9/15/1883 is the day that UTirst opened,, with classes starting the following year.

In the book Bowled Over by Michael Oriard, the author says:

Football initially belonged to the players beginning in the 1870s. They made the rules and ran the teams, but by the 1920s, it had become indisputably a coach’s game. As intercollegiate football spread from the northeast throughout the rest of the country, the hiring of professional coaches became necessary. And as it was transformed from an extracurricular activity to a commercial spectacle with promotional value for universities, the pressure on coaches to fill stadiums through winning teams seeded them more and more power and financial rewards.

By 1892 football was already seen as an agent for building a university, and the coach was the key to the success.  By the 1920s, Newt Rockney was far and away the individual at his university best known to the public, and like other top coaches in the 1920s and 30s, he could supplement his salary with income from football clinics, off-season banquet talks, and magazine articles.

A history of Texas Longhorns who won high school football state championships

Longhorns have played on state championship teams in 15 states over the past century.

By Jonathan Wells@jwells1982 Jan 3, January 3ry 3 10:00 am CST

Most ofTexas’ss major colleges and universities fielded their first football teams in the mid-to late-1890s. The first varsity football team at the University of Texas was organized in 1893. Since there were not many nearby colleges with teams to schedule games against, UT played most of its earliest football games against squads from big city athletic clubs and town teams. One of Texas’s games in the 1894 season was played against a San Antonio team whose roster was reportedly composed of players from San Antonio High School, the San Antonio Academy, the West Texas Military Academy, and the Mission Athletic Club.

National Brand Building

**Building a National Brand in University Sports**

Building a national brand in university sports is not an easy task; if it were, more universities would excel in consumer brand recall. If you were to ask 20 individuals outside of Oklahoma to name 10 universities, most would likely mention Texas. While all universities aspire to achieve a high level of consumer brand recognition, very few succeed.

Establishing a national brand requires decades of exceptional performance from both teams and individuals, along with a supportive university, passionate fans, and positive media coverage. Furthermore, effective brand building hinges on several key factors: strong recruiting practices, a competent coaching staff, players who believe in the system, teammate trust and respect, talent, team chemistry, a strong work ethic, and a bit of luck.

Individuals who have contributed to enhancing the Longhorn brand through their actions and adherence to team values can find more information at the following link: TEXAS TOP 9 BASEBALL PLAYERS (squarespace.com).

According to Wikipedia, Texas Football has been part of the national championship landscape 15 times.

Four of these are officially recognized by Texas and the NCAA (1963, 1969, 1970, and 2005). Five others are acknowledged by the NCAA but not claimed by the University of Texas (UT) (1914, 1941, 1968, 1977, and 1981). Additionally, six championships are recognized by some national rating services but not acknowledged by Texas or the NCAA (1918, 1930, 1945, 1947, 1950, and 2008).

The 1961, 1964, 1972, 1983, 2004, and 2009 teams were just one lucky break away from potentially claiming a national championship.

1893- 4 – 0 This team was student-organized, student-managed, and student-coached.

There were seven different coaches during the first 7 seasons.

The team consisted of e Furman, Bill McLean, Walk Crawford (manager), Dick Lee, and Addison Day; at the center were Victor Moore, Paul McLane, and John Philip, while the backline included Ray McLane, Jim Morrison, Baby Myers, and Robert Roy. This information is from the Center for American History at the University of Texas.

More than a dozen UT students formed a football team to compete against a Dallas club that had been playing for over a decade. The boys from Austin triumphed with a score of 18-16, marking the beginning of “Varsity” football. The nickname “Longhorns” would not be adopted until 1903. During that inaugural season, Texas faced the Dallas Athletic Club again and played the San Antonio Town Team twice. During that inaugural season, Texas faced the Dallas Athletic Club again and played the San Antonio Town Team twice.

More than a dozen UT students formed a team and faced a football club in Dallas that had been playing for over a decade. The boys from Austin triumphed with a score of 18-16, marking the beginning of “varsity” football. The name “Longhorns” wouldn’t be adopted until 1903.

During that inaugural season, Texas played the Dallas Athletic Club again and the San Antonio Town Team twice, finishing with an impressive 4-0 record. In the summer, the Longhorns hired Reginald DeMerritt Wentworth, a former coach at Williams College in Massachusetts, for a salary of $325 plus expenses.

That year, Texas joined 88 other colleges in fielding a football team. Austin’s population was around 15,000. The team played before an audience of 700 fans and had a 30-minute pause in the game while a student rode his horse to town to fetch a replacement for a game ball that had burst. By the end of the year, the university’s students were celebrating an undefeated season.

John Philips’s family tree includes Joe Thompson. John is in the center row, far right. The Thompson family built the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center on campus, and Joe served on the Board of Regents in the 1960s. He is credited as the very first Life Member of the entire Texas Exes organization.

The University of Texas was 10 years old when the Longhorns played their first official game. It resembled more of an intrasquad game, including a 30-minute delay while a fan rode his horse to town to purchase a football to replace the damaged game ball. The Texas University magazine reported the game as a tie, but the Austin Daily Statesman documented a victory for the varsity team with a score of 10-2.

This is a profound statement paraphrased and adapted for the TLSN site from author Ronnie Dugger’s thoughts on the Texas Longhorns’ beginnings in competitive football.

“Thus, “he Horns began to pursue shimmering excellence by scattering the mediocre teams while searching for the Holy grail that defined the best in sports. Noble goals were set in our better moments to be perfect and have it all good and right, but we lost sight and instead smashed things on our way, making memories.”

Kern says Texas was the first educational institution to add a semi-organizational format to a sport known for mass mayhem. The players were “grim and unsmiling.” In this era, the appreciation of team play was non-existent.

Texas went from 1893- 1932 with 40 consecutive winning seasons.

The 1893 Dallas game started the Thanksgiving Day football tradition.

Lou Maysel notes that in 1893, the football players were a group of slender students, averaging 162 pounds for the players on the line and 145 pounds for the backs. Their uniforms consisted of lightly padded breeches and homemade canvas vests, which were tightly laced over long-sleeved jerseys. They completed their attire with heavy stockings and shoes featuring homemade leather cleats. At times, the athletes wore laced buckskin uniforms that had no padding and black stockings. Thick hair and small beanies were the favored headgear of that period.

In the game, one athlete swallowed a tooth, another was kicked in the stomach and had to leave, another sustained an eye injury, and another broke a finger. The Longhorns implemented a “killing code” to seek revenge for the opposing team’s actions. During a 10-minute span, three players from the Dallas team were injured, forcing Dallas to call for a truce and to refrain from any more rough play.

The UT football team played four games: two in the fall and two more in the spring. Initially, they were referred to as the “new eleven,” who would have to say “Dallas Boys” to gain credibility. The Dallas Football Club claimed to be the best in the state.

Harrell & Wilcox, a clothing goods store, loaned the VARSITY $100 to cover food and lodging expenses. Peter Lawless, the ticket agent for the International and Great Northern Railroad, provided the team with trip tickets.

Once the team arrived, there was great banter between the two teams. Texas players lit up cigars and boasted of their exceptional skills. The game was held at the Dallas Fair Grounds, and a record 1200 fans showed up for the game.

It was a tough and spirited match. A referee quit at 1/2 time during a bicycle race because he was tired of being harassed by both teams. Texas won 18-16, and the city of Dallas was stunned. “Our na”e is pants, and our glory has departed,” growl”d the Dallas Daily News. The UT club went on to achieve a perfect record and earned the undisputed title of “best in Texas.” Patriotism found a new calling, and UT football became the rallying cry. The year 1893 demonstrated that UT was prepared for the big leagues in football, baseball, tennis, and rowing.

First football game: Texas 18, Dallas U 16 in Dallas (11/30/1893)

First home football game: Texas 30, San Antonio at Varsity Athletic Field (became Clark Field) (12/16/1893)

The team relocates from Hyde Park to Waller Creek. Texas’ uniforms were originally orange and maroon, but the maroon was abandoned due to its association with body odor, leading to a change in colors to gold and white.

