1896 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

1896 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Conference	Western Conference
Record	8–2 (1–2 Western)
Head coach	Alexander Jerrems (1st season)
Captain	Jack Harrison
Home stadium	Athletic Park

1896 Western Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Wisconsin $	2	–	0	–	1			7	–	1	–	1
Michigan	2	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Northwestern	2	–	1	–	1			6	–	1	–	2
Chicago	3	–	2	–	0			15	–	2	–	1
Minnesota	1	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Illinois	0	–	2	–	1			4	–	2	–	1
Purdue	0	–	2	–	1			4	–	2	–	1
$ – Conference champion

The 1896 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1896 Western Conference football season. The 1896 season was the first season under head coach Alexander Jerrems and was the first season of competition in the Big Ten Conference, or Western Conference as it was commonly referred to at the time. Minnesota won its first ever conference game over Purdue but lost its other two matches to Michigan and Wisconsin.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19		at South High School*	Minneapolis, MN	W 34–0
September 26		Minneapolis Central High School*	Minneapolis, MN	W 50–0
October 3		Carleton*	Minneapolis, MN	W 16–6
October 10		Grinnell*	Minneapolis, MN	W 12–0
October 17		Purdue	Minneapolis, MN	W 14–0	3,500	[1]
October 24		Iowa Agricultural*	Minneapolis, MN	W 18–6
October 31		Ex-Collegiates*	Minneapolis, MN	W 8–0
November 7		Michigan	Athletic Park Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)	L 4–6	5,000	[2]
November 21		at Wisconsin	Madison, WI (rivalry)	L 0–6
November 28	2:30 p.m.	vs. Kansas*	Exposition Park Kansas City, MO	W 12–0		[3][4]
*Non-conference game All times are in Central time

Roster

• Ends, Jack Harrison (captain and left end), Henry A. Scandrett (right end)
• Tackles, Ivan A. Perry (left tackle), A.M. Smith (right tackle)
• Guards, George A.E. Finlayson (left guard), Everhard P. Harding (right guard)
• Center, James C. Fulton
• Quarterbacks, George E. Cole, Richard E. Woodworth
• Halfbacks, S.W. Bagley (right half), Martin Teigen, Elbridge L. Heath (left half)
• Fullback, Harry C. Loomis
• Substitutes, Clinton L. Walker, John Taresh, Carl S. Jorgens, Lloyd Sperry, Claude Nicoulin, L. Eugene Parker, Conrad H. Christopherson
• Trainer, Edward "Dad" Moulton
• Coach, Alexander Jerrems^[5]: 54

References

1. "Purdue Goes Down". The Saint Paul Globe. October 18, 1896. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Gave Them a Great Battle". The Minneapolis Tribune. November 8, 1896. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Kansas Versus Minnesota". Kansas City Journal. Kansas City, Missouri. November 28, 1896. p. 6. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
4. "Victory For Minnesota". Kansas City Journal. Kansas City, Missouri. November 29, 1896. p. 5. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
5. The General Alumni Association (1928). Martin Newell (ed.). The History of Minnesota Football. The General Alumni Association of the University of Minnesota.