The Innovation and Triumph of the 1916 Washington State Rose Bowl Team
Darin Watkins ’84
Aviva: 2015
“I have decided to put my fate in your hands,” said Washington State College football coach William “Lone Star” Dietz to his players, as they prepared to take on Brown University in the 1916 Rose Bowl after an astounding 1915 season. Dietz promised to return as coach if WSC won.
The team fought hard, using Dietz’s … » More …
WSC banged, smashed, bulled, and pounded their way to a 14–0 victory that started a storied football tradition.
Washington State supporters wondered, sometimes aloud, if President E. A. Bryan had made a grievous mistake in entrusting the football program to William “Lone Star” Dietz shortly after the sharp-dressed man arrived on September 1, 1915.
Dietz emphasized conditioning over running plays, then a radical approach. He inherited eight experienced players and three teams of untested candidates, none of whom were familiar with the single- or double-wing formations Dietz—as Pop Warner’s protégé—brought with him from Carlisle Indian School. Hopes sank when the varsity squeaked by the alumni … » More …
Highlights of the 1916 Rose Bowl, when Washington State College defeated Brown 14-0.
Video by WSU Athletics
Silent footage of the 1916 Rose Bowl game played between Washington State College and Brown University. Washington State was coached by Pop Warner’s protege, Lone Star Dietz, in his first season as head coach. Brown’s star halfback, Fritz Pollard, was held to 40 yards by WSC’s tough defense and muddy field conditions. Also includes footage of the parade and players.
Video posted by Tom Benjey
An excerpt from Chance for Glory, about the 1915 Washington State College football team, Coach William “Lone Star” Dietz, and their improbable run to the 1916 Rose Bowl.
A century later, this 2015 book by Darin Watkins ’84 puts the team and WSC sports into the context of the period, when the college was striving to expand.
Read more about Chance for Glory.
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Read Chapter 2 of the book, about the crucial game against Oregon on October 9, 1915 (PDF)
The Oregon football team had a number of good reasons to be confident. On paper, the game would be lopsided. … » More …