1917 Denver Pioneers football team
The 1917 Denver Pioneers football team represented the University of Denver in the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1917 college football season. In their third season under head coach John Fike, the Pioneers compiled a perfect 9–0 record (6–0 against RMC opponents), shared the RMC championship with Utah State, and outscored all opponents by a total of 226 to 45.[1]
1917 Denver Pioneers football | |
---|---|
RMC co-champion | |
Conference | Rocky Mountain Conference |
1917 record | 9–0 (6–0 RMC) |
Head coach | John Fike (3rd season) |
1917 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Denver $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Utah Agricultural | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado Mines | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado College | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Utah | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wyoming | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Montana State | 0 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado Agricultural | 0 | – | 7 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
At the end of the season, both Denver and Utah State were undefeated against Rocky Mountain Conference opponents. A game between Denver and Utah State was proposed to determine an undisputed conference champion, but Denver's faculty ruled against the game. Denver officials claimed the title and asserted that the Utah Aggies "have a right to claim nothing more than a tie for the honors."[2][3]
The 1917 team was the only group in the University of Denver's football history to compile a perfect season.[4]
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 6 | Camp Logan* | Denver, CO | W 45–0 | |||
October 13 | Montana State* | Denver, CO | W 33–7 | |||
October 20 | Colorado | Denver, CO | W 7–0 | |||
October 27 | at Colorado Agricultural | Fort Collins, CO | W 10–6 | |||
November 3 | at Wyoming | Laramie, WY | W 18–0 | |||
November 10 | at Kendall* |
| W 20–19 | [5] | ||
November 17 | at Colorado Mines | Golden, CO | W 51–0 | |||
November 24 | at Colorado Teachers* | Greeley, CO | W 14–6 | |||
November 29 | Colorado College | Denver, CO | W 28–7 | |||
|
References
- "1917 Denver Pioneers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- "Denver 'U' Cancels Game with Aggies". The Salt Lake Telegram. December 1, 1917. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- In games against three common conference opponents (Colorado, Wyoming, and Colorado A&M), Utah State won by a total margin of 120 points; Denver defeated the same three opponents by a total margin of only 31 points.
- "Denver Pioneers School History". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- "One Point Gives Denver University Victory Over Kendall Collegians". Tulsa Daily World. November 11, 1917. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.