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  * Non-conference games

NC A&M entered the 1911 season with some anticipation, coming off a 4-0-2 season in 1910 which had earned them a co-championship of the South Atlantic region. They returned head coach Eddie Greene for the third consecutive year, the longest continuous run of any of their head coaches to this point. They also returned the bulk of their star players from the previous season, including seven of the previous years' lettermen: "Private" Floyd, Dave Robertson, "Dutchy" Seifert, Howard Cool, "Doc" Hurtt, Harry Hartsell, and Tal Stafford. Other stalwart returners were Lonnie Dunn (who starred in 1909), McIver and Sykes, well-regarded substitutes from 1910 (Charlotte Observer, September 25th, 1911, p. 3).

In addition to an impressive crop of returning upperclassmen, the college was "overflowing" with 750 entrants -- the most the school had ever seen. Of that number, roughly 60 men were vying for a spot on the team; Colin Spencer, Graham Anthony, