1903 Northwestern Purple football team

1903 Northwestern Purple football
Western Conference co-champion
Conference	Western Conference
Record	10–1–3 (1–0–2 Western)
Head coach	Walter McCornack (1st season)
Captain	Dixie Fleager
Home stadium	Sheppard Field
Seasons ←  1902 1904  →

1903 Western Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Minnesota +	3	–	0	–	1			14	–	0	–	1
Michigan +	3	–	0	–	1			11	–	0	–	1
Northwestern +	1	–	0	–	2			10	–	1	–	3
Chicago	4	–	1	–	1			12	–	2	–	1
Iowa	1	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Indiana	1	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Illinois	1	–	5	–	0			8	–	6	–	0
Wisconsin	0	–	3	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Purdue	0	–	2	–	0			4	–	2	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The 1903 Northwestern Purple team was an American football team that represented Northwestern University as a member of the Western Conference (now commonly known as the Big Ten Conference) during the 1903 college football season. In their first season under head coach Walter McCornack, the Wildcats compiled a 10–1–3 record (1–0–2 in conference games), shut out eight opponents, outscored all opponents by a total of 229 to 67, and tied for the conference championship. They were undefeated in the first eleven games, finally losing in the final game of the season to the team from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. ^{[1] [2]}

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19		North Division High School	Evanston, IL	W 22–5
September 22		Fort Sheridan	Evanston, IL	W 28–0
September 23		Englewood High School	Evanston, IL	W 35–0
September 26		Northwestern College	Sheppard Field Evanston, IL	W 22–6		[3]
September 30		Northwestern alumni	Evanston, IL	W 5–0
October 3		Lombard	Evanston, IL	W 23–0
October 7		Chicago Dental	Evanston, IL	W 18–11
October 10		at Washington University	League Park St. Louis, MO	W 23–0		[4]
October 17		at Chicago	Marshall Field Chicago, IL	T 0–0
October 24	2:30 p.m.	at Cincinnati	Burnet Woods Cincinnati, OH	W 35–0		[5] [6]
October 31		at Illinois	Illinois Field Champaign, IL	W 12–11
November 14		vs. Notre Dame	South Side Park Chicago, IL (rivalry)	T 0–0
November 21	2:13 p.m.	vs. Wisconsin	South Side Park Chicago, IL	T 6–6	10,000	[7] [8]
November 26		vs. Carlisle	South Side Park Chicago, IL	L 0–28	3,000	[9] [10]

References

1. "1903 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
2. "2017 Northwestern Football Media Guide" (PDF). Northwestern University. p. 106. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
3. "Northwestern Is Humiliated". The Inter Ocean . Chicago, Illinois. September 27, 1902. p. 2, sporting. Retrieved January 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
4. "Purple Wins Out At St. Louis". The Inter Ocean . Chicago, Illinois. October 11, 1903. p. 26. Retrieved January 3, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
5. "Confident.—U. of C. Very Hopeful.—Of Giving Northwestern Downs a Good Drubbing". The Cincinnati Enquirer . Cincinnati, Ohio. October 24, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved March 10, 2025– via Newspapers.com .
6. "Defeated,—But Not Disgraced.—Northwestern Downs the U. of C. Boys". The Cincinnati Enquirer . Cincinnati, Ohio. October 25, 1903. p. 11. Retrieved March 10, 2025– via Newspapers.com .
7. "Methodists In Third Tie Game". Chicago Tribune . Chicago, Illinois. November 22, 1903. pp. 9–10 . Retrieved November 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
8. "Northwestern Held Wisconsin To A Tie". Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan. November 22, 1903. p. 11. Retrieved November 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
9. "Purple Outplayed By Wily Redmen". Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan. November 27, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved April 29, 2021– via Newspapers.com .
10. "Carlisle Defeats Northwestern". Muscatine Journal . Muscatine, Iowa. November 27, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved April 29, 2021– via Newspapers.com .