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North Carolina A&M's final game of the season was easily their most anticipated. The Farmers and Techs had developed a budding rivalry since they met in 1900, meeting seven times in the 11 years since then. The rivalry was particularly bitter for two reasons: first, both schools had been spurned by their respective in-state rivals, and second, the Farmers had lost all but two of their meetings. Fortunately for the Farmers, their fortunes had begun to change, having won two of their last three meetings.

Calamity nearly struck just a month before the contest. Discord began brewing in late October, with VPI denouncing the Aggies' three stars, Robertson, Stafford, and Seifert. Early reports claimed the two were "Ringers" -- paid professionals -- but details began to emerge, the picture clarified: Virginia Tech was only claiming that those three were not "amateur" athletes because they had all been professional baseball players on the Elizabeth City Tar Heels of the Tidewater League (The Cadet, Vol. V No. 5 (October 21, 1911), p. 3; News and Observer, November 5th, 1911, Section One, pp. 1, 7).

The above was not false: all three did indeed play for Elizabeth City at one time or another during the season. While the details on Stafford and Seifert are a bit less clear, Robertson at the very least turned down paying opportunities to play baseball for the summer while he worked with the Tar Heels; the assumption would be the others did likewise. Further bolstering the Farmers' claim, the two institutions had evidently made an agreement when settling the terms for their game that summer baseball would not invalidate the students' amateur status (The Charlotte Observer, June 2nd, 1911, p. 8; The Charlotte Observer, June 26th, 1911, p. 3; News and Observer, June 27th, 1911, p. 3; The Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, November 27th, 1911, p. 14). In any case, the two teams agreed to put their differences aside and play for one more year before putting the series on ice. The two made good on the promise for only two seasons before meeting again in 1914.

A second complication in players arose which resulted in less of a row than the baseball brouhaha. Harris, NC A&M's regular fullback, was not named in post-game line-ups, despite being a regular star. His role was replaced by a fellow named Hargrove, and no explanation of his absence or report of injury could be found. The explanation, as it turns out, is that the two men were one in the same: evidently, Hargrove's parents had previously objected to him playing football, so he played under a false name. Just before the Thanksgiving game, however, someone informed his parents, who relented and allowed him to continue participating, now under his proper name (The Raleigh Daily Times, November 22nd, 1911, p. 1).

Virginia Tech had amassed an impressive 5-1-2 record in the 1911 season; they opened the season with an easy tune-up game over Hampden-Sydney before defeating "Old" Maryland (the Baltimore campus). They lost a week later to Yale in New Haven, but that was to be expected: the northeastern teams were far superior to the southern ones at that time. After a week, they obliterated Roanoke 93-to-nothing, before tying the next most powerful southern elevens, Washington & Lee and North Carolina, in back-to-back weeks at neutral sites. With a convincing win over Tennessee and a practice game against Morris Harvey (now University of Charleston).

Both teams had some injury concerns going into the game, with at least two VPI players questionable to play from injuries. Similarly, several A&M players were also under the weather, with Robertson's shoulder ailing him, as well as leg injuries to Cool and McIver. When taking into consideration the injuries, the 16-lb weight advantage the A&M squad held over their Old Dominion opponents, and the season's results, the Aggies were given a slight edge, with most newsmen giving them 3-to-2 or 5-to-3 odds (Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 30th, 1911, p. 6; News and Observer, November 30th, 1911, p. 7; Virginian-Pilot, November 30th, 1911, p. 9).

The game kicked off in Norfolk's Lafayette Field at 2:30 PM under excellent weather: partly cloudy, no rain, a light breeze accompanying temperatures in the low 40s at kickoff (Virginian-Pilot, December 1st, 1911, p. 12). The game was NC A&M's second ever played under four 15-minute periods -- second only to their meeting against VPI the previous year. The game was watched by between 6,000 and 7,500 persons.

VPI kicked off the ball to start the game, Derby booting the ball. Floyd received the kick and returned it 10 yards. Things started off swimingly, with Hartsell and Cool popping off a run for 10 yards. Shortly thereafter, Hartsell made a dash of 25 yards and appeared to be off to the races when he was stopped on a remarkable tackle by either Abernathy or Bernier. Hartsell and Hargrove combined for 14 yards on the next two plays, and their efforts were followed up by a 5-yard dash from Cool. Unfortunately, a forward pass from Stafford to Seifert fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs. The Techs got the ball at their own 10-to-15 yard line.

