This article was originally published in the Welcome Home print issue of The Daily Utah Chronicle, originally in stands on August 25, 2024. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
For generations, football has been a beloved pastime on college campuses across the nation. Every year, fans gather by the masses to cheer on their universities. Here at the University of Utah, the story is no different.
The U fielded its first football team for the 1892 season and only played one match. The road game against Utah Agricultural College, who would later become Utah State University, resulted in a Utah loss, 12-0.
When Utah was first introduced to the sport, football was highly controversial. It was frequently viewed as too brutal and dangerous to be played. Injuries, and even fatal incidents, were not uncommon. As a result, many questioned the need for legislative action to limit the sport and some schools suspended their football programs altogether.
Not producing a team in 1893, the university returned to the gridiron in 1894. The team, commonly referred to as the University Eleven, matched-up against City High School for the season’s first contest.
Despite The Daily Utah Chronicle expecting a Utah victory, the U lost in embarrassing fashion. The newspaper later connected the loss to the Utah players’ inexperience, stating “half the players had never seen a football till three days before the game.”
Later, Utah celebrated the opening of its new football playing grounds, as they took on the local Y.M.C.A. team. The University Eleven lost 14-0 and moved to a disappointing 0-2 record. On Thanksgiving, Utah matched with the City High School team again. In front of the Fort Douglas Band, the Utah Eleven defeated the high school, 14-6, earning its first-ever victory.
The 1895 football season only consisted of the Thanksgiving match versus the Y.M.C.A. The two teams battled on a muddy field in front of roughly 1,500 fans. Being compared to a “battering ram,” the Y.M.C.A. team dismantled Utah, 20-0.
Utah saw its 1896 season start in the spring, facing off against Brigham Young Academy (BYA), Brigham Young University’s preceding ancestor. There, the university team earned the first victory in what was to become the famous Holy War rivalry.
In autumn, the University Eleven played its second match with BYA on Nov. 14. Utah won again, 6-0, shutting-out the Provo team. Fullback J.F. Odell scored the only touchdown of the game. Later, Utah looked to continue its success in a match against the Crescents. Playing in wet and cold conditions, the team lost the game at home, 4-0.
In December, Utah played against BYA in Provo. Despite Utah’s previous two victories, The Provo team finally bested Utah, 8-6. Then, on Christmas day, Utah took on City High School. The U defeated them with a final score of 6-4. With the result, Utah finished the season with a 3-2 record, marking its first winning season.
Utah’s 1897 season contrasted its previous season’s success, as the team went 1-5. The university defeated LDS College, 8-0, for its only win. Utah finished the season with consecutive losses to BYA, who outscored Utah 36-0 over both games.
Over the 1898 and 1899 seasons, the team only competed in six games. Utah lost its first game of the ‘98 season to City High School, 6-0. Despite the loss, the U would start a notable winning streak, winning four straight games between the two seasons.
Among these was a valiant battle with the reigning champions, BYA, on Thanksgiving. In a game described by the Chronicle as “one of the hardest fought games ever played in Salt Lake,” the University Eleven won, 5-0.
Unbeknownst at the time, this would be the last match-up between Utah and Brigham Young until the 1920s. In the early 20th century, LDS-Church managed schools banned the sport of football due to safety concerns. This decision ultimately delayed Utah and BYU’s next meeting until the ban ceased.
Utah fans who awaited the final game of the season against All Hallows College were left disappointed. The game, which both teams had trouble scheduling, was never played. The forfeit gave Utah its second win of the season, finishing with a 2-1 record.
The 1899 season began with two games against the Fort Douglas’ 9th Cavalry. The University Eleven handily defeated the opponent both times, winning 18-0 and 5-0 respectively.
The undefeated Utah team had reasons to be confident heading into the season’s final game against City High. Despite its prior success, the high school team destroyed the University Eleven. The 34-0 City High rout only lasted 50 minutes, as opposed to the usual 70.
With the loss, Utah football’s 19th century history came to a close. While full of unusual-looking scores, short seasons and plenty of highs and lows, the 1890’s marked the beginning of the storied Utah football program.
