1917 Saint Mary's Saints football team

The 1917 Saint Mary's Saints football team was an American football team that represented Saint Mary's College of California during the 1917 college football season. The team compiled an 8–1–1 record, shut out seven of ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 199 to 46. The sole loss was to the undefeated Mare Island Marines team that also won the 1918 Rose Bowl.[1] With victories over both USC and California, the Saint Mary's team was proclaimed in the press as the California college champion.[2][3]

1917 Saint Mary's Saints football
California college champion
ConferenceIndependent
1917 record8–1–1
Head coach
1917 Western college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Saint Mary's   –    8 –1 –1
Hawaii   –    4 –0 –1
USC   –    4 –2 –1
New Mexico A&M   –    4 –2 –0
Arizona   –    3 –2 –0
Idaho   –    2 –3 –0
New Mexico   –    1 –2 –0
University Farm   –    1 –2 –0
Nevada   –    1 –3 –0
Montana   –    1 –4 –0

Prior to 1917, Saint Mary's College had not been known as a football power. As of 1917, the school, located on Broadway in Oakland, California, had only 250 students with an average age of 16, and the Oakland Tribune opined that "only about 20 of the students are football material."[4]

In July 1917, Saint Mary's College hired Russell T. Wilson as its new football coach. Wilson had previously been associated with Whittier College.[5]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16Goat Island Naval Yeoman School
  • St. Mary's grounds
  • Oakland, CA
W 7–0[6]
September 23San Francisco Originals
  • St. Mary's grounds
  • Oakland, CA
T 0–0[7]
September 29at Nevada
W 41–0[8][9]
October 1at Stewart Indian SchoolCarson City, NVW 27–0[10]
October 14Fort Winfield Scott
  • St. Mary's field
  • Oakland, CA
W 41–6[11]
October 10Goat Island Medical School
  • St. Mary's grounds
  • Oakland, CA
W 20–0[12][13]
October 21vs. Mare Island Marines
L 0–27[14]
October 27at USC
W 7–0[15]
November 4Goat Island Naval Yeoman School
  • St. Mary's field
  • Oakland, CA
W 42–0[16][17]
November 10at California
W 14–13[2][3]

References
  1. "Saint Mary's Yearly Results (1915–1919)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  2. Jack James (November 11, 1917). "St. Mary's Carries Off State Title by 14-13 Win Over U.C." The San Francisco Examiner. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "St. Mary's Beats California, 14-13, for State Title: Fatal Mistake Loses a Goal Kick for U.C." Oakland Tribune. November 11, 1917. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "St. Mary's Has Only 250 Boys on Total List: College That Won State Title Has Only About 20 Players On Football Squad". Oakland Tribune. November 11, 1917. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Russell Wilson Football Coach At St. Mary's". The San Francisco Examiner. July 14, 1917. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "St. Mary's Varsity Wins From Yeomen". The San Francisco Examiner. September 17, 1917. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Scoreless Tie Is Played on St. Mary's Field". Oakland Tribune. September 24, 1917. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Nevada Loses To St. Mary's". Reno Evening Gazette. October 1, 1917. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "St. Mary's College Beats Nevada, 41 to 0". The San Francisco Examiner. September 30, 1917 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "St. Mary's Eleven Wins Game at Carson City". San Francisco Chronicle. October 3, 1917. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "St. Mary's Second Team Beats Soldiers". The San Francisco Examiner. October 15, 1917. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Medical Eleven and St. Mary's Meet Today". The San Francisco Examiner. October 10, 1917. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "St. Mary's Team Training Hard for Grizzlies". Oakland Tribune. October 11, 1917. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8709760/san_francisco_chronicle/
  15. "Hard Fought: Saints Victors Over U.S.C. in Close Scrap". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 1917. p. VI-10 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Jack James (November 5, 1917). "St. Mary's Varsity Runs Rings Around Sea-Going Kickers: Naval Yeomen Lose to Collegians by Score of 42 to 0; Victors Line Up Against University of California Saturday". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "St. Mary's Defeats Yeomen by 42 to 0 Score: College Boys Now Think They Have a Chance to Defeat California U". San Francisco Chronicle. November 5, 1917. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
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