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1915 Washington State football team

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1915 Washington State football
Northwest Conference co-champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 14–0 vs. Brown
ConferenceNorthwest Conference
Record7–0 (4–0 Northwest)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
CaptainAsa Clark
Home stadiumRogers Field
Seasons
← 1914
1916 →
1915 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Washington State ^ + 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 0 – 0
Washington + 1 – 0 – 0 7 – 0 – 0
Oregon 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Oregon Agricultural 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Idaho 0 – 3 – 1 1 – 4 – 1
Whitman 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 5 – 1
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – Selected as Rose Bowl representative

The 1915 Washington State football team was an American football team that represented Washington State College (now known as Washington State University) as a member of the Northwest Conference (NWC) during the 1915 college football season. In their first year under head coach William Henry Dietz, the team compiled a perfect 7–0 record (4–0 in conference games), tied for the NWC championship, shut out five of seven opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 204 to 10.[1][2]

Washington State represented the West Coast in the 1916 Rose Bowl, defeating a Brown team featuring African-American star Fritz Pollard.[3] Washington State dominated the Rose Bowl game, outscoring Brown by a 14–0 score, gaining 329 yards from scrimmage to 99 for Brown, and tallying 22 first downs to four.[4] The victory remains Washington State's only Rose Bowl win.

For the first of two consecutive years, Washington State did not play in-state rival Washington, which also finished 7–0 and with claims to the NWC championship.[2]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 9Oregon
W 28–3[5]
October 16at Oregon Agricultural
W 29–0[6]
October 30at Idaho
W 41–0[7][8][9]
November 6Montana*
  • Rogers Field
  • Pullman, WA
W 27–7[10]
November 16Whitman
  • Rogers Field
  • Pullman, WA
W 17–0[11]
November 25at Gonzaga*
W 48–0[12][13]
January 1, 1916vs. Brown*
W 14–010,000[4]
  • *Non-conference game

Awards and legacy

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Four Washington State players received first-team honors on the all-conference team selected by George M. Varnell, conference referee, as the official selection for the Northwest Conference. The first-team honorees were: Benton Bangs at halfback; Alfred "Bull" Durham at quarterback; Alfred Langdon at center; and Clarence Zimmerman at end. Harry Applequist and Carl "Red" Dietz were nameed to the second teamm.[14]

The team was inducted as a group into the Washington State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.[15] In 2014, Washington State Senate Resolution 8715 recognized the 1915 Washington State football team as the national champion.[16] The resolution on the team's 99th anniversary was sponsored by State Senator Michael Baumgartner, an alumnus of WSU. The senate resolution was adopted with Washington State head football coach Mike Leach in attendance.

Personnel

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Players

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The following 17 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1915 football team:[17]

  • Harry Applequist, tackle/guard
  • Benton Bangs, halfback
  • Ralph "Clyde" Boone, halfback
  • Robert "Happy" Brooks, tackle
  • Asa V. "Ace" Clark, captain
  • Carl "Red" Dietz, end/fullback
  • Basil Doane, fullback
  • T. Alfred "Bull" Durham, quarterback
  • M. Ray "Buck" Finney, guard
  • Ronald "Fish" Fishback, guard
  • Dick Hanley, halfback
  • Walter Herreid, tackle
  • Carl King, guard
  • Alfred Langdon, center
  • Ray Loomis, end
  • Silas "Si" Stites, guard
  • Clarence Zimmerman, end

[18]

Coaches and administrators

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[19]

References

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  1. ^ Fawcett, Roscoe (November 22, 1915). "Oregon's Team Is Best Since 1910". The Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. p. 12. Retrieved December 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ a b Varnell, George M. (November 20, 1915). "Most Any Team Can Be Figured Winner — Northwest Conference Champion Must Remain in Doubt". Spokane Chronicle. p. 14. Selecting a championship football team in the northwest this season, in view of the fact that the two undefeated teams, Washington State college and the University of Washington, do not meet on the gridiron, will be some job in itself. Which of the two teams really is deserving of the honor probably always will remain a question.
  3. ^ "Washington State Cougars College Football History, Stats, Records". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "W.S.C. Smothers Big Eastern Team". The Pullman Herald. January 2, 1916. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Washington State Wins From Oregon University, Score 28-3". The Pullman Herald. October 15, 1915. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Washington State Drubs Aggies, 29-0: Corvallis Eleven outclassed in Every Department by Pullman Team". The Sunday Oregonian. October 17, 1915. p. 2 (sports) – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "WSC-Idaho football statistics for annual contest on Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 29, 1915. p. 19.
  8. ^ "W.S.C.-Idaho game at Moscow today will attract many from Spokane". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 30, 1915. p. 14.
  9. ^ "WSC gets sweet revenge on Idaho, scoring its greatest victory, 41 to 0". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 31, 1915. p. 1, part 3.
  10. ^ "Dietz Football Machine Tramples Montana Team: Well-Deserved 27-7 Victory Proves Superiority of Well Organized Team Play Over Galaxy of Former Individual Stars". The Pullman Herald. November 12, 1915. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "W.S.C. Defeats Whitman College". The Pullman Herald. November 19, 1915. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Washington State Football Team Class of Pacific Coast: Decisive 48-0 Score Over Gonzaga Prove Superiority of Dietz's Men Over Dobie Eleven --- W.S.C. Carries Ball 693 Yard to 5 for Irishmen". The Pullman Herald. November 26, 1915. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Washington State rolls up 48-0 score on Gonzaga on muddy field". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 26, 1915. p. 8.
  14. ^ 1916 Chinook, p. 125.
  15. ^ "Football 1915". Washington State University. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  16. ^ SR 8715 — Honoring the 99th Anniversary of the National Champion 1915 Washington State College Football Team (Resolution). Washington State Senate. March 7, 2014.
  17. ^ 1916 Chinook, p. 125.
  18. ^ 1916 Chinook, pp. 111-118.
  19. ^ 1916 Chinook, p. 111.
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