Jim Morrison (a tackle) makes the first touchdown. 

No political correctness in 1893. Newspaper headline after Texas beats a San Antonio team reads: 

“The Va”sity Team Wipes Up the Earth with the Tamale Eaters.” Bob Moers, a 210-pound Varsity center, came to the rescue of Billy Richardson, who was kicked in the head by a Dallas player.

It was a game that combined rugby and soccer, with soccer rules prevailing. The game lasted 90 minutes with 45-minute halves. 

A field goal is worth 5 points, a touchdown is worth 4 points, and a point-after attempt is worth 2 points. Halves are 15 minutes, and the field is 110 yards long with no end zone. A new first down was earned if the offensive team made 5 yards in 3 plays.

1894- 6- 1 Coach Frank Wentworth -first paid coach at $325 a year plus expense a extravagant amount at the time.

With a 6 -1 record, Wentworth was fired. Sports writer Lou Maysel said, “The critical and suspicious nature of fans manifested early in the school’s history. It was a win-or-get-fired mentality.

In the first six games, the score was 191-0, but Missouri ended up beating them 28-0. It wasn’t until 1894 that actual intercollegiate football was born in the Southwest. The team for 1894 was formed by Albert Lefevre, the secretary-treasurer of the UT Athletic Council. Two lawyers, A.S. Walker and Thomas Gregory, led a subscription drive to hire a “trainer,” which were called “coaches” back then. Coach Wentworth was hired for $325 for the season, and another $100 was contributed to purchase orange and white jackets, pants, striped stockings, and several rubber nose guards.

The team colors are orange and white. Before the season started, the flying wedge formation was outlawed, except on kickoffs.

In 1894, the Texas A&M and Texas rivalry series began. The “Bryans” faced the ‘Varsity’ (Texas) at Clark Field, where the Varsity defeated Bryan 38-0. I recently visited the LBJ Library looking for text or photos to add to the TLSN history of Longhorn sports website, and I was not disappointed. One image in the LBJ Library stated, “This mask was used from the 1890s through the 1920s.”

It took me a few seconds to comprehend the image’s significance. Staring back at me on a wall was a photo of a football game from 1896. Some players wore devices to protect their noses and mouths, including what appeared to be helmets. Even as an amateur Longhorn sports historian, I knew this photo was significant.

History explains the illusion of the helmet depicted in the photo. During this era, players grew their hair longer and wrapped bandages around their heads and over the tops of their ears. This method pushed the hair up into a mop, providing sufficient cushioning to prevent severe injuries.

But what about the mouth and nose protectors? If players in 1896 were smart enough to protect their noses and mouths, why did players from 1930 through the early 1950s refuse to wear them? Walter Fisher, an 1895 football player and Hall of Honor inductee, said, “The communal rubber nose protector the players wore wasn’t worth it. Those louts on the other team would get ahold of it, pull back, and then let it go.”

The first game was at Clark Field, pitting the University of Texas Varsity against the Texas A & M “Bryan’s. T”Bryan’s the game 38 -0. The Varsity was so proud of their victory that they sent a letter to the newly formed team at the University of Arkansas and challenged them to a game in Austin. Arkansas accepted and traveled six days to play the game, losing 54 to 0. It is hard to believe that two hard-fought and colorful series started in 1894 and lasted almost 100 years. Arkansas did not beat Texas for the first time until 1933.

Missouri handed the Varsity its first defeat 28-0. Fans were angry at the players and the coach. Coach Wentworth quit, and many players cut their hair to conceal their identity, while others left school and never played football again.

1895 – 5-0 Record – Coach Frank:” Little” Crawford “as hired away from Nebraska but returned to Nebraska after the 1895 season.

He claimed to have played for Michigan State, but no records confirm.

After winning the first four games 88-0, Crawford skipped town and went to Mexico.

Texas beat the first five opponents 96-0, directed by Longhorn Hall of Famer Walter Fischer.

The captains were Ray McLane and Wallace Ralston, who refused to wear a striped jersey and chose to wear a black one.

Longhorns join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Eligibility rules were implemented to correct the evils of baseball, the dominant sport. To be eligible, you had to be a student carrying a 10-hour load toward a degree.

Coach Crawford holds the UT record as the only undefeated and unscored team. They also hold the season records for no PAT, fewest points allowed, and fewest touchdowns allowed.

Since the Varsity team waited too late in the year to schedule games, all the major college schedules were already booked, which has raised questions about the competition this season. The only legitimate college team they managed to schedule was Tulane. The remaining games were played against local teams and the YMCA.

The Varsity finished its season undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.

The UT History Corner discusses the uniform.

“Recommended” by Spalding’s Guide to Football, this text serves as a detailed reference for the sport. According to the guide, the ordinary player should wear a long-sleeved jersey along with a canvas jacket, which can be homemade or purchased, and should lace up at the front to ensure a snug fit. The trousers should be made of sturdy material and well-fitted, with soft quilted padding over the knees and thighs. Long woolen stockings are often paired with shin guards, and players should wear leather shoes—preferably made from kangaroo skin—that feature replaceable leather spikes to prevent slipping. Naturally, Spalding sold this equipment for a nominal fee.

A glaring omission from the uniform was something to shield the head. While a few players strapped nose guards over their faces, most went without any protection. Instead, they grew their hair longer and, at game time, wrapped bandages around their heads and over the tops of ears (to prevent ears from being pulled and torn), pushing the hair up into a mop. The mat of hair was supposed to be sufficient cushioning to prevent severe injuries.

The colors are orange and white.

Of course, gold and white weren’t off the table either, but these colors only lasted a couple of years. Members of the student-run UT Athletic Association wanted a more “masculine” color, and in 1895, orange was paired with white once again. However, white uniforms proved difficult to clean after a hard-fought victory on the football field. To save on cleaning costs, in 1897, the Athletic Association opted for a darker color that wouldn’t show dirt as quickly: maroon.

For the next three years, UT’s football, baseball, and track uniforms, along with letter sweaters, were orange and maroon. This decision sparked considerable controversy, especially among alumni. The Cactus Yearbook, published by the Athletic Association, contributed to the confusion by listing the university colors as either gold, orange, or white. Matters worsened with the appearance of the 1899 Cactus, which suddenly declared the university colors to be “Gold and Maroon,” coincidentally matching the hues used for the yearbook itself. Meanwhile, students at the university’s branch in Galveston wanted to eliminate the dual colors in favor of a single one: royal blue. In 1899, a UT fan might have encountered compatriots sporting a mix of yellows, oranges, whites, reds, maroons, and a few in blue.

After considerable discussion, the Board of Regents decided to hold an election to settle the matter. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni were all invited to cast their votes. Out of the 1,111 votes cast, 562 were for orange and white, giving it a majority by just seven votes. Orange and maroon received 310 votes, royal blue garnered 203 votes, crimson got 10 votes, and royal blue and crimson combined received 11 votes, with a few other colors scattered among the remaining 15 votes. with a few other colors scattered among the remaining 15 votes.

From the beginning, the Longhorn tradition demanded success. Texas First Fight and Spirit song said

1896-  4-2-1 Record – Coach Harry Robinson

Coach Robinson was hired away from Missouri after his team defeated Texas 28-0. Following the season, Coach Patterson from Missouri and Coach Robinson decided to take their teams on an exhibition tour of Mexico. What was intended to be a one-week excursion ended up lasting a month. This decision drew criticism from both universities, as it caused the players’ education to take a back seat to sports. Ultimately, Coach Robinson made the wise decision to leave after that season.

1896-  Snaky Jones was the first man to star in 3  sports at Texas. He and Ray McLane were co-captains of the football team.   Snaky is a Member Of UT’s only UUT’sten and Unscored Team in Texas football history and is captain of the first baseball team.

