1907_Western_Illinois_Purple_and_Gold_football_team

Western Illinois Purple and Gold football, 1902–1909

Western Illinois Purple and Gold football, 1902–1909

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The Western Illinois Purple and Gold football program represented the Western Illinois State Normal School, also known as the Macomb State Normal School, later renamed Western Illinois University. This article covers the program's first eight years of intercollegiate football from 1902 to 1909.

During this period, the team's opponents included Carthage College (six games), Illinois State (five games), Quincy High School (four games), Lombard College (three games), Monmouth College (two games), Northern Illinois (two games), Kirksville State (two games), and Saint Alban's Military Academy (two games).

1902

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It was previously believed that Western Illinois first fielded a football team in 1903. However, research by a WIU professor (John Hallwas) and an employee of the WIU archives (Kathy Nichols) established that Western Illinois fielded a team in 1902 that played four games and compiled a 2–2 record.[1]

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[1]

1903

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The 1903 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1903 college football season. The school's athletic association was formed in the fall of 1903.[1] The team played four games, compiled a 0–3–1 record, and was outscored by a total of 75 to 6. It is not known if the team had a coach.[1]

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[1][2]

1904

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The 1904 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1904 college football season. In their first and only season under coach L. H. Laughlin, the Purple and Gold compiled a 5–2 record.

At the start of the season, The Macomb Journal opined that the team was "much stronger than last year" with a heavier line and an average weight of 150 pounds. The players included: Rexroat, center; White and L. Rexroad, guards; Sutton and Morrow, tackles; Simeral and Cordell, ends Legere and Switzer, halfbacks; Pierce, fullback; and Wilson, quarterback.[4]

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[1]

1905

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The 1905 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1905 college football season. In their first and only season under coach A. Laughlin, the Purple and Gold compiled a 4–2 record and outscored opponents by a total of 62 to 49.

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[1][9]

1906

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The 1906 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1906 college football season. In their first season under coach and historian Oliver Morton Dickerson, the Purple and Gold compiled a 1–4 record.

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[1]

1907

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The 1907 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1907 college football season. In their first season under coach Charles A. Barnett, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3 record, scored 54 points, and allowed 54 points to opponents.

The football team was disbanded in late November due to its poor performance. One official at the school stated that "the reason the team had been a failure was because of the use of liquor among the men when they went to play teams in neighboring towns."[10]

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[9]

1908

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The 1908 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1908 college football season. In their second season under coach Charles A. Barnett, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 107 to 61.

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[9]

1909

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The 1909 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1909 college football season. In their first season under coach Francis Taft, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3 record.

Taft drilled the team in difficult forms of the forward pass and on-side kick, plays which had only been used in "their simplest forms" prior to the 1909 season.[13]

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[1]


References

  1. "Western Illinois Football Record book" (PDF). Western Illinois University. 2022. p. 60.
  2. "Win And Lose". The Daily Chronicle. November 9, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved October 2, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Football Teams". The Macomb Journal. October 6, 1904. p. 2 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Foot Ball Games". The Daily Chronicle. November 14, 1904. p. 5. Retrieved September 29, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Intoxicants and Football". The Champaign Daily Gazette. November 23, 1907. p. 3 via newspapers.com.
  6. "Advertisement". Kirksville Daily Express. November 13, 1907. p. 3 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Close Season With Victory". The Macomb Journal. November 28, 1907. p. 4 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "State Normal Notes". The Macomb Journal. October 14, 1909. p. 12 via Newspapers.com.

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