1897 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

1897 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Conference	Western Interstate University Football Association
Record	4–4 (0–2 WIUFA)
Head coach	Otto Wagonhurst (1st season)
Captain	James C. Walker
Home stadium	Iowa Field
Seasons ←  1896 1898  →

1897 Western Interstate University Football Association standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Nebraska $	3	–	0	–	0			5	–	1	–	0
Kansas	2	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Iowa	0	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Missouri	0	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1897 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the State University of Iowa ("S.U.I."), now commonly known as the University of Iowa, as a member of the Western Interstate University Football Association (WIUFA) during the 1897 college football season. In their first and only year under head coach Otto Wagonhurst, the Hawkeyes compiled a 4–4 record (0–2 in conference games), tied for last place in the WIUFA, and were outscored by a total of 104 to 67. ^[1]

James C. Walker, a guard, was the team captain. ^[2] The team played it home games at Iowa Field in Iowa City, Iowa.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
October 2		Wilton*	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA	W 22–4
October 16		at Northwestern *	Sheppard Field Evanston, IL	W 12–6	[3]
October 23		Chicago Physicians and Surgeons *	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA	L 0–14
October 30	3:00 p.m.	at Kansas	McCook Field Lawrence, KS	L 0–56	[4]
November 5		Iowa Agricultural *	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA (rivalry)	L 0–6
November 13		at Drake *	Des Moines, IA	W 16–0
November 20		Grinnell *	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA	W 16–12
November 25	3:10 p.m.	vs. Nebraska	Field Club Park Council Bluffs, IA (rivalry)	L 0–6
*Non-conference game

Players

• Ralph Blackmore, guard, 195 pounds
• William Chase
• Moray Eby, end, 155 pounds
• John Gardner, tackle, 175 pounds
• John G. Griffith, quarterback, 135 pounds
• Samuel Hobbs, fullback, 160 pounds
• William F. Kelly, 155 pounds
• Theodore Klingenberg, 175 pounds
• William Lamerton (or Lamberton), end, 155 pounds
• Melvin Meister, end, 150 pounds
• Joseph Meyers, halfback, 178 pounds
• G.M. Middleton, end
• Towle, tackle
• James C. Walker, guard and captain, 190 pounds
• Charles Wright, center, 222 pounds

^{[5] [6]}

References

1. "2022 Iowa Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Iowa. p. 238.
2. 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 220.
3. "Purple Is Beaten: Iowa Too Much for the Northwestern Players". Chicago Tribune. October 17, 1897. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Kansas Was Victor". Lawrence Daily Journal . Lawrence, Kansas. October 30, 1897. p. 4. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
5. 2022 Media Guide, pp. 250-258.
6. "To Be A Great Game". The Daily Nonpareil. November 22, 1897. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.