By Darin Football in 1890 had problems with its rules, particularly regarding who was eligible to play at the collegiate level, but it was also spreading like wildfire across the country. The controversy over player eligibility split the American Intercollegiate Football Association, as Harvard withdrew from the group and Yale, though still an active member, began scheduling independent games against Harvard.
Yale Domination 1891
The Eli finished the 1891 campaign with a perfect 13-0 record, crushing the opposition with a staggering 488 points scored, and holding opponents scoreless. Most governing bodies have recognized Yale as the retroactive undisputed Champions of 1891.
Some East Coast bias was in play, as there was only one player selected to the All-America team by Caspar Whitney, who was not on the rosters of the East’s Big Three: Yale, Princeton, and Harvard.
Deep Dive into [Year] Football History and Highlights
- November 7, 1891 – The Sewanee Tigers made their football debut as they fell to Vanderbilt 0-22, at Hardee Field in Sewanee, Tennessee.
- November 21, 1891 – The University of Tennessee fielded its first-ever team in a football game on Thanksgiving Day, falling to Sewanee 0-24.
- November 28, 1891 – The West Virginia Mountaineers debuted on the gridiron against nearby Washington and Jefferson. W&J won the game by a staggering 72-0 score.
1891… a quiet year
Administrators of the Intercollegiate Football Association had to be breathing a sigh of relief in 1891, as there were no real changes in rules or any dramatic impending controversies to deal with in the realm of football. The state of the game was an exact carbon copy of the previous year; it was as if no one knew how to improve the situation, so instead they tiptoed around it for another year.
One big highlight from the 1891 season in strategy was that the “V –formation” of Princeton was dominating those who opposed it. This latest version of the “V.”
Princeton players executed the “V-formation” with confidence and precision.
The following year would not be so quiet, though, on the rules front. Football would move on with changes.
