1933 VPI Gobblers football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record4–3–3 (1–1–3 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainWilliam Breckenridge Porterfield
Home stadiumMiles Stadium
Seasons
← 1932
1934 →
1933 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Duke $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
South Carolina 3 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 1
North Carolina 2 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
VMI 2 – 1 – 1 2 – 7 – 1
Washington and Lee 1 – 1 – 1 4 – 4 – 2
Clemson 1 – 1 – 0 3 – 6 – 2
VPI 1 – 1 – 3 4 – 3 – 3
Virginia 1 – 3 – 1 2 – 6 – 2
Maryland 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
NC State 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 5 – 3
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1933 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute , now known as  Virginia Tech the 1933 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of four wins, three losses and three ties (4–3–3).

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23Roanoke*
W 7–0[1]
September 30at Tennessee*
L 0–2715,000[2][3]
October 7vs. MarylandNorfolk, VAW 14–0[4][5]
October 14vs. William & Mary*
W 13–79,000[6][7]
October 213:00 p.m.at Richmond*
  • City Stadium
  • Richmond, VA
W 7–0[8][9][10]
October 28South Carolina
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
L 0–1210,000[11][12][13]
November 4Washington and Lee
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
T 7–73,500[14][15][16][17][18]
November 11at Alabama*
L 0–2710,000[19][20]
November 18at Virginia
T 6–65,000[21]
November 30vs. VMI
T 0–011,000-13,000[22][23][24]

Players

Roster

VPI 1933 roster
Quarterbacks
  • Duncan Holsclaw
  • Charles Morgan

Guards

  • Red Andrews
  • Benjamin Botnick
  • Edward "Red" English
  • Ken "Hank" Lindsay
  • John Murphy
  • Norman Ochs

Tackles

  • G. W. Hoenstine
  • Harry Worden Howard
  • Richard "Tris" Huffman
  • Leon Dalmain Simmons
 Centers
  • Jim Copenhaver
  • Bill Porterfield (Capt.)

Ends

  • John McIntire
  • Warren "Red" Negri
  • Bob Stump
  • Dave Thomas

Halfbacks

  • Al Casey
  • Martin Cunningham
  • Ray Mills
  • James Edward Ottaway

Fullbacks

  • Carl Robison
  • Joseph Decatur Russell
  • George Smith
 Substitutes
  • George Vanderslice Beamon
  • Jack A. "Buck" Carpenter
  • Ike Cessna
  • Nick Dillon
  • Jack Elder
  • Charles Alexander "Heinie" Groth
  • Tom Hutcheson
  • Richard Whitmore Neale
  • Ernie Pritchard
  • Ted Pugh
  • Frank Rankin
  • Lawrence Samuel "Buck" Reynolds
  • Rummy Robinette
  • Henry Russa
  • Marvin Sifford
  • Howard Arnold "Hank" Spruill
  • Al Stevens
  • Arthur Everett Stump
  • Daniel Reiser Thoma
  • Buck Tyler
  • James VanDyck
  • Dick Wray
  • John Lester Yorke

Varsity letter winners

Eighteen players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1933 VPI team.[25]

Player Hometown Notes
Alfred Layden Casey Portsmouth, Virginia
James Henry Copenhaver
Edward Ralph "Red" English Altavista, Virginia World War II veteran (Army).
Garland Woodrow Hoenstine
William Duncan Holsclaw
Richard "Tris" Huffman
Kenneth Thomas "Hank" Lindsay Cumberland, Maryland
John A. McIntire
Ray Mills
Charles Emmett Ashburn Morgan
John Marshall Murphy
Warren Anthony "Red" Negri Danbury, Connecticut
John Norman Ochs
William Breckenridge Porterfield (Capt.)
Carl Francis Robison Watertown, New York World War II veteran (Lieutenant Commander, Navy). Awarded the Navy Cross.
George Maxie Smith
Robert McClanahan Stump Bristol, Tennessee
David Thomas

