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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1950)
★ ★ ★ Texas Aggie All-Americans * * * iti jfei i fei t fillll « 1 «M 1 ^ '« 4. : h x. i Joe Boyd Tackle, 1939 Matty Bell Bell, another line A&M coach \vho could« be yiven the name “All-American,” was head coach from 1929 through 1933, won 24 games, lost 21, and tied three. Dana X. Bible Bible, A&M’s top coach, directed athletics and the football team from 1917, 1919-1928. In that period his record was set with 72 wins, 19 losses, and 9 ties, a percentage of .765 in 11 years of coaching; the 1917, ’19 teams were undefeated, untied, and un scored upon. Perfect Seasons In 1917, ’19 College Station, Dec. 5, 1917— College Station, Dec. 1, 1949— [“Champions of the Southwest” is The Aggie Football Team has just ithe title the fightin’ Aggie football Iteam wears after defeating the [last of their conference opponents I to become football leaders of the [ mtire Southwest. With the defeat of their last con- [lerence rival, Rice Institute, the eleven starred. [ Aggies have ended their first un- [ defeated, untied, unscored-on sea son of conference football. Led by the able coaching of D. X. Bible, head coach, and D. V. Graves, | assistant coach, the Aggies have succeeded in piling up 38 touch downs, 30 goals, and four field goals for a grand total of 270 points for the season. This stands as the most impressive scoring rec ord ever made in the Southwest ; Conference. Before the 1917 season opened, the Texas Aggies had only four “T” men returning to the squad. Three of these were guards, the other a halfback. A&M had been placed as a third-rating team by the sports writers at the begin ning of the season. Before the opening game with Austin College, Coach Bible had attained a great backfield made up of R. G. Higginbotham, half back; J. R. McCUntock, halfback; Collins, halfback; H. B. Wier, quar terback; K. C. Elam, quarterback; and J. F. Mahan, fullback. Coach Graves had assembled an exceptionally fine line with M. H. “Ox” Ford, tackle (Captain of the team); J. B. McKnight, guard; E. S. Wilson, guard; C. P. T. Grie- senbeck, guard; C. B. Gouger, end; Scott Alexander, end; J. D. Mc- Murray, tackle; G. D. Anderson, center; and L. M. Gilmore, center.. Others on the Aggie squad were Garth, Martin, Wendt, Copeland, Furman, Fabian, Boreski, McMil lan, Egger, Sims, Wolston, Davis, McHenry, Dinan, Williamson, Pa- tillo, Sparks. Price, and Koly. A&M 6(5 Austin College....0 A&M 98 Dallas U. 0 A&M 20 Southwestern ....0 A&M 27 L.S.U 0 A&M 35 Tulane 0 A&M 7 Baylor 0 A&M 7 Texas U 0 A&M 10 Rice 0 270 0 ended its second unscored on sea son in the three football years between 1917-1920 after emerging victoriously over the Texas Uni versity Longhorns 7-0, a game in which every man on the Aggie Coach D. X. Bible led his Texas Aggies eleven to victory after vic tory as they rolled easily through the season. Their only serious trouble came with Howard Payne College when the Brownwood boys proved they had a hard combina tion to break.- The Howard Payne eleven stood their ground like a stone wall in the face of drive after drive made by the Aggies. Only in the fourth quarter was the drive and stamina of the Red and White to become ap parent as the Aggies drilled on to the goal line with the winning touchdowns. The Texas Aggie team of 1919, headed by “Woodrow” Wilson (capt.), included A. B. Knicker bocker, Frank Murrah, C. R. Drake, J. F. “Harvard Eddie” Ma han, G. B. Gouger, Roswell Higgle, Scott “Lumberfoot” Alexander, A. S. Vandervoort Jr., John Pierce, J. N. Askey, Carruthers, Davis, Drake, Harrison, Martin, Scudder, H. B. Wier, and Harrison. Only once before have the Aggies had such an impressive year on the gridiron. In 1917 the Aggies powered their way to the South west Conference Championship and A&M 28 San Marcos 0 A&M 77 Sam Houston ... 