Virginia Tech's Fritz Legge, disliking the proximity to his own goal line, immediately punted the ball away on first down. Hartsell caught the punt (probably around midfield, but this was not specified), but was unable to advance the ball. On the next two tries, Hartsell gained 5 and Hargrove ran for no gain. The Aggies initially attempted to go for it on their third and final down, but were penalized 15 yards for holding, so instead, Cool punted, sending the ball 35 yards. Bernier caught the pigskin but was tackled by Seifert. Fritz Legge punted the ball on first down a second time.

A punting duel ensued: Hargrove attempted to perform a drop-kick punt immediately upon fielding the ball, but Virginia Tech landed on it while the ball was on the ground. With the Virginia Techs back in control of the ball, Fritz Legge performed an on-side kick which Hargrove recovered. Cool "dodged and squirmed his way through the [Virginia] Tech line" for a 20-yard pickup before Macon brought him down. After two more yards for no gain by Cool and Stafford, Hartsell threw a forward pass to Phillips which he fumbled; it was recovered on the VPI 20-yard line by the Old Dominion boys.

The Maroon and Orange tried advancing the ball for the first time this afternoon, with Bernier going through the line for 9 yards and Bernier gaining 10 around left end. Fritz Legge and Macon combined for another first down on two plays. Over the course of the next several downs, Macon and Bernier brought the ball to the A&M 35-yard line. Rogers tried to run the ball, but was stopped immediately by Hargrove. Fritz Legge punted to Stafford, who received the ball at their own 5 yard line and advanced the kick 10 yards right as the first quarter came to a close.

The second quarter opened with a bit of a bang: Cool punted the ball to Fritz Legge, who fumbled the kick, allowing Seifert to pounce on it. Sadly, A&M proved unable to replicate their earlier success, and was forced to punt after two failed rushes. Stafford's punt was received by Fritz -- this time successfully. The leg of Legge once again sent the ball back to the Farmers, with Hartsell collecting the kick this time. After another two failed attempts to advance the ball, Stafford attempted an on-side kick; this was scooped up by the Virginians, and on second down Fritz punted yet again. This time, a combination of runs by Cool (around left end), Hartsell (around right end), and Cool again (this time through the line) netted the Aggies a first down, but the next time around, they failed to net the required 10 yards, turning the ball over to the Techs at the A&M 40-yard line.

At this time, Fritz and his foot were replaced by Vawter. After a run by Bernier was stopped for a gain of 5 by Fetzer, Hodgson punted, Hartsell collecting the pigskin at his own 20-yard line. I don't totally understand the next play, which was reported only in Virginian-Pilot: "Cool punted, but the kick fell short and the play was called back"; on the next play, Hartsell made three yards. The following play was the Aggies' most successful in a while, gaining 10 yards around the right end. Hargrove followed up on this success, making a 35-yard dash, but this luck came crashing down: he fumbled the ball before the play ended, with Bernier recovering the ball on VPI's 35-yard line. Hodgson immediately punted, Hartsell collecting the kick; he too fumbled the ball, allowing Derby to gather the ball at the 25-yard line. Since the half was coming to an end, Vawter attempted a desperate forward pass to Rogers, but the play landed incomplete. The half ended with Hodgson punting a touchback over A&M's goal line.

The second half began with Hodgson kicking off for Virginia Tech. Hurtt caught the ball but was stopped before he could gain any yards. On the next play, Cool ran for 15 yards before being stopped by Derby. Unfortunately, on the next play the Farmers lost all that yardage on a holding penalty. Instead, Cool punted, sending the ball 40 yards to Bernier. Hodgson returned in kind, kicking the ball out-of-bounds at the A&M 45-yard line. On their first play with the ball back, Hartsell broke free for a 35-yard run. It looked at first like a sure touchdown, but Vawter managed to bring him down around the VPI 30-yard line. On the very next play, Stafford fumbled an attempted forward pass which Hodgson recovered at his own 45. The Techs attempted to run, but was stuffed for a gain after gaining only 3 yards. They returned to their fare for the day by punting on the next down; fortunately for the Farmers, Floyd broke through the Tech line, blocking Hodgson's punt and taking possession at the Maroon and Orange's 15-yard line.

