McDaniel Green Terror football

Last updated
McDaniel Green Terror football
First season1891
Head coach Skyler Fultz
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumKenneth R. Gill Stadium
Location Westminster, Maryland
NCAA division Division III
Conference Centennial Conference
Past conferences Mason–Dixon Conference (1946–1974)
All-time record529–514–48 (.507)
Bowl record0–2 (.000)
Claimed national titles1
Conference titles12
Rivalries Maryland (1894–1942)
Johns Hopkins (1947–present) (rivalry)
Gettysburg College Bullets
Consensus All-Americans44
ColorsOlive Green and Old Gold
   
Website mcdanielathletics.com

The McDaniel Green Terror football is the college football team representing McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland in the United States. DeMarcus White has served as the team's head coach since 2019. McDaniel plays its home games at Kenneth R. Gill Stadium. The team was known as the Western Maryland Green Terror prior to 2002, when the school was renamed from Western Maryland College to its current name.

Contents

According to sportswriter Grantland Rice, the Green Terror invented the forward pass. [1] The team also invented the shovel pass, were the first team invited to the Orange Bowl and claimed the 1929 national championship. [2] [3] Notable coaches and players include quarterback Eugene "Stoney" Willis, first player to throw the shovel pass; All-American and five-time All-NFL running back Bill Shepherd, and college football Hall of Fame coaches Dick Harlow and Rip Engle.

History

McDaniel, formerly known as Western Maryland, football dates back to 1891 when the first game was played against northern rival Gettysburg College. [4]

In 1908, sportswriter Grantland Rice wrote that Carl "Molly" Twigg threw the first forward pass. The invention was patented in the autumn of 1908 and perfected against Lehigh in 1910. That year the six-foot-three Marylander shocked the Engineers by hooking up with Chandler Sprague 20 times (in 21 attempts) for 350 yards handing Lehigh, fresh off a win over Princeton, a 10–0 defeat. [1]

In the 1920s and 1930s the Green Terror were highly successful in college football, with three undefeated seasons, despite only having around 500 students. The Green Terror were nationally ranked and were commonly beating schools such as Boston College and Bucknell University. Other victories included beating University of Maryland College Park, Georgetown University, and Temple University. [4] Many of these victories were played in front of crowds of over 20,000 at Baltimore Memorial Stadium. Such was the case in 1927 when they won the MacArthur Cup handed out by General Douglas MacArthur, when The Terror beat an all-army team made up of the best players from all the regional army bases, 48–0. [2] : 288 

In 1929 the Green Terror was the only team to play an 11-game schedule, going undefeated, with only one true home game. After the season the Associated Press wrote in the New York Times : "Western Maryland With 11 Straight Victories Leads the List. Fourteen teams remained unbeaten at the close of the football season, Western Maryland leading the major teams with eleven straight victories, according to The Associated Press." [3]

In 1934, during the Great Depression, Western Maryland was invited to play in the first Orange Bowl. Coach Dick Harlow declined so that his best player, Bill Shepherd, could play in the then more prestigious East–West Shrine Game, which hosted over 55,000 fans. Shepherd was the MVP of the game, playing 59 of 60 minutes as his East team lost. In the initial Orange Bowl (which only 5,000 attended [5] ) Bucknell, shut out earlier in the season by the Terror, defeated the Miami Hurricanes 26–0. [2] : 334 

In 1947, the Green Terror football team was featured in a cartoon in The New Yorker before a game against the Harvard Crimson. Soon after World War II, McDaniel College decided to play only other small colleges described as the college's "natural rivals." Thats when the McDaniel-Hopkins rivalry game started. It has been played annually as the last game of the regular season since 1947 and over 100 times since their first meeting in 1894.