0 A&M 16 SMU 0 A&M 12 Howard Payne.. .0 A&M 42 Trinity U 0 A&M 28 Oklahoma 0 A&M 10 Baylor 0 A&M 48 TCU 0 A&M 7 Southwestern ....0 A&M 7 Texas U 0 Totals 275 0 piled up 270 points to opponents 0. Many sports writers said that there would never be another team like the 1917 eleven. They have been proven wrong already, so it is left up to you—Will the Aggies or anyone else be able to surpass the records set by the Fightin’ Aggie Football Teams of 1917- 1919? . f John Kimbrough All-American Fullback, 1939-40 Homer Norton Norton replaced Bell in 1934 and through 1947 was head coach. His teams won 83, lost 70, tied 11; he produced a “National Champion” team in ’39, four All- American, and two bowl cham pions. Art Harnden II. S. Olympic Team, 19IS Marshall Robnett Guard.' 1940 A&M Football Bowl Teams Dallas, Jan. 2, 1922—Had Walter Camp been here today he would have witnessed his mythical All- American eleven, in the form of the Texas Aggies, defeat the “Praying Colonels” from Center by a score of 22 to 14. This test on the grid iron marked the climax to a hard fought season in which A&M emerged the victors of football in the South. September came, and with it Anniversary Edition The Battalion Sports Section Thurs., Nov. 9, 1950 I). X. Bible Returns Home From France came football. At Texas A&M Coach Dana X. Bible and his very able assistant C. J. Rothgeb were faced with the lack of experienced men. Among those who played on former Aggie teams were Mur rah, Carruthers, and Dieterich who could ably fill the center portion | of any line while Wilson and Smith stood out at the end positions. Calling signals was Morris who j was joined by Weir and Sanders | i at the halves. This sparsely pop ulated backfield was supplemented by returning Freshmen from last! | year’s team and a sizeable number j | of prospects from all-company | | teams. The lack of experience on this | Aggie team was balanced with the ! brilliant coaching of Bible and the i Aggie spirit and determination. A&M 14, Tulane 13 1940- Athletic Council Fails To Recognize Tennis Totals W. J. Bryan Kissed The Battalion, Oct. 28, 1908— (Dateline: New York) When W. J. Bryan entered the Astor gallery at the reception of the Women’s Dem ocratic club at the Waldorf-Astoria j Monday he was kissed by two worn-1 Captain Sargent has agreed to March 6, 1907—Prof. Campbell states that the Athletic Council has not yet recognized tennis as a branch of Athletics under their su pervision. The Council, however, has not had a meeting this year to consider tennis; and it is prob abel that they will soon list it as one of the regular college sports. en in the presence of nearly 700 others and narrowly escaped the embraces of a third. Mrs. Bryan was present. Mr. Bryan displayed some embarrassment. excuse the six best tennis players from drill and retreat, so that they may play every morning. It is ex pected that a team will be sent to Waco. First A&M Football Team - ife Among the members of the 1924 football team were Mule Wilson and Barlow “Bones” Irvin; the first man on the left is unknown but is also a member of the same team. Irvin is now the Athletic Director of A&M. April 2, 1919—The recent news that D. X. Bible has re turned to the U. S. from Prance will cause no little per turbation in the rival football camps of the Southwest. Coach Bible is one of the most populat men who ever handled an A&M squad and Farmer supporters and students are earnestly hoping for his early arriving. Next, year will see several new faces when the football season drifts in. News comes that “Wood- row” Wilson, Captain elect of the ’18 squad and an all-Southwestern guard will be back with his 220 pounds of Agg-ie pep. Horses, and many of them, could not keep “Eddie” Mahan, star full back away, and there is some ru mor of the return of McMurry and Greisenbeck. Enough of this year’s team is slated to return to give the Farmers a top-notch eleven, and if there is any staff of coaches in the country “D. X.” is especially remembered as having , produced what was probably the most re markable football team ever seen in the Southwest, the 1917 unscored upon Champions. With Bible to tutor the backfield and Coach Graves to produce his usual impregnable line the next year’s team will not fail through any lack of coaching. Both football and basketball prospects for next year appear to be the very