Season summary

At Alabama

See also: 1933 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
VPI at Alabama
1 234Total
VPI 0 000 0
• Alabama 6 1290 27

Against the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama, VPI lost 27-0 in front 10,000 spectators at Denny Stadium.[19] Alabama took a 6–0 first quarter lead after Riley Smith scored on a five-yard touchdown run.[19] They extended their lead to 18–0 at halftime on touchdown runs of one-yard by Joe Demyanovich and ten-yards by James Angelich in the second quarter.[19] Alabama then closed the game with a 16-yard Dixie Howell touchdown run and a tackle of the Gobblers' Ray Mills for a safety in the third for the 27–0 win.[19]

Alabama's assistant coach was former VPI player Hank Crisp.

References

  1. ^ "V. P.I. is Pressed to Down Roanoke". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. September 24, 1933. p. 57. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "Vols use regulars 10 minutes, beat stage-frightened V.P.I., 27–0". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 1, 1933. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Tennessee Trims V. P.I. By 27 To 0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 1, 1933. p. 69. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  4. ^ "Virginia Poly Takes Norfolk Tilt From Terrapins, 14-0, Following Hard Battle; Coaches Satisfied". The Diamondback. University of Maryland, College Park. October 9, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  5. ^ "V. P.I. Scores Over Maryland, 14 to 0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 8, 1933. p. 54. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "Indians Defeated By V.P.I., 13–7, in Thrilling Game" (PDF). The Flat Hat. College of William & Mary. October 17, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  7. ^ "Casey on Rampage in Gobbler Victory". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 15, 1933. p. 65. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Chaltain-Casey Conflict Seen as Big Drawing Card". The Richmond Collegian. University of Richmond. October 20, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  9. ^ "Richmond Loses to Tech, 7-0". The Richmond Collegian. University of Richmond. October 27, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  10. ^ "Virginia Tech by Penalty Aid Beats Stubborn Richmond, 7-0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 22, 1933. p. 49. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "Gamecocks Down Tech's Gobblers by Margin of 12–0". Daily Press. October 29, 1933. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Gamecocks Win Over Gobblers". The Gamecock. University of South Carolina. November 3, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  13. ^ "Gamecocks Upset Virginia Tech, 12-0". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. October 29, 1933. p. 51. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  14. ^ "Generals and V.P.I. in tie". Nashville Banner. November 5, 1933. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Gobblers Hold W. & L. To 7-7 Tie Saturday" (PDF). The Ring-tum Phi. Washington and Lee University. November 7, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  16. ^ "Generals Played To 7-7 Tie By V. P. I." The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. November 5, 1933. p. 48. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "V. P. I.-W. & L. Fight 7 to 7 Battle Saturday". The Lexington Gazette. Library of Virginia. November 8, 1933. p. 5. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  18. ^ "Washington and Lee and V. P. I. in Tie Game". Rockbridge County News. Library of Virginia. November 9, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Tide Tames Gobblers 27 to 0". The Tuscaloosa News. Google News Archives. November 12, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  20. ^ "Alabama Beats V. P. I., 27 to 0, Losers Not Making First Down". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. November 12, 1933. p. 55. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "V. P. I.'s Last-Minute Marker Gains Tie With Virginia, 6-6". The Sunday Star. Library of Congress. November 19, 1933. p. 51. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  22. ^ "VMI, VPI Tie 0–0 In Gridiron Classic". The V.M.I. Cadet. Virginia Military Institute. December 4, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "V. M. I. And V. P. I. Play Scoreless Tie". The Lexington Gazette. Library of Virginia. December 6, 1933. p. 7. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "V. M. I. Outplayed V. P. I. in Scoreless Tie". Rockbridge County News. Library of Virginia. December 7, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  25. ^ "1933 VPI Letterwinners". Virginia Tech. Retrieved January 7, 2023.


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