1918 Northwestern Purple football team

The 1918 Northwestern Purple team was an American football team that represented Northwestern University during the 1918 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Fred J. Murphy, the Purple compiled a 2–2–1 record (1–1 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in sixth place in the Big Ten Conference.[1][2]

1918 Northwestern Purple football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1918 record2–2–1 (1–1 Big Ten)
Head coachFred J. Murphy (5th season)
CaptainGene McLaughlin
Home stadiumNorthwestern Field
1918 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Michigan + 2 –0 –0  5 –0 –0
Illinois + 4 –0 –0  5 –2 –0
Purdue + 1 –0 –0  3 –3 –0
Iowa 2 –1 –0  6 –2 –1
Minnesota 2 –1 –0  5 –2 –1
Northwestern 1 –1 –0  2 –2 –1
Wisconsin 1 –2 –0  3 –3 –0
Indiana 0 –0 –0  2 –2 –0
Ohio State 0 –3 –0  3 –3 –0
Chicago 0 –5 –0  4 –6 –1
  • $ – Conference champion

Northwestern's quarterback Marshall Underhill was selected as a first-team player on the 1918 Big Ten Conference football season.[3][4]

In response to the Spanish flu pandemic, the football schedule was modified. The game against Ohio State for October 19 was canceled.[5]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 26at Great Lakes Navy*
T 0–015,000[6]
November 2Chicago Naval Reserve*
L 0–25[7]
November 9Knox*
  • Northwestern Field
  • Evanston, IL
W 47–7[8]
November 16Chicago
  • Northwestern Field
  • Evanston, IL
W 21–68,000[9]
November 23at Iowa
L 7–23[10]
  • *Non-conference game

Game summaries

On October 26, 1918, Northwestern and Great Lakes Navy played to a scoreless tie before a crowd of 15,000. The game was played in mud that was ankle deep.[6] The 1918 Great Lakes Navy team compiled a 3–0–1 record against Big Ten opponents, went on to win the 1919 Rose Bowl, and featured three players (George Halas, Jimmy Conzelman, and Paddy Driscoll) who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Charlie Bachman, who was hired as Northwestern's coach after the season and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, also played for the 1918 Great Lakes team.

On November 2, 1918, Northwestern's S.A.T.C. team lost, 25–0, to |Chicago Naval Reserve a team from the United States Naval Reserve School at Chicago's Municipal Pier. The game was played at Evanston Field.[7]

On November 9, 1918, Northwestern defeated Knox, 47–7. Knox scored on its first drive with a pass covering more than 90 yards. Northwestern then scored seven touchdowns.[8]

On November 16, 1918, Northwestern defeated Chicago, 21–6, in the rain, fog, and mud before a crowd of 8,000 at Evanston Field.[9]

On November 23, 1918, Iowa defeated Northwestern, 237, in Iowa City.[10]

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References
  1. "1918 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  2. "2017 Northwestern Football Media Guide" (PDF). Northwestern University. p. 106. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  3. Walter Eckersall (December 8, 1918). "Eckersall Picks "All Star" Eleven of the Big Ten". Chicago Tribune. pp. 2–4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ESPN Big Ten Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2007. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-933060-49-1.
  5. Kaufman, Joey (March 29, 2020). "Influenza outbreak put 1918 Ohio State football season in the shadows". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  6. Walter Eckersall (October 27, 1918). "Purple and Great Lakes Elevens Battle to Scoreless Tie: Crowd of 15,000 Sees Struggle on Muddy Field". Chicago Tribune. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Sailors of Pier Flatten Purple Eleven, 25 to 0". Chicago Tribune. November 3, 1918. pp. 2–5 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Knox Gets Bad Beating: Northwestern in Easy Victory 47 to 7". The Des Moines Register. November 10, 1918. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Evan Stone (November 17, 1918). "Purple Triumphs Over Maroons on Gridiron by 21 to 6: Rival Elevens in Hard Battle Played in Rain". Chicago Daily Tribune. pp. 2–5 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Hawkeyes Trounce Northwestern: Iowa Wins Second Place in 'Big Ten'". The Des Moines Register. November 24, 1918. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.


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