At that time, Robertson replaced Cool, hoping to use a fresh player to cross the Virginians' goal line. On his first run, he failed to gain, and on second down, ran for 5. On third down, Stafford dropped back to pass to Robertson; his pass was good, but was out of bounds just as he crossed the goal line, leaving the score tied 0-to-0. Hodgson immediately kicked the ball away. Hartsell corralled the kick at the Tech's 30-yard line. The Farmers again shot themselves in the foot on their next play, with a pass from Robertson to Seifert getting intercepted by Derby. Hodgson took the opportunity to punt once again; Robertson and Hartsell did "a juggling act" but managed to reel in the ball. Robertson ran once for no gain, but on second down completed a forward pass to Hartsell for 30 yards, giving the Aggies the ball at VPI's 18-yard line as the third quarter drew to a close.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Robertson replaced Cool. On the first play of the new quarter, a forward pass (probably by Stafford) was intercepted by Pick at the Tech's 10-yard line. Hodgson punted yet again; Hartsell caught it after an unspecified distance, and on the next play Floyd ran 7 yards. On the next play, Phillips fumbled a forward pass, but on the very next play the Maroon and Orange fumbled the ball right back. On their first play with the ball, Stafford made a 15-yard dash around right end, but it was negated on the subsequent play on a 15-yard holding penalty. At this time, Spencer took Robertson's place. With the ball on the edge of the field around the Virginians' 30-yard line, Hartsell attempted a tough drop kick, but unfortunately his boot sailed to the right of the goal posts "by many yards." This play was remembered as "the Aggies' last glimmer of hope for a victory."

Here, VPI took the opportunity to make some lineup changes of their own, with Wyatt going in for Evans, who took Burruss's place. It's not clear how the Aggies got the ball back, but the next plays described were that of the Farmers. A gain of 12 yards around right end by Spencer was followed by an 11-yard scramble by Hargrove. On the next set of downs, Spencer and Hartsell combined for a first down, but shortly thereafter Derby intercepted a pass from Stafford to Seifert, advancing the ball 10 yards, back to VPI's 30-yard line. Hodgson punted the ball way down the field; Hartsell fumbled his recovery effort, allowing Evans to recover the ball at A&M's 20-yard line.

Vawter kicked things off with a 10-yard run, but on the next set of downs Phillips intercepted a forward pass by VPI at the Red and White's own 10-yard line. Spencer punted the ball away, but sent the kick only 30 yards -- to roughly the Aggies' 40-yard line -- where Hodgson caught the ball but was stopped immediately by Seifert. On the next play, Derby advanced the ball 5 yards; then, Withrow Legge, Fritz's backup brother, replaced Rogers, hoping to use some fresh legs could help seal the game. With the ball at A&M 30-to-35-yard line, the Maroon and Orange lined up to attempt a kick. "Amid deathly silence he [Withrow Legge] poised his foot and then shot the oval straight and true over the cross bar and between the uprights." The score changed to 3-to-nothing in favor of the Virginians with less than 2 minutes remaining to play.

"Then pandemonium broke loose in the packed stands as the V.P.I. students and backers went temporarily insane with delight." The remainder of the game went largely undetailed, with the Aggies trying without success to gain, while the Virginians' punted every opportunity they had, as they did the remainder of the game. When the clock struck zero, "the wearers of the victorious maroon and orange swarmed over the fence and upon the field" and carried Withrow Legge around in glee.

The game was recalled as cleanly played and free from major injuries. It was not quite as cleanly played in terms of penalties, with the Farmers accumulating several major gaffes over the course of the game. Laurels for each team were not widely reported, with Richmond's Times-Dispatch being the only paper including such a write-up. They praised Derby as "the one bright star for V.P.I." while also acknowledging the work of Gibbs, Rogers, and strangely, Macon, whose name was scarcely mentioned in the post-game summary, and never after the second quarter started. For NC A&M the Times-Dispatch praised Cool, Seifert, and Stafford for their "brilliant" playing (Virginian-Pilot, December 1st, 1911, pp. 1, 11; News and Observer, December 1st, 1911, pp. 1, 5; Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 1st, 1911, p. 6).

The Farmers and Techs briefly remained true to their word and did not meet on the gridiron until 1914. The animus reached its pinnacle the following season, when the annual UNC-VPI game was played in the Tar Heel state for the first time since 1900. The two teams envied to keep their game in a neutral site, as it had been since 1905; Raleigh was the natural landing spot. The logical host site was Raleigh's recently-renamed Riddick Field, which was the city's only sizeable football field. Instead, however, the Techs and Tar Heels played at a temporary field set up on Raleigh's Fair Grounds after the A&M Athletic Association blocked the Virginians from playing on their grounds, the cause being cited as the previous season's scuffle.

Ironically, that game was likely the one time NC State students ever cheered for UNC, raising their voices for their in-state neighbor over their Old Dominion rival. The event almost rekindled athletic relations between the estranged North Carolina teams by the goodwill it created -- the two teams scheduled a game in 1913 -- but ultimately fell short after the game was nixed in the wake of yet another eligibility dispute (Charlotte Observer, October 23rd, 1912, p. 6; Charlotte Observer, October 27th, 1912, p. 3).