A Slice of Texas Football History - The Beginning 1893 - 1899
1893 : 4-0-0
Coach: No Coach
The University of Texas fielded its first permanent football team in 1893, managed by Albert Lefevra, the secretary-treasurer of the UT Athletic Association.
When brothers Ray and Paul McLane (see photo) returned home to Texas in 1893 after spending a few years at school in the East, they brought with them a game they had learned about from watching it being played on the Ivy League campuses. The two corralled more than a dozen UT students into joining their team and took on the Dallas Foot Ball Club that claimed to be the best in the state. Held at the Dallas Fair Grounds, the game attracted a then-record 1,200 onlookers. It was a tough and spirited match, but when the dust had settled, the "University Eleven" had pulled off an 18–16 upset and Longhorn football had begun (although the team was then known as the "Varsity." The appellation of "Longhorns" wouldn't appear until 1903). The Texas club would go on to a spotless record and earn the undisputed boast of "best in Texas."
1894 : 6-1-0
Coach: R.D. Wentworth
After the inaugural season in 1893 Texas officially hired its first coach, R.D. Wentworth, for $325 plus expenses. Wentworth shut out the first six opponents, outscoring them 191–0 before miserably losing their final game to Missouri 28–0. There were a number of firsts in Wentworth's one and only season as head coach at Texas. Texas' first ever meeting against Texas A&M occurred in 1894 and resulted in a 38–0 shutout victory for Texas in Austin. Texas also faced Arkansas in the first meeting between the two schools in 1894. The game resulted in a 54–0 shutout victory for Texas as well. These two firsts set the ground for the long extensive rivalries with the Aggies and the Razorbacks over the next century in which Texas would dominate both series with the two schools including several anticipated games.
1895 : 5-0-0
Coach: Frank Crawford
The 1895 Texas team was not scored upon outscoring opponents 96-0.
1896 : 4-5-2
Coach: Harry Orman Robinson
The 1896 Texas varsity was the first team to play out of state, as the team ventured east for games against Tulane (a 12–4 victory) and LSU (a 14–0 loss). The games were played on a Saturday and Monday in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively, which was a particularly brutal travel schedule for that time.
1897 : 6-2-0
Coach: Walter F. Kelly
1898 : 5-1-0
Coach: D.F. Edwards
1899 : 6-2-0
Coach: Maurice Gordon Clarke
Texas quickly established itself as a winning tradition in its first seven years of football between 1893 and 1899 with a record of 36–11–2.
Sources: Various including Wikipedia (edited)
Photo: 1893 University of Texas football team. Standing - left to right : Ray McLane, James Morrison, J.H. Myer, R.E.L. Roy Kneeling - left to right : Victor Moor, Paul McLane, J.W. Philip Sitting - left to right : D. Furman, W.P. McLean, W.J. Crawford (Mgr) , R.U. Lee, Adison D
1893 : 4-0-0
Coach: No Coach
The University of Texas fielded its first permanent football team in 1893, managed by Albert Lefevra, the secretary-treasurer of the UT Athletic Association.
When brothers Ray and Paul McLane (see photo) returned home to Texas in 1893 after spending a few years at school in the East, they brought with them a game they had learned about from watching it being played on the Ivy League campuses. The two corralled more than a dozen UT students into joining their team and took on the Dallas Foot Ball Club that claimed to be the best in the state. Held at the Dallas Fair Grounds, the game attracted a then-record 1,200 onlookers. It was a tough and spirited match, but when the dust had settled, the "University Eleven" had pulled off an 18–16 upset and Longhorn football had begun (although the team was then known as the "Varsity." The appellation of "Longhorns" wouldn't appear until 1903). The Texas club would go on to a spotless record and earn the undisputed boast of "best in Texas."
1894 : 6-1-0
Coach: R.D. Wentworth
After the inaugural season in 1893 Texas officially hired its first coach, R.D. Wentworth, for $325 plus expenses. Wentworth shut out the first six opponents, outscoring them 191–0 before miserably losing their final game to Missouri 28–0. There were a number of firsts in Wentworth's one and only season as head coach at Texas. Texas' first ever meeting against Texas A&M occurred in 1894 and resulted in a 38–0 shutout victory for Texas in Austin. Texas also faced Arkansas in the first meeting between the two schools in 1894. The game resulted in a 54–0 shutout victory for Texas as well. These two firsts set the ground for the long extensive rivalries with the Aggies and the Razorbacks over the next century in which Texas would dominate both series with the two schools including several anticipated games.
1895 : 5-0-0
Coach: Frank Crawford
The 1895 Texas team was not scored upon outscoring opponents 96-0.
1896 : 4-5-2
Coach: Harry Orman Robinson
The 1896 Texas varsity was the first team to play out of state, as the team ventured east for games against Tulane (a 12–4 victory) and LSU (a 14–0 loss). The games were played on a Saturday and Monday in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively, which was a particularly brutal travel schedule for that time.
1897 : 6-2-0
Coach: Walter F. Kelly
1898 : 5-1-0
Coach: D.F. Edwards
1899 : 6-2-0
Coach: Maurice Gordon Clarke
Texas quickly established itself as a winning tradition in its first seven years of football between 1893 and 1899 with a record of 36–11–2.
Sources: Various including Wikipedia (edited)
Photo: 1893 University of Texas football team. Standing - left to right : Ray McLane, James Morrison, J.H. Myer, R.E.L. Roy Kneeling - left to right : Victor Moor, Paul McLane, J.W. Philip Sitting - left to right : D. Furman, W.P. McLean, W.J. Crawford (Mgr) , R.U. Lee, Adison D
