1916 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
| 1916 Pittsburgh Panthers football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Independent |
| 1916 record | 8–0 |
| Head coach | Pop Warner (2nd year) |
| Offensive scheme | Double wing |
| Home stadium | Forbes Field |
The 1916 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1916 college football season. Led by coach Pop Warner, the Panthers were undefeated on the season with an 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 255 to 25. The team was retroactively selected as the national champion for 1916 by the Billingsley Report (using its alternate "margin of victory" methodology), Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, and National Championship Foundation, and as a co-national champion with Army by Parke H. Davis.[1]
The lone scare of the 1916 season occurred at Navy when, following a delay of the team's train heading to Annapolis that caused a late arrival, the team overcame several fumbles and eked out a 20–19 victory.[2] The 1916 team was led by center Robert Peck, Pitt's first First Team All-American, and All-American end James Pat Herron, as well as All-Americans fullback Andy Hastings and guard "Tiny" Thornhill. Also on that team were Jock Sutherland and H.C. "Doc" Carlson who would go on to become perhaps Pitt's most legendary coaches in football and basketball, respectively. This Pitt Panthers football team was given the nickname "The greatest eleven in the world".
The 1916 team was selected or recognized as national champions by multiple selectors which are recognized as "major" (i.e. national in scope) in the official NCAA football records book.[3] The team is also recognized as the 1916 national champions by College Football Data Warehouse,[4] as well as a 1970 Sports Illustrated study that has served as the historical basis of the university's historical national championship claims since its original publication.[5]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7 | Westminster (PA) | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA | W 57–0 | ||||||
| October 14 | at Navy | Worden Field • Annapolis, MD | W 20–19 | ||||||
| October 21 | at Syracuse | Archbold Stadium • Syracuse, NY (Rivalry) | W 30–0 | ||||||
| October 28 | at Penn | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA | W 20–0 | ||||||
| November 4 | Allegheny | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA | W 46–0 | ||||||
| November 11 | Washington & Jefferson | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA | W 37–0 | ||||||
| November 18 | Carnegie Tech | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA | W 14–6 | ||||||
| November 30 | Penn State | Forbes Field • Pittsburgh, PA (Rivalry) | W 31–0 | ||||||
List of national championship selectors
The are the selectors that determined Pitt to be national champions in 1916.[4]
|
|
* A "major" selector that was "national scope" according to the official NCAA football records book.[3]
All-American selections
- James P. Herron, end (1st team Walter Eckersall, of the Chicago Daily Tribune;[7] Frank Menke Syndicate;[8] 2nd team Collier's Weekly as selected by Walter Camp;[9] 2nd team International News Service[10])
- Bob Peck, center (College Football Hall of Fame inductee) (1st team Collier's Weekly; 1st team United Press;[11] 1st team International News Service; 1st team Walter Eckersall; 1st team Monty, noted New York sports writer;[12] 1st team Paul Purman, noted sports writer whose All-American team was syndicated in newspapers across the United States;[13] 1st team Boston Post, selected by Charles E. Parker, football expert of the Boston Post;[14] Frank Menke Syndicate)
- Clifford Carlson, end (2nd team Paul Purman)
- Claude "Tiny" Thornhill, guard (1st team International News Service)
- James DeHart, quarterback (1st team Walter Eckersall)
- Andy Hastings, halfback (1st team United Press; 1st team International News Service )
Bold - Consensus All-American[15]
References
- ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ↑ Sciullo Jr., Sam (2008). University of Pittsburgh Football Vault: The History of the Panthers. Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-7948-2653-9.
- 1 2 2012 NCAA Football Records (PDF). The National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2012. pp. 69–71. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- 1 2 "1916 National Championships". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ↑ Borghetti, E.J.; Nestor, Mendy; Welsh, Celeste, eds. (2008). 2008 Pitt Football Media Guide (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. p. 156. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ↑ "Pittsburgh Yearly Results".
- ↑ "Four Westerners On All-American: 1916 Selection Made by W. Eckersall". Daily Review (Decatur, IL). 1916-12-11.
- ↑ ESPN CollegeFootball Encyclopedia, p. 1152
- ↑ "Three Colgate Men Picked By Camp for All-American Team". The Syracuse Herald. 1916-12-26.
- ↑ Jack Velock, INS sports editor (1916-12-04). "Have Hard Job Selecting All-American Team". Lima Times Democrat.
- ↑ H.C. Hamilton (1916-12-03). "West Men on United Press All-American". Des Moines Daily News.
- ↑ Monty (1916-11-25). "All American is Selected by Monty: Talent Stands Out". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- ↑ Paul Purman (1916-12-02). "The News' Own All-American 1916 Football Team". Des Moines Daily News.
- ↑ "Here's All-American Eleven for 1916". The Times (Hammond, IN). 1916-12-05.
- ↑ "Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA. 2012. pp. 2–4.