1903 Western Conference football season

Last updated

1903 Western Conference football season
SportFootball
Number of teams9
Co-champions Minnesota, Michigan
Football seasons
←  1902
1904  →
1903 Western Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Minnesota + 3 –0 –114 –0 –1
Michigan + 3 –0 –111 –0 –1
Northwestern + 1 –0 –210 –1 –3
Chicago 4 –1 –112 –2 –1
Iowa 1 –1 –09 –2 –0
Indiana 1 –2 –04 –4 –0
Illinois 1 –5 –08 –6 –0
Wisconsin 0 –3 –16 –3 –1
Purdue 0 –2 –04 –2 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1903 Western Conference football season was the eighth season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference (later known as the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1903 college football season.

Contents

Michigan and Minnesota were conference co-champions, both compiling undefeated seasons with the exception of a 6-6 tie when the two teams played each other. The tie between Michigan and Minnesota gave rise to the tradition of the two teams' playing for the Little Brown Jug. In the chaos that ensued when the Minnesota crowd rushed onto the field at the end of the game, the Wolverines left their water jug behind. The next day, custodian Oscar Munson brought the jug to Minnesota's athletic director; they painted the jug brown and wrote on it, "Michigan Jug – Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903." According to legend, Yost sent a letter asking for the jug to be returned, and Cooke wrote in response: "We have your little brown jug; if you want it, you'll have to win it." Yost returned with his team in 1909 to reclaim the jug, and the two teams have awarded the jug to the winner of their annual rivalry game. [1]

Michigan compiled an 11–0–1 and outscored opponents 565 to 6, and Minnesota went 14-0-1 record and outscored opponents 656 to 12. All of Michigan's victories were shutouts, and 13 of Minnesota's victories were shutouts. The 1903 Michigan team was the third of Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams and has been recognized retrospectively as a co-national champion (along with Princeton) by the National Championship Foundation. [2] Michigan's high scorer was fullback Tom Hammond with 163 points.

The remainder of Purdue University's season was canceled following the death of 14 players in the disastrous Purdue Wreck, a train collision that occurred on October 31, 1903, in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers were on their way to the annual Indiana–Purdue football rivalry game to be played at Washington Park. Purdue's season ended at 4–2 (0–2).

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. RankTeamHead coachOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAG
1 (tie) Minnesota Henry L. Williams 14-0-13-0-141.20.8
1 (tie) Michigan Fielding H. Yost 11–0–13–0–147.10.5
3 Northwestern Walter McCornack 10–1–31–0–216.44.8
4 Chicago Amos A. Stagg 12–2–14–1–127.54.1
5 Iowa John Chalmers 9–21–115.59.3
6 Indiana James H. Horne 4–41–218.515.5
7 Illinois G. W. Woodruff 8–61–525.18.4
8 Wisconsin Arthur Curtis 6–3–10–3–130.56.7
9 Purdue Oliver Cutts 4–20–214.58.0

Key

PPG = Average of points scored per game [3]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game [3]

Regular season

Bowl games

No Western Conference schools participated in any bowl games during the 1903 season.

Awards and honors

All-Western players

Thirteen players were chosen as first-team players on at least four of the 1903 All-Western college football teams named by the following eight selectors: Billy Mac aggregate (BMA), a team selected by aggregating the choices made by ten critics in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit, [4] Billy Mac (BM) in The St. Paul Globe [5] Chicago Inter-Ocean (CIO), [6] Chicago Record-Herald (CRH), [6] Chicago Tribune (CT), [6] Fred Lowenthal (FL), former star football player at University of Illinois, [7] The Minneapolis Journal (MJ), [8] and Walter Camp (WC). [9] (Players unanimously chosen by all eight selectors are listed in bold.)

All-Americans

The following players were selected as first-team players by at least one selector for the 1903 College Football All-America Team. (Consensus first-team selections designated in bold.)

Related Research Articles

The 1903 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1903 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Henry L. Williams, the Golden Gophers compiled a 14–0–1 record, shut out 13 of their 15 opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 656 to 12. The team finished the season in a tie with Michigan for the Western Conference co-championship. When Minnesota and Michigan met, the teams played to a tie in a game that gave rise the Little Brown Jug trophy.

The 1904 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1904 Western Conference football season. In their fifth year under head coach Henry L. Williams, the Golden Gophers compiled a 13–0 record. The 1904 Minnesota team has been recognized as a college football national champion by the Billingsley Report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1903 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field. The 1903 team compiled a record of 11–0–1 and outscored opponents 565 to 6. The only points allowed came on a touchdown in a 6–6 tie with Minnesota. All eleven wins were shutouts. The 1903 Michigan team was the third of Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams and has been recognized retrospectively as a co-national champion by the National Championship Foundation.

The 1903 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations and individuals that chose the teams included Collier's Weekly selected by Walter Camp, Caspar Whitney for Outing magazine, Charles Chadwick and Fielding H. Yost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1909 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1909 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1909 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost in his ninth year at Michigan. The Wolverines compiled a record of 6–1, outscored opponents 116 to 34, and held six of seven opponents to six points or less.

The 1913 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1913 college football season. Five Western players were also selected as consensus All-Americans on the 1913 College Football All-America Team: Miller Pontius, Ray Keeler, Paul Des Jardien, Gus Dorais, and James B. Craig.

The 1912 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1912 college football season.

The 1907 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1907 college football season. One player, Germany Schulz, was also a consensus All-American.

The 1901 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1901 college football season.

The 1903 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1903 Western Conference football season.

The 1904 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1904 Western Conference football season.

The 1906 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1906 college football season.

The 1905 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1905 Western Conference football season.

The 1902 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1902 Western Conference football season.

The 1933 Big Ten Conference football season was the 38th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1933 college football season.

The 1901 Western Conference football season was the sixth season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference and was a part of the 1901 college football season.

The 1902 Western Conference football season was the seventh season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference and was a part of the 1902 college football season.

The 1904 Western Conference football season was the ninth season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference and was a part of the 1904 college football season.

1922 Big Ten Conference football season was the 27th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1922 college football season.

The 1940 Big Ten Conference football season was the 45th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1940 college football season. The University of Chicago terminated its football program after the 1939 season, leaving only nine conference members fielding football teams. However, Chicago remained a member of the conference and participated in other sports, and the conference remained known generally as the Big Ten.

References

  1. ↑ "The Little Brown Jug – Minnesota vs. Michigan". Golden Gopher Gridiron. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "1903 Western Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Billy Mac (December 1, 1903). "All-Western Team Picked By Critics". The St. Paul Globe. p. 5.
  5. ↑ Billy Mac (November 29, 1903). "Five Gophers On All-Western Team". The St. Paul Globe. p. 15.
  6. 1 2 3 "Schacht Picked By All Chicago Papers". The Saint Paul Globe. November 30, 1903. p. 5.
  7. ↑ "Lowenthal Picks An All-Western Eleven". The St. Paul Globe. November 29, 1903. p. 14.
  8. ↑ "All-Western Team". The Minneapolis Journal. November 28, 1903. p. 8.
  9. ↑ "Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide 1904". American Sports Publishing Company. 1904. p. 33.
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