Western Illinois Purple and Gold football, 1902–1909

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The Western Illinois Purple and Gold football program represented the Western Illinois State Normal School, also known as the Macomb State Normal School, later renamed Western Illinois University. This article covers the program's first eight years of intercollegiate football from 1902 to 1909.

During this period, the team's opponents included Carthage College (six games), Illinois State (five games), Quincy High School (four games), Lombard College (three games), Monmouth College (two games), Northern Illinois (two games), Kirksville State (two games), and Saint Alban's Military Academy (two games).

1902[edit]

1902 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–2
Head coach
  • Unknown
Seasons
← none
1903 →
1902 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Nebraska   –   9 – 0 – 0
South Dakota   –   9 – 0 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   4 – 0 – 0
Central Michigan   –   4 – 0 – 0
Ohio Medical   –   9 – 1 – 0
Marquette   –   6 – 1 – 1
Knox   –   9 – 2 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   5 – 1 – 1
Haskell   –   8 – 2 – 1
Notre Dame   –   6 – 2 – 1
Drake   –   5 – 2 – 1
Mount Union   –   6 – 3 – 0
Iowa State   –   6 – 3 – 1
Carthage   –   2 – 1 – 1
Cincinnati   –   4 – 2 – 2
Missouri   –   5 – 3 – 0
Miami (OH)   –   5 – 3 – 1
Kansas   –   6 – 4 – 0
South Dakota Agricultural   –   3 – 2 – 0
Fairmount   –   4 – 3 – 1
Detroit College   –   3 – 3 – 0
Lake Forest   –   4 – 4 – 1
Western Illinois   –   2 – 2 – 0
Michigan Agricultural   –   4 – 5 – 0
Wittenberg   –   3 – 4 – 2
Washburn   –   3 – 4 – 0
Doane   –   2 – 3 – 0
Heidelberg   –   3 – 5 – 1
Wabash   –   2 – 4 – 2
Buchtel   –   2 – 5 – 0
Washington University   –   2 – 6 – 1
Butler   –   1 – 3 – 0
Kansas State   –   2 – 6 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   1 – 5 – 1
Iowa State Normal   –   1 – 6 – 1
Ohio   –   0 – 5 – 1

It was previously believed that Western Illinois first fielded a football team in 1903. However, research by a WIU professor (John Hallwas) and an employee of the WIU archives (Kathy Nichols) established that Western Illinois fielded a team in 1902 that played four games and compiled a 2–2 record.[1]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
Western Illinois Normal & Business InstituteW 38–0
Quincy HSQuincy, ILL 0–16
"Macomb Normal"W 18–5
Moline HSL 5–35

[1]

1903[edit]

1903 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–3–1
Head coach
  • Unknown
Seasons
← 1902
1904 →
1903 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Nebraska   –   11 – 0 – 0
North Dakota   –   7 – 0 – 0
Central Michigan   –   6 – 0 – 0
Notre Dame   –   8 – 0 – 1
Iowa State   –   8 – 1 – 0
Marquette   –   7 – 1 – 0
Lake Forest   –   6 – 1 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   5 – 1 – 0
Haskell   –   7 – 2 – 0
St. Xavier   –   7 – 2 – 0
Fairmount   –   6 – 2 – 0
Wabash   –   9 – 3 – 0
Wittenberg   –   5 – 2 – 1
Doane   –   2 – 1 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   4 – 2 – 0
American Medical   –   6 – 3 – 0
Kansas   –   6 – 3 – 0
Drake   –   5 – 3 – 0
Kirksville Osteopaths   –   5 – 3 – 0
Iowa State Normal   –   4 – 3 – 1
Ohio Medical   –   5 – 4 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   4 – 4 – 0
Washington University   –   4 – 4 – 2
Heidelberg   –   3 – 4 – 2
Kansas State   –   3 – 4 – 1
Detroit College   –   3 – 4 – 0
Shurtleff   –   2 – 4 – 1
Ohio   –   2 – 4 – 0
South Dakota Agricultural   –   1 – 2 – 0
Mount Union   –   2 – 5 – 1
DePauw   –   2 – 6 – 1
Miami (OH)   –   1 – 4 – 0
Missouri   –   1 – 7 – 1
Western Illinois   –   0 – 3 – 1
Cincinnati   –   1 – 8 – 0
Baldwin–Wallace   –   0 – 1 – 0
Buchtel   –   0 – 2 – 0
Butler   –   0 – 3 – 0
Chicago P&S   –   0 – 4 – 0

The 1903 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1903 college football season. The school's athletic association was formed in the fall of 1903.[1] The team played four games, compiled a 0–3–1 record, and was outscored by a total of 75 to 6. It is not known if the team had a coach.[1]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 10at MonmouthMonmouth, ILT 6–6[2]
October 17Quincy High SchoolMacomb, ILL 0–18
October 24Lewiston HSL 0–28
November 7at Northern Illinois State
L 0–23[3]