The uniforms evolved between 1896 and 1897. The pants were made with heavy, drab moleskin, with the hips and knees heavily padded with fine curled hair and thighs with light padding.  The shoes were kangaroo leather with cleats on the heel and toe.  Shin guards were made of canvas, moleskin, or leather.  The jacket was made of heavy duck or canvas, and the nose guard of rubber. The players wore stockings of several colors

 The Horns moved its games from Hyde Park to a field near Waller Creek.

The first game ever for Varsity outside of Texas is against Tulane.

Texas joins the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

 The yell titled “Rattle de “hreat Yell” was creat”d it went

rattle de tthrat, de thrat, de thrat!

rattle de tthrat, de thrat, de thrat!

Longhorn ! Cactus Thorn !

Moooooooooooooo Texas!

1897- 6-2 Record   Coach W.F. Kelly

Captain Dan Parker is the first 4-year letterman at Texas.

The Horns were still primarily playing town teams not college teams.

During the first years, the football team is supervised by an athletic council that is affiliated with UT but nUT controlled by UT. ThatUThanged in 1897 after a faculty committee brought football under the supervision of UT. CoacUTKelly is hired as the “Physical D”rector for Men” and the f”otball team coach. He lasted one year.

In 1897, Coach Kelly quit as Coach and accepted a job as the director of the new Gym attached to the Main building. In 1898, he became the first assistant coach in the history of Longhorn sports.

Jame Hart was an end on the 1897 football team, a tackle on the 1898 team, and a captain on the 1899 team. He led UT to a UT-5 mark during his four seasons, including a 6-0 record in 1900. Hart also served as secretary of the athletic association and editor-in-chief of the 1899 Cactus. He returned as UT CoachUTn 1902 and led the Longhorns to a 6-3-1 record. The image below comes from the fine folks at the Austin History Center.

1898 5-1- COACH D.F. Edwards

1898-  Cade Bethea, a halfback on the 1894 team, returned to play after the Spanish-American war.  He played in the second game against the Aggies.    Daily Texas says about the A & M game, “The visito”s were very weak. They had a determined spirit and played to win… They took the loss good-naturedly.

The colors were orange and maroon to save on cleaning costs.

Coach Edwards was hired for one year and changed the colors to orange and maroon, which upset the students and fans of Varsity. Coach Kelly continues as “physical D”rector” of the ne” school gymnasium, and Edwards hires him as the first-ever assistant coach in UT histoUT.

Coaches evolved from professors who volunteered part-time to dedicated full-time coaches, resulting in better teams and a newfound formula that valued victories.

Texas plays AddRan from Waco, a religious school that will eventually be known as TCU after moving to Fort Worth. AddRan has one player who tries to wear his gun in a game against Texas. He is finally convinced to remove his gun, but after the game and losing to Texas 16-0, he wishes he had obeyed his initial instincts.

The “Lollapaloose Yell” was created.
Coyote cayuse!

Lollapaloose!

Everbody yell!

Turn Texas loose!

1899 6 – 2 – Coach Maurice Gordon Clarke- The team was called the “big shots.”1899-  Russ was the quarterback.   THE BIG SHOTS- 

Hart kicked the Horn’s fielHorn’s.

Chub Wortham and Jim Hart are captains of the 1898 team. $3000 was paid to procure the land that would eventually be called “Clarks Fie”d,” named aft”r George B. Clark, the school proctor-auditor, registrar, librarian, secretary of the faculty, and campus caretaker.

College administrators got tired of the blood baths that occurred playing town teams and decided to drop these teams from the schedule and focus on playing only college teams.

Road trips to play town teams vs. college teams ended because of a fight the year before.

The colors are gold and maroon.

1900-1910- Seven Coaches Thompson, Hart, Hutchinson, Schenker, Metzenthin, Draper, Wasmund

1900 6-0-  Coach S.H. “Shy” Thomp”on “rom Princeton

In WWI, Thompson was the assistant Attorney General. Coach Thompson was a splendid coach. He thoroughly understood the fine points of the game and the methods of training men.

Champions of the Southwest

Texas started the 20th century by winning all six games. This was the first year that a coach stayed for more than a year. Schreiner was the team captain. Back then, games could be watched from Brackenridge Hall for no charge, which is why the football treasury was depleted this year.

813 students attended Texas.

Coach Thompson whipped this team into shape. It was a great team, too—the greatest Texas ever produced. This team had an abundance of weight and speed. Leo Sam was placed in the game against Missouri in the second half and helped the Longhorns turn an 11-0 deficit into a 17 – 11 victory.

Coach Thompson is the first coach to have a two-year contract.

The colors are now “official,””and the s”udent body and administration vote for orange and white.

The Longhorn band is organized, but no women are allowed.

The Texas-OU tradition begins. While Texas is a state, OU is still an “Indian Ter”itory.” Texas win” the first OU game 28-2, and according to The Die-hard Fan’s GuideFan’songhorn Football by Geoff Ketchum, the Statesman newspaper called the meeting only a “practice g”me.”

Some news”apers referred to the Texas football team as Longhorns instead of “The Varsit”.”

1901 – 8-2-1 – Coach S.H. Thompson

The Longhorns played four games in 10 days as part of an 11-game schedule.

The Texas-Aggie game was first held on Thanksgiving Day in 1901, and it has been played on this holiday 63 times in total.

Coach Thompson went from “shy” to “maniacal” in one year. He was a hard-nosed coach, and some thought he was a madman.

First Thanksgiving A & M game  Texas 32  A & M  0

The Baylor football series begins with Texas winning the first game 23-0.

This is the last year Texas plays “town” team”.

Th” University of Texas Administration wanted to play the American School of Osteopathy in Missouri. Coach told UT decisUTn-makers not to legitimize the Missouri team by playing them. He said the Missouri team used illegal recruiting techniques by selecting pick-ups from all over the country. UT adminUTtration did not listen. Texas lost 48-0. Coach Thompson actually conceded the game with 15 minutes to play. The loss broke a 16-game winning streak.

The whole story of the Kirksville football game, as told by sports writer Gaylon Krizak is at the link:

https://www.texaslsn.org/gaylon-krizak-1901-kirksville-bone-doctors

1902 – 6-3-1 – COACH John .B. Hart – Yale University grad.

Hart had no experience as a coach except 5 years of college playing time.  

Coach Hart was a 5’5″ and 155-pound football player from the Ivy League. To motivate his team, he wrote a delightful poem called the “Psalm of Football.”

1903 5 -1-2  –  Coach Ralph Hutchinson from Princeton.

A TEAM OF CUSSOR’S

This team was known for cussing and their fighting qualities.

Tying Vanderbilt was considered an upset for Texas.  The game pitted the best team of the South against the best team of the Southwest.  It was said that the Vanderbilt and Texas game was the best game ever seen in Austin. The game was finally called because of darkness.  The score was 5-5.  The heaviest player on the team weighed 190 pounds.  The lightest was a 132-pound halfback Bowen.

Coach Hutchinson was known for his foul language. Alcalde notes that Hutchinson had a unique way of provoking intense feelings in a person, inciting more fight in them than anyone else could. Players often left their interactions with Hutchinson feeling so angry that they were ready to engage in anything from simple assault to mayhem. His explosive outbursts created a minor rebellion early in the season.

Then there was R.W. “Chub” Wortman, who was once caught by the guys in the dressing room slipping a pistol into his football trousers before heading down to the field. When asked what he planned to do with the gun, he stated that he intended to make Coach Edwards swallow something he had said to him that afternoon.

The Oldes” video of a college football game is below.

Coach Hutchinson was the first coach to be hired as “outdoor at”letic director” and the f”rst to be paid by the University of Texas instead of the generated funds. He coached baseball, track, and football. He finished his career with a 16-7-2 record, but he still owns the worst defeat in the school’s spschool’story—68-0 to a Chicago team.

Coach Hutchinson “could talk”and cuss and shame as much fight into a man as any living human,” said Ben “yer, who played for Texas.

“Eyes of Te”as” is compos”d by John Lang Sinclair in a couple of hours.

• Texas 11, Oklahoma 5

Under the rules of the time, a punt that bounced into the end zone was a live ball and could be recovered for a touchdown or touchback. On one such kick, Bill Robinson of Texas and Byron McCreary of OU raced for a ball that rolled underneath a horse hitched to a buggy beyond the goal line. McCreary ran around the horse, and Robinson dived between its hooves to recover the ball. Since there was no end line, the ball was in play, and Texas was awarded a touchdown.

D.A. Frank, a Daily Texan writer, coins the phrase “The Longho”ns.”

Texas an” Oklahoma played each other twice this year.

Daily Texan sports writer D.A. Frank first used the nickname “Longhorn” “n 1903, “oping that the moniker would gain traction and credibility with the fans. It was a longhorn and winding road to travel in Texas sports history before a Longhorn was accepted as the school mascot.

1904  Coach Ralph Hutchinson 6-2

Longhorns traveled to the University of Chicago and lost 68-0.

Texas lost 68-0

If the comments listed above were not stupid enough, consider the laughable depiction in the Chicago Tribune.

.

1905- Coach Hutchinson – 5-4 record

Texas’s financial situation was bad, and $800 was borrowed to make a three-game road trip. As the Razorbacks did to the Horns in 1969, the 1905 Longhorns had to dodge obstacles.

Veterans had graduated or had failed to return this year. Don Robinson was the captain. The team had a very poor showing against the Haskell Indians. Francis was so upset that he told the backfield they were the worst set of backs in Texas history.

The team played before empty bleachers in Austin.

Wilkerson, the quarterback, only weighed 126 pounds, and Blocker weighed 130.  During the early years of Longhorn football, the Haskell Indians and Sewanee beat the Longhorns several times.  

Football as a sport is reaching a crossroads. Many individuals and the media are concerned with the violence and bone-crushing direction of the game. Many predicted the death of football because of its brutality. The sport was like watching a pit bullfight to death.

Nationally, there are 18 deaths and 159 serious injuries related to football.

President Roosevelt stated he would banish the game if “brutality,” foul play, and inefficient officials” were not eliminated from the competition.

Changes in the style of football will change dramatically over the next three years.

Arkansas throws stones at the Longhorns. Some things never change. In 1969, the Razorbacks threw bottles, the band in 1981, and the basketball team in 1982 dodged all kinds of objects.

 The years 1906-1910 represent some primarily dark periods for the sport of Longhorn football.

1906- 9-1 Coach H.R. SCHENKER

The 1906 team had two sets of backs. This was one of the best teams since 1900, and even though many of Texas’s besTexas’srs were hurt against Oklahoma, McMahon, the quarterback, used a crisscross trick play to win the O.U. game.

This was a great season except for a 45-0 loss to Vanderbilt. That loss inspired a poet to write the following.

Schenker was hired because the famous Walter Camp gave him a good recommendation. Coach Schenker was a great guy, but he knew nothing about football. Lucian Parrish, the best player on the team, and other players coached themselves to a 9-1 record. It was believed that Professor Metzenthin called the plays for Coach Schenker. 

Schenker was not invited back the next year. 

Some of the players were disbarred by the SWIAA, and there were academic issues as well.  

Parish was a mountain of a man who left a four-year streak behind him in opposing lines. Parrish is remembered as the great hammer thrower who first broke the Southern record, but his football achievements are as dear to the Longhorns as his work with the hammer. Parrish played center one year and guard three and was a captain in 1906. He had no weaknesses.

Winston McMahon Throws The First Touchdown Pass In Texas Football History To Bowie Duncan. But passing with a fat and, basically, round ball was crude. Passes consisted of holding the ball between the forearm and hand, heaving the ball in a sidearm motion end over end. Ben Dyer, who was the starting quarterback, said years later, “There was “ery little of the accuracy we see nowadays, and passes of more than 10 or 15 yards were rarely seen. They were wild hit-or-miss affairs.”

This is t”e first year that a forward pass is allowed. Texas uses the forward pass to beat Texas A & M.

Tripping becomes illegal

NCAA is formed to regulate college sports teams that choose “to win, no”matter what.” The goal “s to open up the football game to stop in-fighting by the muscle men on the line of scrimmage and spread the participants out over a more significant portion of the field. The introduction of the forward pass served that purpose. John Heisman thinks this new rule is a great idea. This straightforward rule changed football forever. Author Kern Tips said this rule changed the complexion of football n from brawn to brains, size to speed and agility, and destruction to deception. Kern said the best part of the new rules is that they still allow for “courage, t”nacity, desire, dedication, and all other “spiritual””character”stics inherent “in footbal”. The pass play saved the game.

John Mahrer & Kirk Bohls say in their book Long Live the Longhorns that many rule changes occurred during this period. To reduce the number of injuries and to make the game more exciting, 23 professors ask for modifications in the rules to eliminate some of the brutality. Here are some of the new regulations:

• Helmets are required

• Rules make it more difficult for a lineman to carry the ball. The delineation between the role of a running back and a lineman is defined.

• The team only has three plays to make a first down, and a first down is increased from 5 yards to 10 yards

• A neutral zone the length of the football was established

• Downfield coverage on punts is allowed.

• A forward pass is allowed with restrictions. If a pass does not touch a player on either side, the ball is turned over to the defense. After the snap, the quarterback has to move 5 yards to either side of the center before he can throw a pass.

• Only guards and centers are allowed to interlock their legs

WILLIAM ROBINSON WAS killed in WWI- HORNS UP!!

In 1906, the Student’s student’s Athletics Council formally named the field after the beloved James Clark.

James Clark is the University’s Librarian, registrar, bursar, academic counselor, and groundskeeper. The whole student body adored him for his compassionate nature. In 1906, the students asked the Athletic Council to name the field after James Clark.

On the 1906 football is Mangus Mainland, the future basketball coach for the Longhorns.

The yell “Nine Rahs Yell” began.

Rah!Rah!Rah!

Rah!Rah!Rah!

Rah!Rah!Rah!

1907- 6-1-1 COACH W.E. METZENTHIN

In 1907, the Longhorns lost one game by one point. The team always felt they lost to Missouri because of Missouri’s loose play.

Coach Metzenthin almost worked for free because the team had no money. . Bob Ramsdell the tackle of 1905, 06, 07, and 08 teams was considered the greatest Lone Star Lineman.  He was All Texas for All time.  

The Texas faculty ruled that freshmen could not compete in their first semester of school. The football program raised money by soliciting library deposit slips.

A new rule requires an athlete to pass 12 hours to be eligible to play football.

Inspired by the bleachers built for the Missouri team, the players started a fund drive raising 675 dollars from donors, 132 dollars from the Athletic Council and persuaded the engineering department to do the construction. Clark Field stadium was built in one week in preparation for the  A& M game. Texas won that game 11-6.

1908 5-4 COACH W.E. METZENTHIN

This was the first year that a Spring training session was held at Texas.

Texas suffered the biggest upset in school history losing 11-9 to a little Southwestern University who just started playing football.

The Aggie and Longhorn student body got into a fight with one Longhorn receiving three superficial stab wounds to the head. So tense was the situation that Texas canceled a parade planned for downtown Houston.

The new rule that allows passing in a game writes the epitaph for the rugby-style football that was great for the running game but awful for the passing game. The scientific name for this football shape was the “oblate sph”roid. This ball was fat and aerodynamically unstable. Author Kern Tips says that in the early years of college football, a lot of latitude regulations were available in the shape of the ball. The home team could use a fat ball for one week and a slim ball the next week. After passing was made a part of the football game, the rules committee streamlined the circumference of the football from 23” to 21.5 “”but left “e length and shape the same.

The sports editors of the Cactus commented on the embarrassing defeats of Texas by Tulane, Colorado, and Oklahoma, stating, “In closing” let us say to you, Colorado and Tulane, and thou, also Oklahoma, ye have laid up wrath against the day of judgment: take ye heed, and, in the words of the coach “watch your”eye”. Coach Me”zenthin got tired of the criticism from fans and resigned, but later accepted the job as UT AthleUTDirector.

