1907 Western State Hilltoppers football team

The 1907 Western State Hilltoppers football team represented Western State Normal School (later renamed Western Michigan University) as an independent during the 1907 college football season. In their first season under head coach William H. Spaulding, the Hilltoppers compiled a 4–2–1 record and shut out five of seven opponents.[1][2][3]

1907 Western State Hilltoppers football
Conference	Independent
1907 record	4–2–1
Head coach	William H. Spaulding (1st season)
Captain	Tubby Meyers

1907 Midwestern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Marquette			–					6	–	0	–	0
North Dakota Agricultural			–					3	–	0	–	0
Notre Dame			–					6	–	0	–	1
Michigan			–					5	–	1	–	0
Mount Union			–					9	–	2	–	0
Fairmount			–					8	–	2	–	0
Iowa State			–					6	–	2	–	0
Lake Forest			–					4	–	1	–	1
St. Vincent's (IL)			–					5	–	2	–	0
Wabash			–					5	–	2	–	0
Saint Louis			–					7	–	3	–	0
Michigan Agricultural			–					4	–	2	–	1
Western State			–					4	–	2	–	1
Kansas State			–					5	–	3	–	0
Michigan State Normal			–					3	–	2	–	0
Wittenberg			–					5	–	4	–	0
Central Michigan			–					3	–	3	–	0
Drake			–					3	–	4	–	1
Ohio			–					3	–	4	–	1
Franklin			–					3	–	5	–	1
Heidelberg			–					2	–	4	–	1
Butler			–					1	–	3	–	2
Haskell			–					2	–	6	–	1
Chicago P&S			–					1	–	3	–	0
Detroit College			–					1	–	3	–	0
Doane			–					1	–	5	–	0
St. Mary's (OH)			–					0	–	4	–	0
Baldwin–Wallace			–					0	–	6	–	0

After losing to Albion (0–5) and Olivet (0–3), the team did not allow a point to be scored by its opponents in the final four games against Central Normal (29–0), Ferris State (0–0), Michigan State Normal (6–0), and Kalamazoo (40–0).[1]

Halfback Tubby Meyers was the team captain for the second of three consecutive years.[4]

The 1907 season marked the beginning of a 15-year tenure by William H. Spaulding as the school's head football coach. Spalding had played college football at Wabash College in 1906. He coached the Western State football team from 1907 to 1921, compiling a 62–25–3 record, and later served as head football coach at Minnesota (1922–1924) and UCLA (1925–1938).

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
October 5	Grand Rapids HS		W 9–0
October 9	at Albion	Albion, MI	L 0–5	[5][6]
October 12	at Olivet	Olivet, MI	L 0–42	[7]
October 19	at Central Michigan	Mount Pleasant, MI	W 27–0
November 2	at Ferris Institute	Big Rapids, MI	T 0–0
November 9	Michigan State Normal	Kalamazoo, MI	W 6–0
November 15	Kalamazoo College	Kalamazoo, MI	W 40–0

References

1. "Western Michigan Yearly Results (1905-1909)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
2. "Football Records: Annual Results". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
3. "Football Records: Year-By-Year Results - 1910 - 19". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
4. "Football History: All-Time Captains". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
5. "By Single Touchdown: Albion College Eleven Beats Kalamazoo Normals". Detroit Free Press. October 10, 1907. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Western State Normal". Detroit Free Press. October 13, 1907. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Fine Run by Thomas". Detroit Free Press. October 13, 1907. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.