[1][2]

1904[edit]

1904 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–4
Head coach
  • L. H. Laughlin (1st season)
Seasons
← 1903
1905 →
1904 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saint Louis   –   10 – 0 – 0
Bethany (KS)   –   7 – 0 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   5 – 0 – 0
Missouri State Normal   –   2 – 0 – 0
Haskell   –   8 – 1 – 0
Michigan Agricultural   –   8 – 1 – 0
Cincinnati   –   7 – 1 – 0
Butler   –   6 – 1 – 0
Doane   –   5 – 1 – 0
Kansas   –   8 – 1 – 1
DePauw   –   8 – 2 – 0
Iowa State   –   7 – 2 – 0
Ohio Northern   –   7 – 2 – 1
Michigan State Normal   –   6 – 2 – 0
Wittenberg   –   6 – 2 – 0
Marquette   –   5 – 2 – 0
Nebraska   –   7 – 3 – 0
Detroit College   –   4 – 2 – 0
South Dakota State   –   4 – 2 – 1
Notre Dame   –   5 – 3 – 0
Iowa State Normal   –   5 – 3 – 1
Western Illinois   –   6 – 4 – 0
Heidelberg   –   6 – 4 – 1
Drake   –   5 – 4 – 0
Carthage   –   0 – 0 – 2
North Dakota Agricultural   –   3 – 3 – 0
Wabash   –   4 – 4 – 0
Fairmount   –   4 – 5 – 0
Lake Forest   –   3 – 5 – 1
Ohio Medical   –   2 – 4 – 2
Washington University   –   4 – 7 – 0
Ohio   –   2 – 4 – 1
Missouri   –   3 – 6 – 0
Mount Union   –   2 – 6 – 0
Miami (OH)   –   1 – 5 – 0
Kansas State   –   1 – 6 – 0
American Medical   –   0 – 3 – 0

The 1904 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1904 college football season. In their first and only season under coach L. H. Laughlin, the Purple and Gold compiled a 5–2 record.

At the start of the season, The Macomb Journal opined that the team was "much stronger than last year" with a heavier line and an average weight of 150 pounds. The players included: Rexroat, center; White and L. Rexroad, guards; Sutton and Morrow, tackles; Simeral and Cordell, ends Legere and Switzer, halfbacks; Pierce, fullback; and Wilson, quarterback.[4]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Lewiston HSMacomb, ILW 27–0
October 8Monmouth HSMacomb, ILW 6–0
October 15at Quincy HSQuincy, ILL 0–22
October 22at Abingdon HSAbingdon, ILW 6–0
November 4Saint Alban's Military AcademyMacomb, ILW 17–4300[5]
November 12Northern Illinois StateMacomb, ILL 0–15[6]
November 24Illinois State
  • Fair grounds
  • Macomb, IL
W 10–0960[7]

[1]

1905[edit]

1905 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–2
Head coach
  • A. Laughlin (1st season)
Seasons
← 1904
1906 →
1905 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Detroit College   –   1 – 0 – 0
Kansas   –   10 – 1 – 0
Central Michigan   –   7 – 1 – 0
Doane   –   5 – 1 – 0
Nebraska   –   9 – 2 – 0
Saint Louis   –   7 – 2 – 0
Butler   –   7 – 2 – 1
Kansas State   –   6 – 2 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   3 – 1 – 1
Carthage   –   4 – 2 – 0
Western Illinois   –   4 – 2 – 0
Iowa State   –   6 – 3 – 0
Washington University   –   7 – 3 – 2
Wittenberg   –   7 – 4 – 0
Heidelberg   –   6 – 4 – 0
Iowa State Normal   –   5 – 3 – 2
Cincinnati   –   5 – 3 – 0
Miami (OH)   –   4 – 3 – 0
Missouri   –   5 – 4 – 0
Notre Dame   –   5 – 4 – 0
Fairmount   –   5 – 4 – 1
Haskell   –   5 – 4 – 1
Lake Forest   –   6 – 5 – 0
Wabash   –   6 – 5 – 0
Drake   –   4 – 4 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   4 – 4 – 0
Marquette   –   3 – 4 – 0
South Dakota State   –   2 – 3 – 0
Ohio   –   2 – 5 – 2
DePauw   –   3 – 6 – 0
Mount Union   –   2 – 6 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   1 – 4 – 1
Baldwin–Wallace   –   0 – 1 – 0
Chicago P&S   –   0 – 1 – 0
St. Mary's (OH)   –   0 – 3 – 0

The 1905 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1905 college football season. In their first and only season under coach A. Laughlin, the Purple and Gold compiled a 4–2 record and outscored opponents by a total of 62 to 49.