In 1992, the Green Terror became the first college football team to play in Russia. Against an all-Europe team, they won 47–4. Also in 1992 Running back Eric Frees set the then NCAA Division III record for career all purpose yards. [2] : 638 

The Green Terror returned to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They went on to be nationally ranked, with a record of 58–7, being invited to two ECAC Bowls and going to the Division III playoffs five times. [1] [6]

Until 2010 the Baltimore Ravens, and before that the Baltimore Colts, held their training camps at McDaniel College. [7] Head coach John Harbaugh still hosts clinics at McDaniel. [8] In 2011, McDaniel was ranked 6th in the country for best tailgating by The Weather Channel. This is due to fans being able to park their cars practically on the field and grill & drink during the game, a tradition that dates to the 1920s. [9] In 2012, McDaniel College was also ranked in Southern Living Magazine as one of the top 20 of the "South's Best Tailgates." [10] At football games McDaniel can have an average attendance over 5,000 and highs as much as 8,750 even during a losing season, ranking in the top five in the country for NCAA Division III football. [11] [12]

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The 1934 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1934 college football season. In its ninth season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled an undefeated 8–0–1 record and shut out eight of its nine opponents. Left halfback and team captain Bill Shepherd led the country with 133 points scored and went on to play six years in the NFL. Harlow was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The 1929 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1929 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a perfect 11–0 record and shut out eight of its eleven opponents. Charlie Havens was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

The 1930 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1930 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 9–0–1 record and shut out eight of its ten opponents. Paul L. Bates was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

The 1926 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1926 college football season. In its first season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 6–1 record and shut out four of its seven opponents. Frank Sillin was the team's captain.

The 1927 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1927 college football season. In its second season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 6–2 record and shut out six of its eight opponents. Orville W. "Greasy" Neal was team captain.

The 1928 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1928 college football season. In its third season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 6–2–1 record and shut out seven of its nine opponents. Left halfback Orville W. "Greasy" Neal was the team captain and leader on offense. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

The 1931 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1931 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 4–4–2 record and shut out five of its ten opponents. L. W. Pincura was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

The 1932 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1932 college football season. In its seventh season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 5–1–2 record. Hal Kopp was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland. Fullback Bill Shepherd was the team's offensive star.

The 1933 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as an independent during the 1933 college football season. In its eighth season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team achieved a 5–3 record. The team was captained by James W. Dunn and Al Sadusky. Home games were played at Hoffa Field in Westminster, Maryland, with halfback Bill Shepherd standing out as the team's offensive star.

The 1951 Western Maryland Green Terror football team was an American football team that represented Western Maryland College as a member of the Mason–Dixon Conference during the 1951 college football season. In its 13th season under head coach Charlie Havens, the team compiled a perfect 8–0 record, won the Mason-Dixon championship, and outscored opponent by a total of 191 to 65. Walt Hart was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

The 1949 Western Maryland Green Terror football team represented Western Maryland College—now known as McDaniel College—as a member of the Mason–Dixon Conference during the 1949 college football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Charlie Havens, the Green Terror compiled an overall record of 7–1 with a mark of 4–0 in conference play, winning the Mason–Dixon title. Henry A. Corrado was the team's captain. Western Maryland played home games at Hoffa Field on Westminster, Maryland.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of Football". McDaniel College.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lighter, James E (2007). Fearless and Bold. Westminster, Maryland: McDaniel College.
  3. 1 2 "14 Elevens Unbeaten.: Western Maryland With 11 Straight Victories Leads the List" . Associated Press. December 10, 1929 – via New York Times.
  4. 1 2 "McDaniel Football Records - All-time Game Results". McDaniel College.
  5. ↑ Bucknell Wins Game At Miami," Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, January 2, 1935, p8
  6. ↑ "History and Tradition". McDaniel College football History and Tradition. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  7. ↑ Meoli, Jon (December 2, 2011). "Ravens won't return to Westminster for training camp". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  8. ↑ Wilson, Aaron (June 16, 2012). "Ravens: Harbaugh, Coaches Host clinic at McDaniel". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  9. ↑ "McDaniel tailgating # 6 in the nation". McDaniel.edu. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ Rosen, Jill (August 27, 2012). "Southern Living names McDaniel College one of the best tailgating schools". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  11. ↑ Walker, Childs (October 15, 2011). "McDaniel tailgating to be featured on The Weather Channel". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  12. ↑ NCAA ACCUMULATED ATTENDANCE REPORT (PDF). NCAA. p. 1.
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