Centre vs. Transylvania University (1880)

On April 9, 1880, Centre and Kentucky University (later Transylvania University) played the South first intercollegiate football game in Lexington. Transylvania defeated Centre 13 3/4 to 0. The following story appeared on the front page of the Lexington Daily Transcript on Saturday, April 10, 1880, under the headline 13 3/4 to 0.

The above is the result of the match game of football played yesterday afternoon at the City Park between the Centre College and Kentucky University teams. As the Danville boys had the reputation of being a splendid club, our boys expected to be beaten. The visiting club was composed of tall, athletic men, while the University Club was mostly made up of short, muscular boys, whose style of physique is considered best for such a game.

A large crowd of ladies and gentlemen, estimated at five hundred, witnessed the game. The ladies seemed to take an especial interest in the fun, and it was pronounced that football had decidedly the advantage of baseball as a means of amusement to spectators.

The collision between players at various times were almost equal to the coming together of two Spanish bulls, and provoked much laughter. The game lasted two hours, commencing at 4 and ending at 6 o’clock. It was played according to the Princeton Rules.

The Danville team was composed of the following young men: Fulton, Dunlap, Vaughn, Clark, McCartney, Cowan, Moore, Cowles, Barbour, Ernst, Taylor, January, Skinner, Webster, Read, Barrett and McKee.

The University Club of Fox, Allen, Logan, Shelby, King, Craig, Overstreet, Graves, Patterson, Hoopman, Garvey, Johnson, Lauderman, Langsford and Thurgood.

Ernst was Captain of the Danville boys, and Patterson of the University. January, of the Danville club, acted as umpire. During the progress of the game, one of the Danville boys had his hand badly cut by falling on a piece of glass, the grounds having previously been used for glass ball shooting.

We hope that another contest will come off soon between these clubs. Having played together for the first time, and knowing each other’s styles, we have no doubt the Centre College boys will have better luck in future.

The two teams met again on April 16, 1880, in Danville. Transylvania won that game, 5 ½ to 0. Centre didn’t field another football team until 1891.