1909-4-3-1 – Doctor and Coach Dexter Draper

Coach Draper is a medical doctor who is hired as the Texas coach. His record is sub-par, plus he lost to Texas A & M. He knew nothing about the forward pass or how to defend against it. After the season, he resigns to become a doctor in pediatrics.

Quarterback Ben Dyer was unhappy with the new head coach. He expressed his concerns, stating, “I thought we were losing games because he did not know how to position the players correctly. He was playing men out of their normal positions and was not valuing the experience of the older players.” Coach Draper listened to Dyer but ultimately demoted him to an end position, replacing him with Bart Moore and Marshall Ramsdell. Draper’s decision proved beneficial for the team, including Dyer, as the new offensive lineup led Texas to a 30-0 victory over OU.

In 1909, the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (T.I.A.A.) was established, followed six years later by the Southwest Conference (S.W.C.). The members of these associations were the first to attempt to regulate athletic conduct and establish recruiting standards.

I guess the “Cactus” had no clue about the illegal recruiting and infractions occurring in Texas.

Alcalde states, “The college (T”xas) had stood square for clean athletics. On the roster…., there are no stars from the East and South. There are no hired mercenaries… Though defeat has been her (Texas) portion, no disgraceful professionalism stains the fair name of Texas. Squarely, she (Texas) has stood for all that is honest and manly–all that she seeks to teach the youth of the South. Proudly, she (Texas) may look forward to a victorious future. “

1910- 6-2 – Coach W.S. Wasmund- A Michigan Wolverine

1910, UT Astin created the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to organize sports for high schools.

Coach Wasmund is one of the first coaches not from the Ivy League. Michigan was the new cradle for college football prominence.

A Training camp before the season is allowed. The team meets in Marble Falls to prepare for the football season. Captain Ramsdell leads the team. To get in shape, players walk 15 miles in the foothills. Coach Wasmund and trainer Billy Disch monitor the team’s hiking. The team trained all of September, and on October 1, the team October 1er 1Austin, and the regular training table was opened at Brackenridge Hall.

After the 1910 season, Coach Wasmund fell from the second floor and died. (See the “lost too soon” section on the website.)

Texas cancels the TCU game due to Wasmund’s deathWasmund’sore he passes away helps procure the services of Dave Allerdice for 1911. The track coach, Burton Rix, and the baseball coach, Billy Disch, act as the coaches for this year.

Tied 6-6 with Texas, Baylor protested a call and exited the field. To this day, Baylor records show that the football team in 1910 went undefeated. On the other hand, Texas stated that by leaving the field, Baylor forfeited the game, and the Longhorns claimed a victory and not a tie in the record book.

The manager was Lutcher Stark who later would have a major influence on the future of Texas.

Questions arise concerning the eligibility of Texas halfback M.L. “Hap” Massingil” an” end Morgan Vining. It was rumored that both had played at Baylor using assumed names and had been paid to coach at Allen Academy in Bryan. The following investigation cleared both players of wrong doing.

More rule changes

15 Minute Quarters Are Added

Flying Tackles Are Banned

Passes Have To Originate 5 Yards Behind The Line Of Scrimmage And Completions Have To Be Less Than 20 Yards. 

Interlocking Hands Are Outlawed

Rule changes require 7 Players On The Line Of Scrimmage with the intended purpose of Getting The Lineman Out Of The Backfield.

A pass interference rule was added.

 Three Longhorns suffer broken bones in the UT-A&M game. Texas accuses A & M coach of dirty play, so Texas Chooses Not To Play Texas A & M Until A & M Releases Coach Moran. To replace A & M, UT reaches out to OU for a possible series to replace the A & M game. 

The letter from the Texas administration to the OU administration is below. 

The flying wedge becomes illegal.

Sportswriters are moved from the sideline to the press box on the top row of the stadium

1911- 1920 three Coaches -Allerdice, Juneau, Whitaker

Hiding the ball under the clothes was still allowed until 1911.  

1911- 5-2 Coach Dave Allerdice and “dirty charlie””Aggie coach M”ran

For the first time in 4 years, the Horns beat Coach Moran’s team ofMoran’s, who “used dirty tac”ics to win. In fact, UT guard MUTion Harold’s leg waHarold’sionally broken by the Aggies, and the Longhorn fans decided to write a song.

To hell, to hell with Charley Moran,

and all his dirty crew.

If you don’t like the don’t of this song,

To hell, to hell with you.

Coach Allerdice Longhorns and Texas A&M meet in Houston to play a game. A & M is undefeated and unscored on, and the Horns had only lost one game. Texas wins as Arnold Kirkpatrick picks up an Aggie fumble and returns for a touchdown. Author Kern Tips says the victory celebration by the Longhorn fans and angry Aggies after the game led to the first rupture of intercollegiate relations in the Southwest.

The UT AthletiUTsociation, due to unnecessary A & M rough play, suspends play with the Aggies. The suspension lasted until 1915 when the Southwest Athletic Conference was formed. Chairman Mather of the UT Athletic UTcil sent a letter to Professor Bagley of Texas A&M stating, “ I beg to inform you t”t the Athletic Council of the University of Texas has decided not to enter into any athletic relationship with A&M College of Texas for the year 1912.” The breach lasted thr”e years.

Three years later, A & M realized that they needed the $10,000 to $15,000 proceeds from the Texas game to fund their football program, and by the end of 1914, Charlie Moran left College Station.

Clyde Little Field said that Coach Allerdice “was a great teacher an” a very lovable man.”Allerdice instituted a” pre-season conditioning camp in Marble Falls, Texas.

By 1911, 13 football coaches had led the Longhorns over a span of 18 years.

Dave Allerdice represents a new breed of coach who no longer takes a job for transitory reasons. Coaches arrived with plans to stay, and some did. Coach Allerdice is the first Texas Coach that remains for five years. Up to this point in football history, he is the most successful coach of the Longhorns with a 33-7 record, which includes one undefeated record and two 7 -1 seasons. Allerdice

• Led UT to three state championships, two SWC titles, and a 33-7 record durSWC his five seasons

• 1915 squad scored a 92-0 win over Daniel Baker College

• Directed the 1914 team to 8-0 record and scoring margin of 358-21

Coach Wasmund unexpectedly passed away at 23 years of age, which forced the Athletic Council to cancer the TCU game. Wasmund is replaced by one of his Michigan teammates- Dave Allerdice. Coach Burton Rix, the Texas track coach, and Billy Disch, the baseball coach and manager, held the football team together until Allerdice could get football acclimated for the Horns.

Allerdice’s coaching stAllerdice’sirely different than Wasmund’s; Allerdice waWasmund’sut exuded confidence, Wasmund was full of energy, and his fiery nature was liked by the athletes. Player Clyde Littlefield said about Allerdice, “To me, he had one of t”e finest characters of any man you could ever find in athletics.”

Until Ricky Williams  years at Texas  Len Barrell held the record for most points scored in a season (121). He is also the First Longhorn To Gain More Than 100 Yards In A Game. 

1912– 7 -1 – Coach Dave Allerdice

More rule changes: 

1. 20-yard limit to pass reception is abolished

2. Four plays instead of 3 are allowed to make the 10 yards

3. The field is shortened from 110 to 100 yards, but a 10-yard end zone was added to facilitate the passing game.

4. On the side, kick is banned

5. Touchdown increases from 5 to 6 points.

MAJ. GEN. KEARIE LEE BERRY HOH

Eugene Berry HOH

Sport: Football (1912-13)
Position: Lineman
Inducted: 1972
Hometown: Denton, Texas

– Selected to the All-SWC Vintage Team during the 1969 College Football Centennial.

– Established the athletics department at Sam Houston Teacher’s College in 1920, overseeing football, basketball, baseball, and track.

– Brother of Maj. Gen. Kearie Lee Berry, who was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1959.

Clark Field is remodeled. The west stands are covered with a roof in 1912, and a “press box” is built on”the roof.”North and south seats are added. More than 18,000 fans attend the 1920 Texas – A & M football game, at the time a record crowd for the South USA.

