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lO^Mason-Dixonland PANORAMA, Ocotber 5, 1975WEST VIRGINIA’S FOOTBALL TEAM IN ACTION DURING DEDICATORY 14 0 WIN OVER PENN STATEELI6HTFULOUNTAINEER FIELD, the home of West Virginia's football team, iscelebrating its 50th birthday this autumn. A celebration, one might add, which became all the more joyous when the Mountaineers shocked Temple 50-7 in theopen tag game of the Stadium’s 50thseasonIf the first game of the 50th season was adelight to West Virginia football fans, then so was the dedicatory game held in the Stadium on Nov. 14, 1925.In that game, West Virginia shut out ragged rival Penn State 14*0 in thehighlight of an 8-1 season. Although the1925 season was in pre-poll times, the Mountaineers were considered the “thirdFORUNTAINEERD C. Hoffman (Class of 1873) and Judge C. W Lynch (Class of 1874). The student body followed the alumni, with the University band, the Fi Bater Cappers, the Kingwood Boys Band, the St. Mary’s fife and drum corps and 1.300 high school athletes from West Virginia and Pennsylvania. At the rear of the parade came the Penn State cadet band leading a large group of PSU fans.The first quarter of the game was scoreless, but dominated by Penn State's larger, more physical lines. Near the beginning of the *ecaad quarter, however, West Virginia’s Winchester Latham partially blocked a Penn State kick and Carl Dav^recovered the ball for the Mountaineers on Penn State’s 33.West Virginia drove in for the score, with Albert (Sleepy) Glenn scamperingseven yards off right tackle for the TD. Robert (Pete) Barnum kicked the extrapoint.That 7-0 lead held up at halftime, when the official dedicatory exercises were held F. Roy Yoke, the alumni secretary, was in charge of the program which had Brooks Fleming Jr., president of the Stadium Corp., tendering MountaineerField to Gov. GoreAlso honored at halftime was Athletic Director Harry A. Stansbury, who was the man most instrumental in planning and raising funds for construction. He also, itmust be remembered, took the brunt of abuse from those who considered the Stadium much too expensive ($713,143 61)and large for the University’s needs.West Virginia's shaky 7-0 lead remained the difference In the game through thethird quarter. But, as the period ended, West Virginia drove to Penn State’s 13.Barnum opeaed the fourth quarter with a three yard gain and Glenn then bulled six yards to the Penn State four. But now thegoing go rough. Although the Mouataineers did manage a first down at thethree-yard-Iiae, they failed oa five attempts to cross the goal line. On afourth-and-goal from the three, West Virginia called timeout.During the timeout, West Virginia Coach Ira Rodgers called for a trick play that has remained one of the most famousin WVU football history.Back on the field, quarterback Ed Morrison took the snap, turned around and faked to Barnum. The Penn State defenseconverged on Barnum and it appeared tothe crowd that WVU had been stopped.But Morrison still had the ball and he started toward the left end with Glenn, who had hesitated in place momentarily at the snap, five yards to the rear. After twosteps, Morrison pitched out to Glenn amithe fleet back raced into the corner of the end zone untouched. Barnum again kicked the extra point and West Virginia owned a 14-0 lead it would not relinquish.West Virginia s 1925 team is rated asone of the finest in the school's history,losing only by 15-7 to Pitt. It was the first year as head coach for Ira Errett (Rat) Rodgers, perhaps the greatest of WVU’s athletic legends (he was the fullback on Walter Camp’s 1919 All-American team and in 1971 was voted on the NewspaperEnterprise Association’s second team all-time collegiate backfield, rated behind O.J. Simpson. Rodgers was 44-31-8 in nine seasons at WVU). jili.. liSlf 1JS Walter (Red) Mahan, a guard andcaptain of the 1925 team, earned All-America honors while Carl Davis and Charley Diicher were given serious consideration for post-season awards. Davis played in the East-West Shrine Game that year, the first West Virginia gridder to play in a post-season gamebest team in the East and one of the top| 10 in the nation. | . Jlll| ■■■ §1Actually, Mountaineer Field was used in the 1924 season, although stadium construction was not yet completely finished. It was also used in the early games of the‘25 season.But the official dedication was delayed until the Nov 14 contest with Penn State, the next-to-last game of the season.In the days prior to the dedication game,MorgaatowB had suffered through continuous rain and cold weather. On the actual day of the game, however, the clouds parted and the sun warmed the crowd,although the field remained a muddyquagmire.Because of the prospects of bad weather, many West Virginia fans did not attempt to make the long trip to Morgantown, and there was only a crowd of an estimated 17,000 on hand for the kickoff. The stadium had a capacity of “33,000 without crowding.’’ which is how The NewDominion of 1925 reported it.Before the game, beginning at 1 p.m., a parade was held through the downtown. Gov. Howard M. Gore, riding in an open car, was the main attraction. HA. Davidson, parade marshal, began the marchfollowed by an escort of mounted StatePolice, the ROTC band, the cadet corps, and the Morgantown City Band Next in line were WVU graduates,marching with their classes and led by■i-... ^; - ■'' ■ p| • v / | rrip ' ^ ^ V '- * V. :ej* ■ iSMOUNTAINEER FIELD AS IT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE OFFICIAL DEDICATION ON NOV 14, 1925
Newspaper Details
Sunday Dominion-Post
Morgantown, West Virginia, US
Sun, Oct 05, 1975
Page 68
Full Page
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WV, USA 29 Apr 2020
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