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 14Monmouth HSMacomb, ILW 18–0
October 28Quincy HSMacomb, ILW 21–0
November 3LombardMacomb, ILW 6–5[8]
November 11CarthageMacomb, ILW 11–0
November 18at Illinois StateBloomington, ILL 6–24
November 30at CarthageCarthage, ILL 0–20

[1][9]

1906[edit]

1906 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record1–4
Head coach
Seasons
← 1905
1907 →
1906 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saint Louis   –   11 – 0 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   5 – 0 – 0
Butler   –   1 – 0 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   5 – 0 – 1
Iowa State   –   9 – 1 – 0
Ohio   –   7 – 1 – 0
Notre Dame   –   6 – 1 – 0
St. Mary's (OH)   –   5 – 1 – 0
Fairmount   –   7 – 1 – 2
Wabash   –   5 – 1 – 1
South Dakota State   –   3 – 1 – 0
Kansas   –   7 – 2 – 2
Michigan Agricultural   –   7 – 2 – 2
Kansas State   –   5 – 2 – 0
Missouri   –   5 – 2 – 1
Detroit College   –   4 – 2 – 1
Northern Illinois State   –   4 – 2 – 1
Carthage   –   3 – 2 – 0
Lake Forest   –   3 – 2 – 0
Nebraska   –   6 – 4 – 0
Wittenberg   –   5 – 4 – 1
Heidelberg   –   3 – 3 – 1
Washington University   –   2 – 2 – 2
Beloit   –   3 – 4 – 1
Franklin   –   3 – 4 – 0
Doane   –   2 – 3 – 0
Shurtleff   –   2 – 4 – 2
Western State Normal (MI)   –   1 – 2 – 0
Mount Union   –   2 – 5 – 1
Drake   –   2 – 5 – 0
Haskell   –   2 – 5 – 0
Marquette   –   1 – 4 – 2
Chicago P&S   –   0 – 1 – 1
Cincinnati   –   0 – 7 – 2
Western Illinois   –   0 – 3 – 0

The 1906 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1906 college football season. In their first season under coach and historian Oliver Morton Dickerson, the Purple and Gold compiled a 1–4 record.

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 25BlandinsvilleMacomb, ILL 0–5
November 1Macomb HSMacomb, ILW 28–5
November 9Illinois StateMacomb, ILL 0–18
November 17at CarthageCarthage, WIL 0–6
November 23Kirksville State NormalMacomb, ILL 0–8

[1]

1907[edit]

1907 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–3
Head coach
Seasons
← 1906
1908 →
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
Miami (OH)   –   6 – 1 – 0
Michigan   –   5 – 1 – 0
Mount Union   –   9 – 2 – 0
Fairmount   –   8 – 2 – 0
Iowa State   –   6 – 2 – 0
Lake Forest   –   4 – 1 – 1
South Dakota State   –   5 – 2 – 0
St. Vincent's (IL)   –   5 – 2 – 0
Wabash   –   5 – 2 – 0
Saint Louis   –   7 – 3 – 0
Michigan Agricultural   –   4 – 2 – 1
Western State Normal   –   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
Western Illinois   –   2 – 3 – 0
Franklin   –   3 – 5 – 1
Heidelberg   –   2 – 4 – 1
Butler   –   1 – 3 – 2
Carthage   –   2 – 5 – 0
Haskell   –   2 – 6 – 1
Chicago P&S   –   1 – 3 – 0
Detroit College   –   1 – 3 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   1 – 4 – 1
Doane   –   1 – 5 – 0
St. Mary's (OH)   –   0 – 4 – 0
Baldwin–Wallace   –   0 – 6 – 0

The 1907 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1907 college football season. In their first season under coach Charles A. Barnett, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3 record, scored 54 points, and allowed 54 points to opponents.

The football team was disbanded in late November due to its poor performance. One official at the school stated that "the reason the team had been a failure was because of the use of liquor among the men when they went to play teams in neighboring towns."[10]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 19Kewanee HSMacomb, ILW 4–0
October 26Blandinsville HSMacomb, ILL 0–6
November 9at Illinois StateNormal, ILL 4–38
November 15at Kirksville State Normal
  • Normal Athletic Field
  • Kirksville, MO
L 6–11[11]
November 22CarthageMacomb, ILW 41–0[12]

[9]

1908[edit]