1913- 7-1 – Coach Dave Allerdice

Big changes occur this year in both Coaching and the UT Athletic DeUTment. According to the book “Here Come the Texas Longho”ns” by Lou Maysel, 1913 was t”e last year management of the football program, including the handling of revenues and the scheduling of games, was in the hands of students, mainly those of the team manager.

Theo Bellmont was hired as the first Athletic Director, and he immediately assumed control of all athletic responsibilities. His years as an Athletic Director were highly productive. Bellmont provided astute guidance to the University of Texas athletic program and helped introduce many innovations.

He played a key role in the construction of Memorial Stadium, initiated the Texas Relays, scheduled the first official game against the University of Oklahoma, created the “T Association,” established the Southwest Conference (SWC), reorganized the Athletic Council, started an intramural sports program, and moved basketball indoors.

Improvements began at Clark Field. The training camp in 1913 was held in San Marcos at Roger’s resort on the San Marcos River. The workouts and conditioning during this camp resulted in an undefeated season in 1914.

In the 1913 Notre Dame-Texas game, Knute Rockne played against Pete Edmond. Knute remarked that he had played against teams all over the USA, “but never did I go up against a better wing. He was a terror when his team was completely overwhelmed.”

Texas had won 12 games in a row leading up to their match against Notre Dame, but Clyde Littlefield, the starting quarterback, was sick and did not play in the game. When Jordan left the game in the fourth quarter, Texas’s hopes faded. The final score was 30-7 in favor of Notre Dame.

  Paul Simmons is a gymnast turned running back who holds the ball with one hand, and somersault’s over the tacklsomersault’ss technique works, it is breathtaking, and when his technique fails, it is well…..breathtaking. 

Paul Simmons shared the record for the number of touchdowns scored in a game at 4 until Ricky Williams scored 6 in 1998.

Financially this was a break-out year for the Horns with revenue of $19,030 and $16,731 in expenses.

1914-  8-0 record  WWI starts- Coach Dave Allerdice

1914-   “Texas Spirit,”  Notre D “Scholastic sa” about playing Texas, “ When one says Southern, t” word hospitality follows as inevitably as Longhorn follows the mention of the word Texas, or as we might say, were we not too modest, as victory follows Notre Dame. But really, we didn’t know what hospitalitdidn’tuntil our eleven came home to tell us of the royal treatment received at the hands of the Southerners. …..Texas, we appreciate your kindness, and we admire your fighting spirit. “

Coach Allerdice signs an unprecedented two-year contract. $1500 the first year and $2000 the next year. Allerdice employed a deceptive option offense with the snap going to either the tailback, fullback, or quarterback.

In 1914, the Southwest Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the future Southwest Conference, officially came into existence when the original eight member schools agreed on a constitution. The eight schools were Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), Southwestern, and Rice, which was admitted provisionally. The new conference was the idea of L. Theo Bellmont, athletic director at Texas, and Dr. William Tyler Mather, who successfully completed the project. Both men saw the need for the larger colleges of the area to organize to engage in intercollegiate athletics. Throughout its eighty-year history, the Southwest Conference provided high-level competition in numerous sports for its member schools. In 1996, when the conference was broken up, the member schools were the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Rice, SMU, and the University of Houston.

The undefeated season – When the forward pass testing was first introduced it was freely predicted that all elevens would be put on a more or less equal basis and that the smaller college with its smaller squad and in most instances lighter men would have an even chance with a larger and heavier college teams. It would seem that the prediction is somewhat indicated in the light of the fact that it has taken almost a decade of the more open game to give the university a team that could carry through its schedule without a defeat.  The 1906, 1907, 1912, and 1913 teams only had one defeat period

Oklahoma A & M withdrew from the SWC in 1916.  In 1918 Southwestern was foSWCd to withdraw due to the small student body population.  In 1918  SMU joined the SWC , and in 1922 TCU joined.

BillingslSWCeport- A football rating service- names Texas as National Champions. The NCAA also recognizes this team as National Champions.

If you have never visited the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center – you should! The Center is open Monday to Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM* Saturday & Sunday Closed. Their site is http://www.starkcenter.org

Phone Main Office: 512 471-4890 Email: info@starkcenter.org

On- Campus parking at San Jacinto Garage or Manor Garage

Physical Address -403 East 23rd Street North End Zone, Suite 5.700
Austin, TX 78712.

The link below is from the Stark Center archives and discuss’s the 1914 team

httdiscuss’sves.starkcenter.org/flipbooks/1914UT/

Six members of this team have been inducted into the Hall of Honor.

Louis Jordan said about playing O.U. “Nobody Leaves The Field Un”il We Beat The Hell Out Of Them.” Fortunately for the oppos”ng teams, he practices anger management by participating and winning the conference in the hammer throw. 

Louis Jordan was Texas’s first All-American,Texas’s was killed in WWI.

A & M returned to the Longhorn schedule when the A & M coach accused of dirty play was fired. Texas had won 20 of 21 games after the 1914 season.

On May 6, 1914, the Southwest ConfMay 6ay 6s formed.

1915-1919 

Each team still had its own eligibility rules, and some colleges allowed non-student to represent their university. However, that would change for the better over the next five years. After that, the ethical schools started banding together, forming athletic associations and eligibility rules. See https://www.texaslsn.org/follow-the-money-trail-to-understand-the-reasons-for-infractions-in-college-recruiting  for more information.

Enter the formation of the SWC, which over time managed to regain paSWCtal control of the petulant 21-year-olds. The SWC opened the door to an era of responsiSWC football management to better athletes and the Universities. A “ringer” to win a game was “he fir”t university winning technique abolished by the SWC. The ability of a University to sneakSWC a great athlete with no academic qualifications (ringer) was no longer tolerated. Instead, the SWC was determined to add minds and moresSWCck into the football equation.

 1915- 6-3 – COACH DAVID ALLERDICE 

3434 students are attending The University of Texas. 

Around 1915 Texas against Rice for the first time wore numbers on their jerseys.

The Universities were tired of what they called the “Tramp athletes” choosing f”otball over ac”demics. University faculties were concerned that football players considered their sport as the final goal in life instead of a means to receive an education for life. Universities wanted to recapture their institution’s destiny from institution’ss with a short-term focus.

A holdover rule allows the team that makes a touchdown to kick for the extra point from the spot where it scored the touchdown.

Texas has 12 fumbles and completes only 3 of 23 passes to lose to Texas A & M 13-0.

Clyde Littlefield Holds The  Record For inclusion on seven touchdowns in a game. He is also the first Longhorn halfback to be named as consensus All-SWC.

The SWC was formed to replace “town” play witSWCollege te”ms. “rkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State, Rice Owls, Southwestern Pirates, Texas Longhorns, and Texas A & M form the SWC to play “town” teams instead of “cl”bSWC”Southwestern Pirat”s lea”e SWC 2 years later.

Training camps are baSWCd, and questionable and potentially offensive Yells at games are addressed.

Reflection Point

Coach Allerdice was the youngest coach in Longhorn history, being hired at the age of 25. He is credited with developing Clyde Littlefield and Gus Dittmar. Despite having a record of 33 wins and 7 losses as the coach of the University of Texas, he resigned due to what he described as “the supercritical nature of the Texas fans.” After leaving Texas, he moved to Indianapolis and joined his family’s meatpacking business. Tragically, in 1941, a fire in his home claimed the lives of him his wife and one of their children. He was only 53 years old at the time.

1916- 7-2  Coach Eugene Van Gent- Texas wins their first SWC championship.

Missouri questioned Dittmar’s and Carlton’s eligibility. An agreement was made, and Dittmar played while Carlton did not.

The varsity team had a superstition that they would lose a game if they entered the field first. As a result, the “Agriculturists” (Texas A&M) were introduced first. The A&M team outweighed the varsity team by 20 to 30 pounds per player.

Texas found the “Farmer line” to be as solid as iron. Billy Trabue made an impressive 65-yard run. Despite being knocked out twice, he chose to continue playing. Ultimately, Texas won the game with a score of 21-7, showcasing that Texas’s speed was more effective than A&M’s size.

