American.January 2026 Bold = Consensus All-AmericanJanuary 2026 1 – First-team selection 2 – Second-team selection 3 – Third-team selection All-Western selections 1909 All-Western college football team Harlan Page, End, Chicago (ECP-1, WE) James Dean, End, Wisconsin (ECP-2, WE) Walter Henry Rademacher, End, Minnesota (ECP-1) James Walker, Tackle, Minnesota (ECP-1, WE) F. E. Boyle, Tackle, Wisconsin (ECP-2) Homer W. Dutter, Tackle, Indiana (ECP-2) Glenn D. Butzer, Guard, Illinois (ECP-2) Harry W. Powers, Guard, Minnesota (ECP-2) Henry E. Farnum, Center, Minnesota (ECP-1) John McGovern, Quarterback, Minnesota (ECP-1, WE) (CFHOF) Otto E. Seiler, Quarterback, Illinois (ECP-2) William Lucas Crawley, Halfback, Chicago (ECP-2) Earle T. Pickering, Fullback, Minnesota (ECP-1) John Wilce, Fullback, Wisconsin (ECP-2) (CFHOF) References