best. The only thing to say about the latter is that all of this year’s team, with one, ex ception, will be back next year. If there is a man who can handle material better than Bible, Graves and Edmondson the Battalion has not yet been notified of its exist ence. Choices From ’08 to ,48 Bible’s Quintet Brings 2n<l Title College Station, Spring 1921— Coach D. X. Bible, with five re turning lettermen from last year’s undefeated team, fashioned a bard- wood quintet that brought to Ag- gieland the second consecutive Basketball Championship. Return ing players were Captain Forbes, Hartung, Williams, Dwyer, and Ehlert. The Farmers started the season without Captain Forbes by defeat ing the Baylor Medics on two oc casions. Dwyer and Ehlert starred while Hartung picked up bench splinters nursing a sore knee. Forbes, who had been in the hos pital, returned to lead the Aggies in a double win over Simons Col lege, Captain Forbes and Ehlert pushed in all the Aggies’ points in the first game, Forbes making 13 and Ehlert 4. In the second game the Farmers eased by with a 17 to 12 victory. A&M Football Games gains time and again. Late in the second quarter the Rams worked their way deep into Aggie territory and when passes failed to click, the old statue of liberty play was called on for tli'e try. Noble took the hand off aiifi raced far around his left end and down the side line. Conatser charged over from out of no where and threw a block on Noble that will long be remembered by those sitting close to the play. ’ A&M 21, Alabama 29 Dallas, Jan. 1, 1942—The Texas Aggies returned to the Cotton Bowl as hosts to the .University of Alabama, and with them return ed football fans from far and near to see one of the finest games ever played in the Cotton Bowl. The Aggies played a catch-up game all .the way to the end and had there been more time the results. might easily have been in favor of the Aggies, as it was the Aggies end ed up on the short end of a 29 to 21 score. A&M 14, LSI! 19 Miami, Florida, Jan. 1, 1944— Too much Van Buren and the loss of Marion Flannagan to the Aggies proved the difference here today as the Tigers from L.S.U. defeated the Aggies bv a hard-earned score of 19 to 14. College Station, Jan. 6, It was bfore some 73,000 yelling, bellowing, gayly dressed, football- hungry fans that the Texas Aggies kept their undefeated and untied record clean by defeating a great Tulane team 14 to 13 in the Sugar Bowl classic, the now number one bowl game of the world.. The visitor left the Aggies with undisputed possession of the title 1 ■Nati ona 1 Ch a mpions. ” It was John Kimbrough, the greatest fullback that has ever pulled on a cleated shoe, who cross ed the Tulane goal twice, and it was Walemon Price, playing his last and greatest game, who coolly stood back and booted two perfect extra points; but it was the entire Aggie squad that helped make this possible. It was little Herb Smith who swept in and blocked the last try for conversion by Tulane, a fete that may have won the game. Tulane had a great team and a worthy team. They played the, , . , . Aggies the best game of the year, !fT s , havc ? P®* S™yance; the but they were playing a team that ™ 1( ^ abohsh- refused to be beaten and with that New Rules Are Very Unpopular Oct. 17, 1906—In reading the accounts of many of the northern games, one is impressed with the fact that the.new rules are decid edly unpopular. Every player they had two strikes against them before they started. A&M 13, Ford ham 12 ed and line bucking practically so, for it is not .often profitable to waste, by hitting the line, a chance of making a good end run; the ends, because their work has been made harder and they claim, more Dallas, Jan. 4, 1941 — Closing | dangerous. It is up to them to many great football careers and!stop nearly all the plays, and the two seasons of record breaking ball j frequent punting also adds to their for a Southwest Conference team,!work. The linemen, too, say that, the Texas Aggies Wednesday turn-lowing to the distance between the ed back the Fordham Rams, 13 to scrimmage lines, it is harder to hold 12, in the