This year, Texas also had a team filled with ineligible players, composed of four-year “Exes” and transfers from other schools.

Gent played for the Wisconsin Badgers and lettered in football, basketball, and track. His first act was to restart the Spring training program started by Metzenthins in 1908, and he added numbers to the back of the player’s jerseys.

Dittmar, players Hart, and Lang made the All-SWC team.

Steve Pinckney, the 1911 team manager, persuaded alumni to contribute a dollar each to purchase an unpatterned Longhorn named Bevo I. This Bevo did not like crowds or his title, and he only lasted until half-time. It would take 20 years before UT tried again tUTuse a Longhorn as a mascot.

1917- 4-4  COACH Bill Juneau

Even though Coach Juneau had a 19-7 record, pressure from the fans, an epidemic, and not winning the SWC championship forced him to resign.

Coach SWCeau was the coach at Wisconsin when Van Gent was a player. Coach Billy Disch recommended him for the head coach job at Texas. Coach Juneau also was the coach of the Texas Track team.

Coach Juneau was the first Longhorn Coach that had to deal with recruiting athletes during a war. Most of the talented young men had joined the service. This was the first non-winning season in Longhorn history.

This was the first time the Horns lost 3 games in a row and and a non-winning season . .

America entered WWI on April 6, 1917. Conscription tooApril 6il 621 years of age, so college football quality remained intact. SWC allowed freshmen to play varsity during tSWCwar years.

The President of the University Robert E. Vinson worked with the government in WWI offering UT facilities toUTse trainees for the war effort. The Aggies were not happy that Austin was getting all the conscripted young and talented draftees on the Longhorn campus.

1918- 9-0 – Coach Bill Juneau- The influenza pandemic

The Cliff Morgan Rating service selects Texas as National Champions.

The Cliff Morgan Rating Service Selects Texas As National Champions

There is nothing normal about football in Austin, Texas, in 1918. The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, causing the death of 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Austin is not immune, and the city faces many challenges. Football this year is not at the top of the list of priorities to attend. The Austin death toll reaches 200 people during the first wave.

The second wave claimed 17-year-old Texas football player Spence. He had moved into the line-up when Conley left for the Army.

Due to influenza, the Texas-OU game was canceled and the schedule was changed to include teams like Penn Radio school, Ream Flying Field, and Mabry Auto Mechanics. One change moves the A & M game from early November to Thanksgiving day on a home and home basis. Texas wins the game.

SMU joins the SWC

No All-SWC team was chosen in 1918. No champiSWCwas crowned. Fats Conley (270 pounds) is the captain but is drafted for the war effort after the first game.

The first wave of the pandemic killed 200 people from Austin.

Thanksgiving A & M tradition begins.

Because of the war effort, the 9-0 record was achieved by playing 5 college teams and 4 military squads.

1919- 6-3  – Coach Bill Juneau

Coach Bill Juneau remains as Head Coach, but Head Coach Gene Van Gent is guaranteed a job after he returns from the war effort. After much controversy, he is assigned responsibility for the line.

Football lettermen athletes from as far back as 1915 returned to Texas after the war effort to play football, and the freshmen were moved back to the freshmen team.

WWI is over, and football is growing in popularity.

OU leaves the SWC, and Texas does not compete again until the 1SWC.

The starting quarterback for Texas – Rats Watson – is ruled ineligible.

This bizarre play will never occur again. At the time, the rule was that if a team had its punt blocked but recovered it, it could punt the ball again. Howard Marsh from Oklahoma blocked the Longhorn punt three times, and each time, the Horns recovered the ball. Unfortunately for the Horns, the third punt recovery was in the end zone, and OU got a safety.

The first Longhorn game is “broadcast” via Morse code.

Bi”b Falk is the only All -SWC football player.

1920-1930  THREE COACHES- SWCRY WHITAKER, “DOC” STEWART, AND CLYDE LITTLE”IEL”,

This was a decade of great growth in Texas football. 

Oil is discovered on UT lands in West TUTas.

Two strong-willed administrators- Theo Bellmont and Lutcher Stark- lead the charge to make Texas Sports great.  

Universities finally understand that sports do a better job of increasing student enrollment than promoting educational benefits so there is a building boom for sports facilities across the nation.  

1920-  9-0  -Coach Berry Whitaker First SWC Championship

Coach Whitaker posted a 22-3-1 bSWCthe fan pressure resulted in him ulcers and he eventually quit. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1977,

Before becoming the head coach at the University of Texas in 1920, Berry Whitaker was hired in 1916 as an Instructor of Physical Training. His mission was to establish an Intramural Sports program, which would become the third such program in the nation, following Ohio State and Michigan. In 2016, the intramural program celebrated its centennial anniversary.

The intramural fields north of campus were named after him- The Whitaker Sports Complex.

Whitaker is one of the most successful coaches in Longhorn football’s history and is a member of the Longhorn Hall of Honor. McCullough, Watson, and Swenson made the All-Southwest Conference team.

One of the most memorable games in the rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M took place this year. A&M had not been scored on in two years. The Longhorn team featured players with unique names, such as Rats Watson, Hook McCullough, Swede Swenson, Maxey Hart, and Icky Elam. Both teams entered the game undefeated, with Texas outscoring its opponents 275-10, while Texas A&M had maintained a perfect defensive record for the year. A record 20,000 fans attended the game. Texas won 7-3, thanks to a trick play by Icky Elam as time was running out. As a result of this success, Whitaker received a raise from $3,000 to $3,750.

In a key play, seldom-used fullback Francis Domingues made a crucial pass to offensive tackle Tom Dennis, which set up a touchdown run by Dominguez, leading to Texas’s victory over Texas A&M with a final score of 7-3. This win secured Texas its first Southwest Conference title.

George McCullough continues to rank as one of the best all-around ends in Texas history.

The largest crowd of 18,300 paid $32 to attend the football game between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M. In 1920, Texas A&M was undefeated and had not been scored on, while Texas was also undefeated. The Longhorns won the game with a trick play in the final minutes, executed by quarterback Elam, who had transferred from Texas A&M to Texas.

Francis Dominguez of Kerrville played fullback and was a UT letterman in that season. Dominguez scored the only touchdown, leading Texas to a 7-3 victory over Texas A&M and securing their first Southwest Conference title. Berry Whitaker’s team was the SWC champion for that year. Whitaker’s squad faced Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) at the Texas State Fair.

This decade marked significant growth for Texas football. Oil was discovered on the University of Texas lands in West Texas, and two strong-willed administrators, Theo Bellmont and Lutcher Stark, led the charge for development.

1921- 6-1-1 – Coach Berry Whitaker

The A&M game was the first game transmitted in the SWC using a wireless account.

Teams started to huddle before each play.

The SWC Horns outscored their opponents 268-27.

Texas was invited to a post-season game to play the University of Arizona, but the UT faculty chose not to participate. A & M faculty chose to participate in post-season play and accepted a Dallas date to play Centre College at the Dixie Classic. This game in Dallas was the precursor for the January 1 Cotton Bowl.

McCullough, Dennis, and Swede Swenson are consensus All-SWC.

A pamphlet from the university states that students were not required to attend church to graduate.

1922- 7-2 – Coach Berry Whitaker  (The memorable Misfits)

Games with OU are renewed

The Aerial Circus began as passing dominated football until 1933. Many traditionalists believed that passing was a weak approach, favoring a confrontational style where unpadded men clashed with clenched fists, striving to create openings for the running back.

The free kick for the extra point was eliminated, and teams were now required to attempt to score the extra point instead.

During a losing effort, 20,000 fans attended the Texas-Texas A&M game, demonstrating that football had outgrown the wooden bleachers at Clark Field.

WFAA radio broadcast the first Longhorn game, where Vanderbilt won 20-10. Berry Whitaker refuted the widespread claim that a powerful and interfering booster had fired him, stating, “I’m too thin-skinned and conscientious.” He mentioned that defeats affected him deeply, saying, “I was coming down with ulcers and that kind of thing.” Ultimately, he resigned with a record of 22 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie.

