page_title: American football in Western Pennsylvania
section_title: Collegiate (through World War II)
hierarchical_section_title: American football in Western Pennsylvania / Early years / Collegiate (through World War II)
caption_attribution_description: The Pittsburgh Panther undefeated National Championship team coached by Jock Sutherland. Members included in the picture are:Horton, Yocos, Kapurka, Soroka, Shea, Fleming, Herlinger, Shord, Stapulis, Goodell, Cassiano, Dalle Tezze, GoldbergBarr, Kish, Daddio, Urban, Curry, Peace, Schmidt, Raskowski, Morrow, Klein, C. Cambal, Richards, Patrick, Shaw, GrossmanMusulin, Walton, Michelosen, Adams, Lezouski, Stebbins, Asavitch, Merkovsky, Hensley, Souchak, Delich, Miller, Etze, SutherlandPetro, Farkas, J. Cambal, Corace, Chickerneo, Naric, Holt, Spotovich, Hafer, Dannies, Fullerton, Berger, Jackman, Kristufek, Dickinson
context_page_description: American football in Western Pennsylvania, featuring the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, has had a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. All levels of football, including high school football and college football, are followed passionately, and the area's National Football League team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, is consistently one of the sport's most popular teams. Many of the NFL's top stars have come from the region as well, especially those that play quarterback, earning Western Pennsylvania the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks".
context_section_description: Western Pennsylvania football at the collegiate level began in the fall of 1889 at the University of Pittsburgh, then known as the Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP). The first official collegiate game in Western Pennsylvania was played on October 11, 1890, when the Allegheny Athletic Association's defeated WUP 38-0.  WUP's second game was also the first game for Washington & Jefferson, a rivalry that would dominate the area through the early 20th century.
  The region's early thirst for football was made evident when a 12,000 strong overflow crowd packed Exposition Park to watch W&J defeat Duquesne Country and Athletic Club 4-0 in one of the largest crowds in Western Pennsylvania history to that point. By 1904, the region had its first undefeated football team when WUP went 10-0 while surrendering only one touchdown on the way to collectively outscoring opponents 406-5, and by 1908, WUP had adopted its present name, the University of Pittsburgh, and quickly came to be commonly referred to as Pitt. In 1910, led by coach  Joseph H. Thompson and star fullback Tex Richards, Pitt went undefeated for the second time in school history, outscoring its nine opponents 282-0, causing some to proclaim it as that season's national champion. This success paved the way for Pitt rise to national prominence under legendary coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner who would lead Pitt to national championships in 1915, 1916, and 1918; along with an additional undefeated season in 1917, while its players garnered 16 first-team All-American selections.
  During this era, Washington & Jefferson was also competitive with some of the top teams in the nation. In 1913, the Presidents, led by Bob Folwell, team posted a 10–0–1 record and were the highest scoring team in the nation.  That season featured a scoreless tie of Yale, a 100–0 defeat of Grove City College, and a 17–0 victory over Penn State that broke the Nittany Lions' 19-game winning streak, earning the entire school a day off to celebrate.  Sportswriter Walter S. Trumbull of The New York Sun suggested that the Michigan Aggies, Washington & Jefferson, Chicago University, and Notre Dame were the new "Big 4 of College Football" instead of the traditional grouping of Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and Penn.  The next year, Folwell's team lost at Harvard University in front of 15,000 fans by a score of 10-9. If not for an errant kick that hit the crossbar, W&J would have won the game and at least a share of the mythical national championship. That squad saved face by becoming only the seventh team to ever defeat Yale University, with a decisive 13-7 victory. The game received national press coverage, and the team received a personal note of congratulations by Theodore Roosevelt.
  In 1918,  perhaps the biggest football game yet played in the region occurred at Forbes Field when undefeated Pitt hosted unscored upon and defending national champion Georgia Tech which was then coached by the legendary John Heisman, who had previously coach for one season at W&J. The game, which served as a War Charities fundraising event, was highly publicized and was played in front of many of the nation's top sports writers, including Walter Camp. Pitt dismantled Georgia Tech 32-0 and would go on to be championed as that season's best team. Another game of import occurred in 1926 when a 6–2 Carnegie Tech football team shutout Knute Rockne's undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 19–0 at Forbes Field. It would be the only loss for the Irish all season and would come to be ranked as the fourth-greatest upset in college football history by ESPN.
  Washington & Jefferson's 1921 team went 10-0 under coach Greasy Neale, earning them an invitation to the 1922 Rose Bowl to play the heavily favored California Golden Bears.  Cal had won their season 312-33, but the W&J defense held the Golden Bears' potent offense, led by Brick Muller, to no points and 2 first downs, no completed passes, and only 49 yards rushing.  The game, which would be the last time a "small school" would play in the Rose Bowl, featured the first African-American qu
caption: The 1937 undefeated Pitt National Championship team
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