The 1910 VPI football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1910 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Branch Bocock and finished with a record of six wins and two losses (6–2).
Rules
Rule changes were made prior to the 1910 season to permit more use of the forward pass, with complicated limitations:
- The only eligible receivers were the two ends, who could catch a pass no more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and could not be interfered with until the ball was caught.
- A legal pass could not be thrown unless the quarterback was at least 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage and the rest of the players, except the two ends, were at least 1 yard behind the scrimmage line.
- On kickoffs and punts, the kicking team's players could not be touched until they had advanced 20 yards
- Flying tackles were outlawed, and "the man making a tackle must have at least one foot on the ground".
- The ballcarrier could no longer be aided in any way by his teammates.
Other rules in 1910 were:
- Field 110 yards in length
- Kickoff made from midfield
- Three downs to gain ten yards
- Touchdown worth 5 points
- Field goal worth 3 points
- Game time based on agreement of the teams, not to exceed two 45 minute halves.
Schedule
Before the season
The 1909 VPI football team compiled a 6–1 record and were led by Branch Bocock in his first season as head coach.
Game summaries
Hampden–Sydney
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Hampden–Sydney at Miles Field.
Davidson
After their victory over Hampden–Sydney, VPI played Davidson College at Miles Field.
The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Rogers (left tackle), W. Legge (left guard), Gibbs (center), Pick (right guard), Jones (right tackle), H. B. Hughes (right end), J. Hughes (quarterback), Bernier (left halfback), F. Legge (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback).
The starting lineup for Davidson was: DeWitt Kluttz (left end), John Phipps (left tackle), William Thompson (left guard), David McQueen (center), William Wolfe (right guard), J. C. Cashion (right tackle), Lunsford Richardson (right end), James Pharr (quarterback), Graham (left halfback), Samuel Erwin (right halfback), Everett Booe (fullback).
Western Maryland
Navy
The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Jones (left tackle), Pick (left guard), Gibbs (center), Breckenridge (right guard), W. Legge (right tackle), Welch (right end), Bernier (quarterback), F. Legge (left halfback), Derby (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Harris, Hughes and Rogers.
The starting lineup for Navy was: Calvin Cobb (left end), Thomas King (left tackle), John H. Brown Jr. (left guard), Phillip Weems (center), Carroll Wright (right guard), Davis (right tackle), K. P. Gilchrist (right end), Ingram C. Sowell (quarterback), John Dalton (left halfback), Henry Clay (right halfback), Pete Rodes (fullback). The substitutes were: Lee Carey, Edwin, Robert Elmer, Donald Hamilton, Frank Loftin, Clarence McReavy, Myers, Shaw and Ray Wakeman.
Washington and Lee
The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Jones (left tackle), Wyatt (left guard), Gibbs (center), Breckenridge (right guard), Burruss (right tackle), W. Legge (right end), J. Hughes (quarterback), Harris (left halfback), F. Legge (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Bernier, Derby, McKan, Pick and Vaughan.
The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: Lawrence Humphrey (left end), James Miller (left tackle), Paul Rogers (left guard), Leckey Kinnear (center), Daniel Clovis Moomaw (right guard), J. P. Hobson (right tackle), E. F. Burk (right end), T. C. McCallie (quarterback), Joseph Blackburn (left halfback), Roland Waddill (right halfback), I. R. Simms (fullback). The substitutes were: H. N. Barker, John Chatfield, E. P. Davis, Hamilton Derr, J. D. Harman, L. O'Quin and J. G. Wilson.
North Carolina
The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Jones (left tackle), Pick (left guard), Gibbs (center), Breckenridge (right guard), Burruss (right tackle), W. Legge (right end), J. Hughes (quarterback), F. Legge (left halfback), Derby (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Gravely and Rogers.
The starting lineup for North Carolina was: Bob Winston (left end), Cecil Garrett (left tackle), Earl Thompson (left guard), Levi Brown (center), Carl Parker (right guard), Lonnie Abernethy (right tackle), John Venable (right end), William Belk (quarterback), Colin Ruffin (left halfback), James Calmes (right halfback), Andrew Porter (fullback). The substitutes were: Joseph Chambers and William Young.
George Washington
The starting lineup for VPI was: W. Legge (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Breckenridge (left guard), Gibbs (center), Pick (right guard), Jones (right tackle), A. Hodgson (right end), J. Hughes (quarterback), Derby (left halfback), F. Legge (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Gravely, Harris, Holt, Lefebre, Rogers and Vaughan.
The starting lineup for George Washington was: Langley (left end), Hart (left tackle), Herndon (left guard), Theodore Eickhoff (center), Richardson (right guard), F. Smith (right tackle), Matthew Farmer (right end), Cuthbert Farmer (quarterback), Willey (left halfback), H. Ellis (right halfback), Moore (fullback). The substitutes were: Robert Fowler, H. S. Hamlin, Valaer, Herbert White.
North Carolina A&M
The starting lineup for VPI was: A. Hodgson (left end), Burruss (left tackle), Pick (left guard), Gibbs (center), Breckenridge (right guard), Jones (right tackle), W. Legge (right end), J. Hughes (quarterback), F. Legge (left halfback), Derby (right halfback), V. Hodgson (fullback). The substitutes were: Bernier, Harris, Holt and Rogers.
The starting lineup for North Carolina A&M was: Harry Hartsell (left end), W. T. Hurtt (left tackle), E. H. Gattis (left guard), John Bray (center), D. B. Floyd (right guard), G. C. Glenn (right tackle), David Seifert (right end), Tal Stafford (quarterback), H. M. Cool (left halfback), D. A. Robertson (right halfback), W. H. Von Eberstein (fullback). The substitutes were: James Sherman.
Players
The following players were members of the 1910 football team according to the roster published in the 1911 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.
Coaching and training staff
- Head coach: Branch Bocock
- Manager: G. W. Hurt
References