1923- 8-0-1 – Coach “Doc” Stewart

Theo Bellmont receives approval from the Board of Regents to build a 27,000-seat concrete stadium.

Coach Stewart had a 24-9-3 record but was fired. Three years after leaving a fellow Deer hunter shot him.

In Bobby Hawthorne’s book Longhorn Football, Coach Stewart is described as a former car salesman, newspaper editor, and sports entrepreneur who believed in discipline, spoke like an English professor, loved hats, and played the piano. His players adored him.

It was a long and winding road to Texas for Coach Doc Stewart.

• 1904, organized a football team

• 1907-1908 coached at Mount Union

• Coached basketball at Purdue

• 1909-1910 coached Allegheny College both football and basketball

• 1911-1915 coached at Oregon A & M (Oregon State), sometimes football and sometimes basketball

• 1916 – Coached led Nebraska to two Missouri Valley Conference football titles.

• 1918- was the Army coach at Camp Gordon Georgia

• 1919-1920 – sold cars

• 1921-1922- Coached football and basketball at Clemson

• 1923- Joined Texas to coach football and basketball

Coach Stewart separated the football training table from the school cafeteria, relocating the team meals to Mrs. D.B. Emmons’s boarding house. He implemented a version of the hurry-up offense with an unbalanced line. As the head coach for both football and basketball, his record was 31 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie. The press referred to Coach Stewart as “Doleful Doc” because of his pessimism about upcoming games.

TCU Horn Frogs join the SWC 

Texas lost the Southwest Conference Championship to SMU due to a tie in one of the Longhorns’ games. Florida invited Texas to participate in a postseason game in Jacksonville; however, both the Southwest Conference rules and the University of Texas faculty rejected the offer.

Oswald Eckhardt’s bruising running style helps the Longhorns defeat the Aggies. Bluestein, Bralley, Eckhardt, and Marley are selected for the All-SWC team. Meanwhile, roommates Bully Gilstrap and Abb Curtis are inducted into the Hall of Honor.

Most popular song 1923

The Horns broke a four-game losing streak to A&M playing in College Station. After the 1922 loss to A&M, Ed Bluestein told his Calculus teacher to flunk him so he could come back in 1923 to beat Texas A&M. He flunked calculus and returned to Texas in 1923 but broke his leg before the A&M game. Ed watched the Horns beat the Aggies in a wheelchair on the sideline.

The Regents established a new rule stating: “No infidel, atheist, or agnostic shall be employed in this capacity. No person who does not believe in God as the Supreme Being and Ruler of the Universe shall henceforth be employed.”

Date: 1924

Reference: 5-3-1 – Coach “Doc” Stewart

UT strikes black gold with Santa Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes, near Big Lake, Texas.

Oklahoma and Texas did not compete from 1924 through 1928.

Excavation for the new stadium began on 4/1/1924. It was heralded as “the largest sports facility of”its kind in the Southwest.

• Last game at Clark Field on 10/25/1924 ended in a tie between Texas 7 and Florida 7.
• First game at Texas Memorial Stadium: Baylor 28, Texas 10 (11/8/1924) Attendance: 13,500
• Texas Memorial Stadium dedication game: Texas 7, Texas A&M 0 (11/27/1924 – Thanksgiving Day). Thirty-five thousand fans attend the dedication ceremony. Texas wins the game off a deflected pass for a touchdown by Longhorn Stookie Allen, and a legend starts that the Aggies can not defeat the Horns in Austin. For 32 years, that was true.

Texas Military Forces
Hall of Honor

K. L. Berry played for the horns in 1915 and then was called to the service. He returned to play football at Texas in 1924 at 32 years of age with a wife and three children

K. L. Berry had a long and distinguished military career. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in the Officer Reserve Corps on August 15, 1917. Later appointed inAugust 15t 15Army he served in various assignments, including a period as instructor with the 141st Infantry, Texas National Guard.

He was transferred to the Philippines in November 1941, just before the outbreak of hostilities with the Japanese. At that time, he was promoted to colonel. During the defense of the Bataan Peninsula, Lieutenant General Berry and his command distinguished themselves in the battle of the “Pockets,” which forced a temporary withdrawal of the Japanese forces. Following the surrender of Bataan on April 9, 1942, General Berry survived the infamous “Death March” and spent forty months as a prisoner of war. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1946 and retired on May 2, 1947. Five days later, he was appointed by Governor Beauford Jester as the Adjutant General of Texas. He was promoted to major general in the Texas National Guard on June 5, 1947, and continued in that role for over fourteen years. Upon his retirement in 1961 from the position of Adjutant General, he was advanced to brevet lieutenant general.

General Berry was awarded several decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Legion of Honor from the Philippine government. General Berry passed away in 1965.

Bill Little says, “Universities are not made of bricks and mortar, and stadiums are more than concrete and grass. Both are about people. Texas Memorial Stadium, originally known as Texas Memorial Stadium, honors all American men and women who have served in foreign conflicts.

Texas and OU did not play each other from 1924 – 1929

Oklahoma State leaves the SWC.

This is the final year for Shorthorn football in the SWC. This team was made up of ineligible athletes awaiting clarification of their eligibility status.

1925- 6-2-1 Coach Doc Stewart

Mark Saxon uses a new procedure to have cartilage removed from both knees.

Stud Wright was the captain of the team.

KUT – The university’s new radio station has begun broadcasting sporting events.

This is the first year that a tie has a value of 1/2 of a win, which would change the math used to determine the conference winner.

Crawling is disallowed for the first time.

top of the charts 1925

Texas – Baylor game is the first game in the SWC to be broadcast over the radio. 

Mike AshburnSWCoadcast the first SWC game between Texas and Texas A&M.

Buddy SpSWCue is an All-American and also won the SWC in the shot put.

Allen on the Longhorn baseball SWC team catches a deflected pass for a 52-yard touchdown to secure a victory over A&M.

Tension begins to build with Stewart within the athletic family.

The curved section of Memorial Stadium, which connects the East and West bleachers, was funded by increasing the seating capacity for games to 40,500 fans. Plans included adding more seats on each side, raising the total capacity to 50,000.

1926- 5-4  Coach Doc Stewart First Year for Memorial Stadium

Piling on became a foul in 1926.

The team’s failure to win an SWC continues, and frustration with the team grows. SWCThe upheaval: Theo Bellmont is demoted, and Doc. Stewart is fired.

Nothing new here. Just like in 2020, political power has reshaped the landscape of Texas football. On one side is the anti-Bellmont faction, led by Coach Billy Disch and political powerhouse Robert L. Holliday. On the other side, Board Regent Lutcher Stark supported Bellmont.

Another group, led by Jim Hart, wanted to fire Coach Stewart due to his wandering focus and neglect of university duties. Stewart spent too much time developing camping and resort activities and not enough time coaching the Longhorns. The “Let’s Fire Stewart” group aimed to hire Clyde Littlefield as the new head coach. Ultimately, Hart’s faction prevailed, and Coach Stewart was dismissed. In 1929, Stewart was accidentally shot while deer hunting.

Doc Stewart resigned this year, but he had a successful career as the Longhorn football coach, with a record of 24-9-3, and his teams won against A&M three out of four years.

Stewart’s firing sealed Bellmont’s fate. In October, Bellmont’s Board of Regents, led by Holliday and UT footballer Ed Cutt, voted 8-1 to remove Bellmont from his position as athletic director.

As an amateur Longhorn historian, I have heard a familiar refrain used to justify firing coaches and administrators over the past century. The template often goes like this: “Mr. Bellmont is so deeply involved in personal controversies that he would be unable to contribute to the harmony of the University.” Sound familiar? Athletic Director Dodds used that phrase to fire Coach Akers and Abe Lemons, while A.D. Chris Del Conte used it to dismiss Herman.

The Regents exonerated Bellmont of wrongdoing but relieved him of his athletic directorship. Bellmont then took over as chairman of the Physical Education Department.