1907 Western University of Pennsylvania football team

On October 5 the Pioneers of Marietta College arrived in Pittsburgh to open the WUP football season at Exposition Park. The Marietta eleven surprised the oddsmakers and fifteen hundred fans in attendance as they held the WUP offense scoreless in the first half. WUP took the ball to the Marietta five yard line on their second possession but lost the ball on downs. The WUP defense kept the Pioneers offense in their own territory for the entire half. On the WUP's first possession of the second half Cal Marshall gained five yards on first and second down. Jud Schmidt raced twenty-three yards around right end. Charles Springer gained ten around left end and followed that with a thirty-eight yard dash to the end zone for the lone touchdown of the game. Richard Hoblitzell was successful on the goal kick after and WUP led 6–0. The rest of the game was a defensive struggle with fumbles and penalties hindering any offensive continuity by both teams. Coach Moorehead's opening game was a success.[1]

The second game of the city series with Carnegie Tech and their new coach Joe Thompson was a hotly contested affair. More than three thousand fans cheered for their teams. On their first possession the WUP eleven fumbled deep in their territory and Tech recovered. Tech's Roura was unsuccessful on a twenty-five yard field goal. The WUP defense did not allow the Tech offense into scoring territory for the remainder of the game. The WUP offense managed to score a touchdown late in the first half. Jud Schmidt scored the touchdown and Richard Hoblitzell kicked the goal after. The second half was a defensive struggle with many fumbles and penalties thwarting offensive drives. The final tally read 6–0 in favor of WUP.[2]

Fifteen hundred fans attended the October 19th game with the Muskingum College Fighting Muskies from New Concord, Ohio. To generate more offense coach Moorehead inserted the Banbury brothers (Quince and Winfred) and Fred Klawuhn into the starting backfield with quarterback Karl Swenson. The coach looked like a genius as the WUP offense overpowered the Muskies and scored twenty-two first half points. Winfred Banbury scored two touchdowns and brother Quince scored one. Hoblitzell added a field goal from fifteen yards out and three goal kicks. Quince added two touchdowns in the second half – a thirty-five yard dash around left end and a fifty-yard sprint up the middle. Multiple substitutions enabled everyone to get some playing time. The WUP defense held the Muskies offense scoreless and the final score was 33–0. The Pittsburgh Press wrote: “The WUP players appeared on the field with bright numbers on their jerseys, and this improved the game considerably from a spectator's standpoint. The visiting players were also provided with them, although they were not firmly fastened on and were out of the running almost after the first scrimmage.” This may have been the first time numbers were attached to jerseys for identification purpose in a college football game.[3]

On October 26 the Bucknell Bison football team from Lewisburg, Pa. took on the WUP eleven at Exposition Park in front of over four thousand vociferous fans. A brass band led the WUP students on a parade through downtown Pittsburgh and into the stadium. The Bison were a formidable opponent. Early in the game Bison halfback Clark intercepted a pass and raced into the end zone but the play was called back due to a penalty. The WUP offense moved the ball but could not sustain any scoring drive. Then Richard Hoblitzell intercepted a pass and carried the ball deep into Bison territory. Hoblitzell's field goal try was blocked but John Shuman recovered for the WUPs on the Bison five yard line. Winfred Banbury carried the ball into the end zone for the first touchdown. Hoblitzell was successful on the goal kick. The half ended with Bucknell on the WUP five yard line. The WUP offense scored on the opening drive of the second half to stretch the lead to 12–0. Quince Banbury scored on a twelve-yard dash and Winfred Banbury kicked the goal after. The WUP defense kept the Bison offense in check the rest of the game. The final score read 12–0 in favor of WUP.[17]

On November 2 for the third year in a row the WUP contingent traveled to Ithaca, N.Y. to take on the “Big Red” of Cornell at Percy Field. The Cornell coaches underestimated the WUPs and started six substitutes. The field was muddy from a heavy morning rain, but there were plenty of fans to cheer on their teams. After several changes of possessions, Cornell guard Cosgrove attempted to punt but the center snap went awry and Karl Swenson of WUP recovered the ball on the Cornell fifteen yard line. Winfred Banbury dashed nine yards on second down and then plunged to the two yard line. On first and second down the Cornell defense held for no gain. On third down Quince Banbury scored WUP's first points ever against Cornell. Richard Hoblitzell was unsuccessful with the goal kick after. The remainder of the half was a defensive battle with penalties and fumbles frustrating both offenses. The Cornell coaches were livid. On Cornell's fourth possession of the second half their offense took over the game. They moved the ball quickly from their forty-nine yard line to the WUP twenty-five yard line. The WUP defense dug in but the heavier Cornell lads and the muddy field won out as Cornell's Ebeling finally plunged into the end zone from the six inch line. Caldwell was good on the goal kick after and Cornell had the lead 6–5. On their next possession fullback Ebeling raced forty yards for another touchdown. Caldwell converted the goal kick after. With less than five minutes to play, WUP halfback Jud Schmidt was attempting to punt and Cornell center May blocked it into the end zone and fell on it for the Big Red's third touchdown. Caldwell again converted the goal after. The final score was 18–5.[5]