fifth annual Cotton Bowl classic. Throughout the first half of the game the Aggies were playing de fensive ball and were forced to play hard to stop the attack of the Rams. With floating passes the Eastern team threatened large their men. However, it may be that as the new game becomes better understood, more may be gotten out of it than out of the old-style play. But we certainly used to enjoy seeing the guards carry a whole team along in the old guards hack play. All Hail King Football—A&M * >’ ! ptip Nov. 4, 1908—On Saturday aft ernoon before a large crowd of i T.C.U. students, Baylor boys and ! people from Waco, on the Universi ty Campus, Texas Christian Uni versity met their second defeat j this season. Contrary to the nat- ! ural order of things, for T.C.U. ! beat Baylor and Baylor beat A&M, i A&M won the game by a score of 13 to 0. From start to finish the j game was hotly contested and there was not a moment of monotony [ during the whole time. The field was level and the weather fine. . . . | From 14 minutes after 4 o’clock till i | ten minutes after 6, with a few j minutes between halves, the game | I was carried on and when time was j j called for the last time it was al- | ! most, too dark to play. Down TU Twice Clark Field, Austin, Texas, Dec. 5, 1909—Texas A&M defeated the | University of Texas for the second j i time this season today before the } largest crowd in the history of 1 | Clark Field. A&M won the contest ■ | 5 to 0 scoring on a pass from Louie , Hamilton to “Choc” Kelly. Varsity won the toss and elected to play with their backs to the ' i wind. The first half was thrill— I | packed but resulted in no score, j Near the close of the half Hamilton . j took the ball on his own 20 yard | ' line and made a run of 90 yards only to have it brought back be cause he had stepped out of bounds. Varsity kicked off to A&M to start the second half and forced a punt. However, A&M recovered the punt and on the next play, Mike Balenti, A&M halfback, made a forty yard run that set up the ball on the Varsity 10 yard line, to set the stage for Hamilton’s game-winning toss. Tim A&M line with C. E. “Doggie” Ward and William Gor lin at ends, George Barnes and Roger Hooker at tackles, W. A. McDonald and Caesar “Dutch” Holm at guards, and T. E. Thompson at center, held the Varsity to a standstill on the ground. A & M’s crackerjack backfield led by the redoubtable Hamilton and Kelly and with Balenti and Dan Rugel soundly outplayed the vaunted Varsity starters. Credit must be given to A&M coach “Uncle Charley’ Moran whose brilliantly coached team, besides its two victories over Varsity, went through the season undefeated, scoring 130 points compared to 11 for the opposition and have only an early season tie with TCU to mar the otherwise perfect record. In compiling this record A&M holds decisions over Austin College, Has kell Institute, Baylor, Holy Trini ty, and Oklahoma University. r Ags Capture No. 4 Dec. 7, 1925—The solemn oath, I | “Heaven, Hell, or a Championship,” | taken by every member of the A&M student body on College i Night of 1925 has held spirits high ! j through the hectic football season, [ I and the Aggie's now boast another | Southwest Conference Champion ship. Conference championships are nothing new to the Aggies or to Coach D. X. Bible, who has led j the Farmers to four such cham- j pionships in his years of college football leadership. The 1925 season produced foot ball stars who will rank with those of bygone days, for there were four men whose names appeared on the Mythical Eleven with the immortal Dansby as Captain, while two others were given All-Confer- ! ence mention. Along with Dansby, j All-Southwest guard, were: Cap tain Wilson, All-Southwest Full back; Captain-Elect Dieterich, All- Southwest Tackle; Hunt, All- Southwest Halfback; Bcutel, end, All-South west Mention; and Ber ry, quarterback, All - Southwest j Mention. Backing these Aggies were the remaining greats of the ’25 team; Kishi, halfback; Irwin, tackle; McGuire, halfback; Ochter- ! beck, guard; Speed, guard; Price, (See HUNT, Page 7) mm IT'' ' pG .. ' ■ m A 7\ k ■m M v