| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | – | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | – | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | – | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tempe Normal | – | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wyoming | – | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | – | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | – | 3 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon Agricultural | – | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | – | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nevada State | – | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington Agricultural | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico A&M | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah Agricultural | – | 4 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1904 Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team represented Oregon Agricultural College (now known as Oregon State University) as an independent during the 1904 college football season. In their first season under head coach Allen Steckle, the Aggies compiled a 4–2 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 119 to 22. The Aggies defeated Washington (26–5) and Utah State (45–0), and lost to Oregon (5–6), and the Multnomah Athletic Club (10–11).[1]
For a second consecutive year, fullback Bert Pilkington was elected team captain.[2]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | O.A.C. Alumni |
| W 11–0 | [3][4] | |
| October 8 | Portland Medical School |
| W 22–0 | [5][6] | |
| October 15 | at Washington | W 26–5 | [7] | ||
| October 26 | Utah Agricultural |
| W 45–0 | 1,200 | [8][9][10] |
| November 5 | Columbia (OR) |
| Canceled | [11][12] | |
| November 10 | Whitman |
| Canceled | [11][12] | |
| November 19 | Oregon |
| L 5–6 | [13] | |
| November 24 | Idaho |
| Canceled | [11][14] | |
| December 26 | at Multnomah Athletic Club | L 10–11 | [15] |
Game recaps
October 1: OAC Alumni
The 1904 season marked the first time that the OAC football squad opened the year in an exhibition game against the school's varsity players from yesteryear.[4] The core of this season's Alumni team had roots in the 1897 championship team — 9 of the starting 11 — a club which had never lost in five contests played that year.[4] However, the returning veterans had no occasion to practice in previous days, but rather attempted to run through their paces and learn play signals the morning of the game, and rust was evident.[4]
"The '97 champions still seemed to have a warm spot in the affections of their old-time admirers and this sentiment seemed to spread among those who had never seen the old heroes on the gridiron," a reporter for the campus monthly magazine observed.[4]
The first dramatic moment came when quarterback Rose of the OAC Varsity broke away for an apparent touchdown, which was called back when the offense was ruled off-sides.[4] It was George H. Root of the Varsity, returning a punt 35-yards for a 5-point touchdown, who opened the scoring.[4] The conversion attempt by Pilkington, a kick for the 1-point goal after touchdown failed, and the Varsity nursed its 5–0 lead to halftime, confident in having outplayed the old veterans during the first stanza.[4]
In the second half, the teams traded possessions evenly, with the Varsity ultimately gaining the ball after a short punt and slowly driving the field, with speedy left halfback Floyd Williams doing honors with an 18-yard run around right end.[3] This time Pilkington successfully converted the goal for extra point, for an 11–0 final score.[3]
After the game, a reception and program was held in honor of the 1897 team, at which speeches were delivered by Coach Steckle and other campus worthies thanking them for playing the current team.[16] A vocal solo was sung by student Lulu Spangler to the assemblage, and then a short dance program was presented.[16] The evening was deemed a great success.[16]
October 8: Portland Medical School
In what probably still stands as the shortest football game in school history, on October 8, 1904, it took the Aggies just 31 minutes to dispatch the Portland Medics at OAC Field in Corvallis.[6] With the contest kicking off promptly at 3 p.m., the Medics received and fumbled the ball on the first play from scrimmage, with the Orangemen making the recovery.[6] A relentless drive ensued, with play after play netting positive yardage for the home team, with team captain and fullback Bert Pilkington making his first touchdown of the year on a 5-yard run.[6] Things went downhill from there.
"The visitors were completely outclassed, being unable to make the required yardage in a single instance, so they fought a defensive game, resorting to a punt on the first formation whenever they secured the ball," an OAC reporter noted.[6]
The Aggies scored four touchdowns on the day, with an apparent fifth score on a 50-yard run by Floyd Williams negated by a holding penalty.[6] Shortly after 3:30, the teams called it a day and went home.
October 15: at Washington
October 26: Agricultural College of Utah
For the second time in the 1904 season, an opponent of OAC chose to tap out rather than play the scheduled match to its chronological conclusion, when OAC and the Agricultural College of Utah mutually agreed to shorten the second half to just 15 minutes to tamp down what was shaping up as a one-sided shutout.[8]
Roster
Players in the Alumni game of October 1[3] included:
- LE: Cooper
- LT: Albert B. Bower
- LG: William J. Dunlap
- C: Walker
- RG: Lyman A. Bundy
- RT: William G. Abraham
- RE: Harvey E. Rinehart
- QB: Rose
- LHB: Floyd A. Williams
- RHB: George Herbert Root
- FB: Bert Pilkington
Substitutes: Oberer, Roderick Nash
References
- ^ "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Oregon State University. pp. 148–149. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ "Oregon State College Football Record," Oregon Daily Journal, Nov. 6, 1927, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d "Hotly Contested Game, O.A.C. Wins Against Alumni in Score of 11–0," Corvallis Gazette, Oct. 4, 1904, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Athletic: OAC vs. Alumni," College Barometer, October 1904, pp. 14–15.
- ^ "Twenty-Two to Nothing, Portland Medics No Match for Farmers in Saturday's Game". Corvallis Gazette. October 11, 1904.
- ^ a b c d e f "Athletic: OAC vs. Portland Medics," College Barometer, October 1904, p. 15.
- ^ "Washington is defeated, Oregon Agricultural College wins by score of 26 to 5". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. October 16, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Roy Irvine, "Victory Well Won: Large Crowd Witness Defeat for the Utah Team," Corvallis Gazette, vol. 16, no. 88 (Oct. 28, 1904), p. 1.
- ^ A.L. Bradley, "OAC vs. ACU," College Barometer, vol. 10, no. 2 (Nov. 1904), p. 16.
- ^ "Aggies Again Beaten: Farmer Students of Oregon Were Too Much for the Logan Contingent". Salt Lake Herald. October 27, 1904. p. 7.
- ^ a b c "Items of interest in and around the O.A.C." Corvallis Gazette. October 11, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Unjustly criticised". Corvallis Gazette. November 8, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Championship won by U. of O." Eugene Morning Register. November 20, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Staff reports". Corvallis Gazette. November 25, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oregon Farmers lose at football". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. December 27, 1904. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "College Jottings: Items of Interest In and Around the OAC," Corvallis Gazette, Oct. 4, 1904, p. 3.