1909 VPI football team

American college football team February 2026 August 2023 1909 VPI football 1909VPIfb.png 285 Independent 6–1 Branch Bocock 1st Hoss Hodgson Miles Field Southern champion The 1909 VPI football team represented the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1909 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Branch Bocock, the team went 6–1 and claims a Southern championship.e. g. http://hokiesports.photoshelter.com/image/I0000cRvZxFgl4Bk VPI Southern Champions 2015-06-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20150623015505/http://hokiesports.photoshelter.com/image/I0000cRvZxFgl4Bk 2015-06-23 deadhttps://spec.lib.vt.edu/collections/university-archives.html University Archives in Special Collections and University Archives Virginia Tech Special Collections University Libraries Tech outscored its opponents 148 to 27. The starting lineup averaged 172 pounds.http://www.hokiesports.com/football/history.html Sidelines This is the first season the team was referred to in print as the "Gobblers", and it became the official nickname in 1912.What is a Hokie? http://www.vt.edu/about/traditions/hokie.html University Relations, Virginia Tech 2006 2015-12-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20151211041433/http://www.vt.edu/about/traditions/hokie.html 2015-12-11 dead Schedule October 2 w Clemson Miles Field Blacksburg, VA 6–0 Clemson Loses To Virginia Techs https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-10-03/ed-1/seq-51/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch October 3, 1909 51 December 10, 2022 October 13 l y Princeton University Field Princeton, NJ 6–8 V. P. I. Team Gives Princeton A Scare https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-10-14/ed-1/seq-7/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch October 14, 1909 7 December 10, 2022 October 23 w y Richmond Broad Street Park Richmond, VA 52–0 1,500 Techs Pile Up Score of 52-0 Against Spiders https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-10-24/ed-1/seq-5/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch October 24, 1909 5 December 10, 2022 October 30 w y Washington and Lee Lynchburg, VA 34–6 2,200 Virginia Tech Buries W. & L. By Large Score https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-10-31/ed-1/seq-11/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch October 31, 1909 11 December 10, 2022Techs Roll It Over 'Varsity in Fast Play https://dspace.wlu.edu/bitstream/handle/11021/27686/RG39_RTP_19091103.pdf Washington and Lee University The Ring-tum Phi November 3, 1909 4 August 13, 2022 November 6 3:30 p.m. w y North Carolina Broad Street Park Richmond, VA 15–0 2,000 Techs and Carolina Are Anxious for Game To-Day https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-11-06/ed-1/seq-3/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch November 6, 1909 3 December 10, 2022V.P.I. Beats Carolina in Fiercely Fought Game https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045830/1909-11-07/ed-1/seq-6/ Library of Congress Daily Press November 7, 1909 6 December 10, 2022Hodgson 15-Carolina 0 https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073227/1909-11-10/ed-1/seq-1/ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Tar Heel November 10, 1909 1 February 21, 2022 November 12 w y George Washington American League Park Washington, DC 17–8 Techs Off to Play George Washington https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-11-12/ed-1/seq-5/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch November 12, 1909 5 December 10, 2022https://archive.org/details/gwu_hatchet_19091118 The University Hatchet V.P.I. plays well, defeats us 17 to 8 November 18, 1909 February 13, 2021 Internet Archivehttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/5381307/ The Washington Post V.P.I. gets revenge November 13, 1909 February 13, 2021 Newspapers.com November 25 2:30 p.m. w y North Carolina A&M Athletic Park Norfolk, VA 18–5 10,000 V.P.I. -- A. & M. Game in Norfolk To-Day https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-11-25/ed-1/seq-5/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch November 25, 1909 5 December 10, 2022V.P.I. Wins From A. & M. In Great Struggle https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1909-11-26/ed-1/seq-5/ Library of Congress Richmond Times-Dispatch November 26, 1909 5 December 10, 2022 Before the season The 1908 VPI football team compiled a 5–4 record and were led by R. M. Brown in his only season as head coach. Game summaries Clemson Clemson at VPI Clemson 0 0 VPI 6 0 October 6 Miles FieldBlacksburg, VA Frank Shaughnessy 1909 Clemson Tigers football team VPI opened its season with the Clemson Tigers, winning 6–0. "Hughes, playing quarter for the first time, starred for V. P. I." Hughes got the touchdown when he