1958 Otterbein College (0) vs. Denison University (14) Football Film

Authors

Archives, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Files

Description

Otterbein 0 vs Denison 14

September 27, 1958

Memorial Stadium, Westerville, Ohio

Time: 14:40 Type: B&W Program: No

Schools: Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder the Rev. Philip William Otterbein. After the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church, in 1968, Otterbein has been associated with the United Methodist Church. Colors: Tan and Cardinal. Mascot: Cardinals

Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. The college was called Denison University, in honor of a key benefactor, William S. Denison, a Muskingum County farmer, who pledged $10,000 toward the college's endowment. It was the second Baptist college west of the Allegheny mountains after Georgetown College, which was founded in 1829. Colors: Red and White. Mascot: Big Red. (One of the few colleges that have a mascot based on their colors. In the 1920s the Denison basketball team was large for the time and wore all red uniforms, prompting a Columbus, Ohio, sportswriter to coin the nickname “The Big Red.” During the 1970s the school temporarily used a native American as a mascot but that quickly disappeared and the school reverted to the use of the school color.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denison_University

Pio, Chris, Gryphons, Gorloks and Gusties: A History of NCAA Division III Nicknames and Mascots, Privately Published, Las Vegas, NV, 2021, pp. 52-53.

Coaches: Otterbein – Robert “Moe” Agler (March 13, 1924 – September 16, 2005; Otterbein ‘48) A 1941 graduate of Dublin (Ohio)High School Agler enrolled in Otterbein College where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track. After serving in the Navy during World War II, and participating in the D-Day invasion, Agler returned to Otterbein in 1946 where he was a member of, arguably, the best team in school history. He was instrumental in Otterbein’s most memorable game, a 13-7 loss to the University of West Virginia with the Cardinals threatening to score as time expired. After graduating in 1948 he played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Returning to central Ohio in 1950 Agler was hired as head football coach at his alma mater, Dublin High School, where he won the Franklin County Championship. He moved to Johnstown High School in 1952 before returning to Otterbein the next year as an assistant to Harry Ewing. In 1955 Agler replaced Ewing as head coach serving two stints, from 1955 to 1965 and 1970 to 1974, compiling a total record of 74–63–5. He was also the head basketball coach at Otterbein from 1955 to 1958, tallying a mark of 13–39, and served as Athletic Director (1955-1975). Following his retirement, he was instrumental in the construction of the new Memorial Stadium.

Denison – Keith W. Piper (October 10, 1921, Niles, Ohio – December 9, 1997, Cruise ship, off coast of Florida, BA – Baldwin-Wallace College ’48, MA – Western Reserve University) Piper was the head football coach at Denison University from 1954 to 1992. He compiled a career record of 201–141–18. He gained national fame for perpetuating the single-wing football formation decades after it had been discarded by other programs. Piper played football at Niles McKinley High School where he was the starting center in 1938 and 1939. Niles McKinley's rival was Massillon Washington High School where coach Paul Brown ran a single-wing offense. The precision of Brown's single-wing left an imprint on him. Piper began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at Baldwin-Wallace from 1948 to 1950. In 1951, he became an assistant coach at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, becoming Denison's head coach in 1954 until his retirement after the 1992 season. Piper instituted the single-wing at Denison in 1962. He was a student of football history who traced the formation's roots to Glenn Scobey Warner and Amos Alonzo Stagg and worked for years on a book on the history of the formation. In Piper's single-wing, the tailback was the most common recipient of the snap from center, and the quarterback was principally a blocker. Piper stopped using the single-wing in 1966, but brought it back after Denison finished 0–8–1 in 1977. He believed that by being different, he would have a better chance against opponents with superior talent. With the single-wing offense back in use, Denison went 7–2 in 1979 and won consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference championships in 1985 and 1986. The success of the single-wing formation attracted reporters from around the country to the Denison campus, including Sports Illustrated which ran a feature story on Piper in 1982. In 39 years as Denison's head coach, Piper had seven one-loss seasons (1957, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1985 and 1986), compiled a record of 201–141–18, with his teams outscoring opponents 7,404–5,804. Piper won his 200th game on October 10, 1992—his 71st birthday, one of only 18 coaches to win 200 games as a head football coach at one college. He retired at the end of the 1992 season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_W._Piper

Notes:

Otterbein wearing white jerseys; Denison wearing dark jerseys. First night game at Otterbein created an overflow crowd of over 3,000 spectators. Four 90-foot cedar poles, with ten lights atop each, were installed at Memorial Stadium. The “O” Club financed the $9,000 project by selling five-year season tickets for $25.00. Of the 300 season tickets 270 were sold in the first two weeks of the project. The remaining balance was paid over a two-year period. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

References:

Howell, Fritz, “First-Game Winners In OC’s Top Clashes,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 22, 1958, p. 15A.

Frush, Charlie, “Otterbein Tougher But So Is Schedule,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 25, 1958, p. 20A.

“WMNI To Carry Otterbein Game, Plus Notre Dame,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 25, 1958, p. 31B.

Frush, Charlie, “Marietta, Otterbein, OWU in Big Tests,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 26, 1958, p. 20B.

“Night Games At Otterbein,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 26, 1958, p. 2B.

“3000 See Redmen Defeat Otterbein, Columbus Sunday Dispatch, September 28, 1958, p. 36B.

“OTTERBEIN: Campaign Boost Football Crowd,” Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 29, 1959, p. 9A.

Game Date

9-27-1958

Game Score

Otterbein 0 - Denison 14

Coaches

Coaches: Otterbein – Robert “Moe” Agler (March 13, 1924 – September 16, 2005; Otterbein ‘48)

Denison – Keith W. Piper (October 10, 1921, Niles, Ohio – December 9, 1997, Cruise ship, off coast of Florida, BA – Baldwin-Wallace College ’48, MA – Western Reserve University)

Game Location

Memorial Stadium, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio

Comments

Otterbein wearing white jerseys; Denison wearing dark jerseys. First night game at Otterbein created an overflow crowd of over 3,000 spectators. Four 90-foot cedar poles, with ten lights atop each, were installed at Memorial Stadium. The “O” Club financed the $9,000 project by selling five-year season tickets for $25.00. Of the 300 season tickets 270 were sold in the first two weeks of the project. The remaining balance was paid over a two-year period. For more game details see the Columbus Dispatch articles linked to this page.

Game Film # and Reel #

Game Film #23, Reel #23

Recommended Citation

Archives, "1958 Otterbein College (0) vs. Denison University (14) Football Film" (1958). 1957-1959 Sports Films. 5.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/sports_films_1957-1959/5

Film Time

14:40 minutes

Keywords

College Football, Football Programs, Football Films