On election day, November 5, 1907, the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears from Ada, Ohio visited Pittsburgh to do battle with the WUP eleven at Exposition Park. Coach Moorehead started John Mackrell at quarterback to keep Swenson rested for the Saturday game with West Virginia. Quince Banbury scored two first half touchdowns for the WUPs and they led 10–0 at half time. Early in the second half Quince Banbury scored his third touchdown and John Turner was successful on the goal kick to make the score 16–0. WUP end Maurice Goldsmith and Lyon of Ohio were sent to the showers early for fighting. The Polar Bears offense spent the remainder of the game in WUP territory but could not score. They were successful with utilizing the forward pass and fake punts to their advantage but the WUP defense would tighten and protect their shutout.[18]

On November 9 more than four thousand fans attended the ninth edition of the “Backyard Brawl” at Exposition Park. The Mountaineerswere on a two-game losing streak. They lost at Marietta 4-2 and at Navy 6–0. WUP again started the Banburys and Omar Mehl in the backfield. The first half was a defensive standstill as neither offense could sustain a drive. The Mountaineers managed to reach the WUP fifteen yard line but then turned the ball over on downs. Early in the second half Shelton, the Mountaineer quarterback, was injured and carried from the field. The WUPs drove the ball to the three yard line but could not score. The Mountaineers punted to the fifty-five yard line. The WUP offense again marched down the field. Quince Banbury carried the ball six downs in a row finally plunging into the end zone for the game's first touchdown. The goal after was not successful and WUP led 5–0. Coach Moorehead replaced the starting backs with Fred Klawuhn, Charles Springer and Joe Campbell. This ploy worked as the offense moved the ball easily through the West Virginia defense. Springer scored the second touchdown on a ten-yard burst up the middle. The goal kick after was unsuccessful and WUP led 10–0. The WUP offense had the ball on the Mountaineer two yard line when time was called.[19]

On November 16 close to twelve thousand rabid fans jammed Exposition Park for the yearly battle between WUP and the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson University. This game was for the collegiate championship of western Pennsylvania. WUP rooters met at Union Station and paraded through the downtown streets and into Exposition Park behind a monster horn carried by six able-bodied students. The W & J backers were not to be outdone and also paraded through the downtown streets led by their mascot goat “ Billy”. The Pittsburgh Daily Post noted: “Both teams will wear bright numbers and this will enable the spectators to distinguish them readily.”[20] This was the first time both teams wore numbers in a college football game. Both teams were healthy and both coaches were confident of victory. The Banburys, Omar Mehl and Karl Swenson were the starting backfield for WUP. The first half was a defensive struggle, with penalties and fumbles causing the WUP offense problems. A misplayed forward pass by Swenson was recovered by Dewar for the Presidents on the WUP twenty-eight yard line. On second down W & J quarterback Sunny Price kicked a field goal and the Presidents led 4–0. Mr. Price missed two more field goal tries to close out the first half. Early in the second half WUP guard Sam Elliott was ejected for rough tackling and replaced by Walter Zeig. On WUP's fourth possession of the second half Winfred Banbury broke through for a fifty-four yard gain to the fifteen yard line. Charles Springer, Joe Campbell and Fred Klawuhn were substituted for the Banburys and Mehl. The new trio moved the ball to the one yard line but could not score and lost the ball on downs. The Presidents took a safety on first down. After an exchange of possessions the Presidents punted to Springer on his thirty-yard line. He fumbled and W & J fullback Kumler picked up the ball and carried it into the end zone for the only touchdown of the game and a 9–2 lead for the Presidents. The WUP offense was ineffective the remainder of the game and W & J beat WUP for the seventh time in eight games.[21]

On November 23 the WUP eleven and the two thousand fans at Exposition Park were anxious to see the team from Ohio that held Ohio State to a 6–6 tie earlier in the season. Coach Moorehead emphasized eliminating fumbles in the practice time leading to the game with Wooster. Arthur Solter replaced the injured Richard Hoblizell at end in the starting lineup and was the star of the game. He played great defense, handled the onside kicks flawlessly and scored on an intercepted pass. The rest of the WUP offense took out their frustration with the Washington & Jefferson loss on the Fighting Scots as they scored twenty-eight points in the first half. Wooster gained one first down. Multiple substitutions were made at halftime and the WUPs scored four more touchdowns. The final tally was 51–0.[9]

Ten thousand fans spent their Thanksgiving Day at Exposition Park watching the tenth meeting between State College and WUP on the gridiron. Even though they were on a two-game losing streak, the State College contingent was confident of victory since they had won eight of the previous nine games against WUP. The WUP team was hoping to prove that it was better than its showing against Washington & Jefferson. The first half was scoreless. Vorhis of State College missed a thirty-two yard field goal and a bad snap botched a later try from the ten yard line. The WUP offense moved the ball but was unable to sustain a first half drive. The second half began as more of the same when Vorhis missed another field goal try from thirty yards out and the WUP offense struggled to consistently move the ball. With less than five minutes to play WUP quarterback Karl Swenson dropped back and threw a thirty-yard spiral to Quince Banbury. He caught the ball then fumbled into the end zone. There ensued a mad scramble with WUP halfback Joe Campbell falling on the ball for a touchdown. Richard Hoblitzell was successful on the goal kick and WUP led 6–0. The game ended a few minutes later with the WUP offense on the State College forty-eight yard line. WUP finished the season 8–2; State College 6–4.[10]