picked up a fumble. The starting lineup for VPI was: Sharpe (left end), Jones (left tackle), H. Hodgson (left guard), Gibbs (center), Burruss (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Luttrell (right halfback), Legge (fullback). The starting lineup for Clemson was: J. A. Bates (left end), Handy (left tackle), J. T. Cochran (left guard), F. V. Gilmer (center), Onan Hydrick (right guard), David Britt (right tackle), W. H. Hanckle (right end), W. R. Connelly (quarterback), Walter White (left halfback), R. H. Walker (right halfback), Charles Robbs (fullback). Princeton VPI at Princeton VPI 6 0 Princeton 5 3 October 13 University FieldPrinceton, NJ Frigid Joe Pendleton (Bowdoin) 1909 Princeton Tigers football team VPI's strongest showing came in the close loss to Ivy League powerhouse Princeton. In a game plagued by frigid weather conditions,https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3851881/the_cincinnati_enquirer/ The Cincinnati Enquirer 9 Football October 14, 1909 December 19, 2015 Newspapers.com each side scored due to a fumble by the opposition.http://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/cgi-bin/princetonperiodicals?a=d&d=Princetonian19091014-01.2.2&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------# Daily Princetonian October 14, 1909 97 34 Drop-Kick Wins Again Princeton's Logan Cunningham scored a touchdown (worth five points in 1909) in the first two minutes of play after VPI fumbled the ball away on its own 10-yard line. Princeton missed the extra point attempt.http://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=DP19091014.1.1&e=------190-en-20--1-byDA.rev-txt-txIN-foot+ball----1909--# Daily Press 14 23 October 14, 1909 V. P. I. Football Team Gives Princeton A Scare Associated Press Associated Press Later in the contest, a snap from center went over the Princeton quarterback's head, and Tech’s Hoss Hodgson returned the lost fumble 50 yards for a touchdown.http://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=TVN19091014.1.6&e=------190-en-20--1-byDA.rev-txt-txIN-foot+ball----1909--# October 14, 1909 The Evening News 20 97 Princeton 8; Blacksburg 6 Hodgson then made his own extra point. After VPI led 6 to 5 for some time, and with only minutes left to play, Princeton's Cunningham made 30-yard drop kick to secure the 8 to 6 victory. The starting lineup for VPI was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Gibbs (center), H. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Legge. The starting lineup for Princeton was: R. R. Meigs (left end), Rudolph Siegling (left tackle), I. M. Woehr (left guard), F. C. Bamman (center), P. E. Waller (right guard), John McCrohan (right tackle), H. E. Gill (right end), P. P. Chrystie (quarterback), Logan Cunningham (left halfback), W. R. Sparks (right halfback), Fred Dawson (fullback). The substitutes were: G. H. Garrett, P. M. King, A. McGregor, J. C. Musser, E. Norman and H. M. Sawyer. Richmond VPI at Richmond VPI 29 23 Richmond 0 0 October 23 Broad Street ParkRichmond, VA 1,500 Hammond Johnson Sources: 1909 Richmond Spiders football team VPI rolled up the season's largest score on the Richmond Spiders, winning 52–0 and playing well on both sides of the ball, especially the offense. The backfield starred in a game of conventional football. The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Pitts (left guard), Gibbs (center), H. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Austin, Cleaton, Jeffries, Legge and Luttrell. The starting lineup for Richmond was: Henry Taylor (left end), Albert Hazlett (left tackle), George Sadler (left guard), Ewing Stringfellow (center), Jones (right guard), John Johnson (right tackle), Albert Ransone (right end), Smith (quarterback), Edward McFarland (left halfback), Sidney Sutherland (right halfback), Algienon Meredith (fullback). The substitutes were: Terry Durham and Miller. Washington and Lee VPI at Washington and Lee VPI 11 23 W&L 0 6 October 30 Lynchburg, VA 2,200 Pat Barry (Georgetown) Sources: 1909 Washington and Lee Generals football team VPI "buried" the Washington and Lee Generals by a 34–6 score. Hughes' 65-yard touchdown run and Hoss Hodgson's punting and kicking featured. Fullback Anderson starred for the Generals. The big win was surprising. The starting lineup for VPI was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Pitts (left guard), Gibbs (center), H. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: A. Hodgson, Jones and Legge. The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: I. R. Simms (left end), L. O'Quin (left tackle), J. W. Bruce (left guard), Joseph Blackburn (center), William Pipes (right guard), Cleon Osbourn (right tackle), Henry Smartt (right end), John Izard (quarterback), William Barnard (left halfback), Edward Brown (right halfback), Edwin Alderson (fullback). The substitutes were: E. F. Burk, Hamilton Derr, Efird, Donaldson Earwood, Richard Morales and L. W. Wilson. North Carolina North Carolina at VPI UNC 0 0 VPI 6 9 November 6 Broad Street ParkRichmond, VA 3:30 p. m. 2,000 Pat Barry (Georgetown) Sources: 1909 North Carolina Tar Heels football team Hodgson starred in a closely contested game between VPI and the Tar Heels, making a field goal in the second half to lead VPI to a 15–0 win. The starting lineup for VPI was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Gibbs (center), H. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Legge (left halfback), A. Hodgson (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Davis, Massey and Pitts. The starting lineup for North Carolina was: Bob Winston (left end), Cecil Garrett (left tackle), Robert McLean (left guard), Levi Brown (center), Earl Thompson (right guard), Harry Hedgepath (right tackle), Richard Williams (right end), John Tillett (quarterback), Andrew Porter (left halfback), Louis Belden (right halfback), Elder (fullback). The substitutes were: Will Belk, Roswell, Carl Spainhour and John Venable. George Washington VPI at George Washington VPI 11 6 GW 3 5 November 12 Washington, D. C. Jack Gass Sources: 1909 George Washington Hatchetites football team VPI won over the defending Southern champion George Washington Hatchetites in Washington, D. C. 17–8. Hodgson's punting again featured.8 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5381307/the_washington_post/ V.P.I. Gets Revenge The Washington Post November 13, 1909 May 25, 2016 Newspapers.com The weather was much better than last year. The starting lineup for VPI was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), H. Hodgson (left guard), Gibbs (center), Jones (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Graveley, Legge and Massie. The starting lineup for George Washington was: Powell (left end), Wayne Hart (left tackle), Robert Fowler (left guard), M. W. Brandt (center), Theodore Eickhoff (right guard), George Bullough (right tackle), R. E. Whiting (right end), Irwin Porter (quarterback), Bayliss (left halfback), H. Ellis (right halfback), Matthew Farmer (fullback). The substitutes were: Royal Alston, Frederick Crafts, Bryan Morse and Herbert White. North Carolina A&M North Carolina A&M at VPI N.C. A&M 0 5 VPI 12 6 November 25 Athletic ParkNorfolk, VA 2:30 p. m. 10,000 Myers (Harvard) Sources: 1909 North Carolina A&M Aggies football team VPI defeated the North Carolina Aggies, (now known as N.C. State) 18–5. Despite the 18–5 score, VPI had to play aggressively throughout. The first score came twelve minutes into the first half, Vivian Hodgson going over. Later, on a fake kick, Luttrell ran 30 yards around left end. The A&M squad followed Hoss Hodgson's helmet, which he tossed as if it were a kicked ball. The last touchdown came on a new trick play from coach Bocock, apparently similar to a statue of liberty play. Vivian Hodgson prepared to pass, and Hughes took it out of his suspended hand and ran 75 yards for a touchdown. North Carolina's Aggies showed fight in the second half. The starting lineup for VPI was: Luttrell (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Massie (left guard), Gibbs (center), H. Hodgson (right guard), Norris (right tackle), Hicks (right end), Hughes (quarterback), A. Hodgson (left halfback), Billups (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Cleaton, Davis and Legge. The starting lineup for North Carolina A&M was: Tal Stafford (left end), J. L. Von Glahn (left tackle), Harry Mott (left guard), John Bray (center), D. B. Floyd (right guard), James Dunn (right tackle), David Seifert (right end), Samuel Stephens (quarterback), G. C. Glenn (left halfback), Harry Hartsell (right halfback), Ralph Long (fullback). The substitutes were: Mark Lassiter. Postseason VPI claimed a Southern championship at year's end. Players The following players were members of the 1909 football team according to the roster published in the 1910 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.Virginia Tech Bugle https://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/bugle/bugl1910/1910_BUGLE.pdf The Bugle 1910 1910 167 2015-11-18 VPI 1909 rosterQuarterback John Leyburn Hughes Guards Hoss Hodgson (Capt.) Harry Guilford Jones Tackles William Henry Burruss Edward Raymond Norris Center Aubrey Gravatt GibbsEnds Thomas Paret Hicks Joseph Talmage Luttrell Halfbacks Henry Evans Billups Asbury Nathaniel Hodgson Fullback Vivian Burnett HodgsonSubstitutes Austin Marvin Luther Cleaton Winston Bozel Davis William Seymour Gravely McChesney Hill Jeffries Frederick Hughes Legge Caesar Pancratius Massei Pitts Sharp Coaching and training staff Head coach: Branch Bocock Manager: Frank Curtis Stoneburner References VPI Category:Virginia Tech Hokies football seasons VPI football