1897 Rhode Island football team

1897 Rhode Island football
Conference	Athletic League of New England State Colleges
Record	1–2 (0–1 New England)
Head coach	None
Captain	Robert S. Doughty
Seasons ←  1896 1898  →

The 1897 Rhode Island football team represented Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, now known as the University of Rhode Island, as a member of the Athletic League of New England State Colleges (commonly referred to as New England League) during the 1897 college football season. The team had no coach. The team compiled an overall record of 1–2, a 0–1 record in conference play, and outscored opponents by a total of 30 to 28. It was the team's third season of intercollegiate football.

In the team's second game, a matchup against Storrs marked the first iteration of the Rhode Island–UConn football rivalry. ^[1]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
October 16	at New London YMCA*	Black Hall New London, CT	L 0–6	[2]
October 23	vs. Storrs	New London, CT (rivalry)	L 8–22	[1]
November 13	Pawtucket High School*	Kingston, RI	W 22–0
*Non-conference game

Roster

Rhode Island 1897 roster
	Guards William F. Harley Robert E. Grinnell Tackles Harry Page Wilson James R. Emmett		Center George C. Soule Ends Arthur A. Denico William Clark		Backs Robert S. Doughty (C) William F. Owen William C. P. Merrill M. R. Cross

Reserves were J. J. Fry, H. W. Case, D. N. Newton Jr., and W. S. Bacheller. ^[3]

References

1. "Rough Game at New London". The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts. October 24, 1897. p. 4. Retrieved May 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com .
2. "On the Foot Ball Field". The Day (New London) . New London, Connecticut. October 18, 1897. p. 8. Retrieved May 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com .
3. Payne, E., ed. (June 1898). "The Grist 1898". The Grist. 2. Kingston, Rhode Island: Junior Class of the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts: 88. Retrieved May 7, 2025.