1908 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–3–1
Head coach
Seasons
← 1907
1909 →
1908 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Kirksville Normal   –   8 – 0 – 0
Miami (OH)   –   7 – 0 – 0
Iowa State Normal   –   5 – 0 – 0
St. Mary's (OH)   –   7 – 0 – 1
DePaul   –   6 – 0 – 1
Butler   –   5 – 0 – 1
Ohio Northern   –   9 – 1 – 0
Fairmount   –   8 – 1 – 0
Notre Dame   –   8 – 1 – 0
Michigan Agricultural   –   6 – 0 – 2
Lake Forest   –   4 – 1 – 1
Saint Louis   –   6 – 2 – 2
Kansas State   –   6 – 2 – 0
Michigan   –   5 – 2 – 1
Marquette   –   4 – 2 – 1
St. Viator   –   5 – 3 – 0
Central Michigan   –   4 – 3 – 0
Mount Union   –   5 – 4 – 1
Doane   –   4 – 4 – 0
South Dakota State   –   3 – 3 – 1
Western State Normal (MI)   –   3 – 3 – 0
Buchtel   –   3 – 4 – 0
Western Illinois   –   2 – 3 – 1
Carthage   –   2 – 3 – 0
Haskell   –   3 – 5 – 1
Wittenberg   –   3 – 5 – 1
Ohio   –   3 – 5 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   2 – 3 – 0
Cincinnati   –   1 – 4 – 1
Wabash   –   2 – 6 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   1 – 5 – 1
Michigan State Normal   –   1 – 4 – 0
Heidelberg   –   1 – 6 – 0
Franklin   –   0 – 9 – 1
Baldwin–Wallace   –   0 – 2 – 0
Chicago P&S   –   0 – 4 – 0

The 1908 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1908 college football season. In their second season under coach Charles A. Barnett, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 107 to 61.

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 17at Moline HSMoline, ILL 0–5
October 24at Gem City Business CollegeQuincy, ILL 0–25
October 30KnoxMacomb, ILT 5–5
November 7at CarthageCarthage, ILL 11–21
November 14HeddingMacomb, ILW 43–0
November 26Macomb HSMacomb, ILW 48–0

[9]

1909[edit]

1909 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–3
Head coach
Seasons
← 1908
1910 →
1909 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Iowa State Normal   –   6 – 0 – 0
Notre Dame   –   7 – 0 – 1
Michigan Agricultural   –   8 – 1 – 0
Carthage   –   6 – 1 – 0
Michigan   –   6 – 1 – 0
Western State Normal (MI)   –   6 – 1 – 0
Mount Union   –   8 – 2 – 0
Lake Forest   –   5 – 1 – 1
Haskell   –   7 – 2 – 0
Detroit College   –   3 – 1 – 2
Butler   –   5 – 3 – 0
Central Michigan   –   4 – 3 – 0
St. Mary's (OH)   –   4 – 3 – 0
Cincinnati   –   4 – 3 – 1
Doane   –   3 – 2 – 3
Buchtel   –   4 – 4 – 0
Rose Poly   –   4 – 4 – 0
Marquette   –   2 – 2 – 1
North Dakota Agricultural   –   2 – 2 – 1
Wabash   –   3 – 4 – 1
Miami (OH)   –   3 – 4 – 0
Ohio   –   2 – 4 – 2
Saint Louis   –   3 – 5 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   2 – 4 – 0
Western Illinois   –   1 – 2 – 0
Fairmount   –   2 – 5 – 1
Northern Illinois State   –   2 – 6 – 0
South Dakota State   –   1 – 3 – 0
Heidelberg   –   0 – 7 – 2

The 1909 Western Illinois Purple and Gold football team represented the Western Illinois State Normal School as an independent during the 1909 college football season. In their first season under coach Francis Taft, the Purple and Gold compiled a 2–3 record.

Taft drilled the team in difficult forms of the forward pass and on-side kick, plays which had only been used in "their simplest forms" prior to the 1909 season.[13]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 30Saint Alban's Military AcademyMacomb, ILW 15–12
November 5CarthageMacomb, ILL 0–53
November 13at LombardGalesburg, ILL 6–33
Kewanee HSL 0–13
November 25Roseville HSW 31–0

[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Western Illinois Football Record book" (PDF). Western Illinois University. 2022. p. 60.
  2. ^ a b "Western Illinois Yearly Results (1903-1904)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014.
  3. ^ "Win And Lose". The Daily Chronicle. November 9, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved October 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Football Teams". The Macomb Journal. October 6, 1904. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Macomb Wins: Defeats the Football Team From Knoxville -- The Game and Lineup". The Macomb Journal. November 10, 1904. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Foot Ball Games". The Daily Chronicle. November 14, 1904. p. 5. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Macomb Victorious In Two Football Games at the Fair Grounds Thursday Afternoon". The Macomb Journal. December 1, 1904. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "An Exciting Game: State Normal Defeats Lombard College by Score of 6 to 5". The Macomb Journal. November 9, 1905. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c "Western Illinois Yearly Results (1905-1909)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "Intoxicants and Football". The Champaign Daily Gazette. November 23, 1907. p. 3 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Advertisement". Kirksville Daily Express. November 13, 1907. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Close Season With Victory". The Macomb Journal. November 28, 1907. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "State Normal Notes". The Macomb Journal. October 14, 1909. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
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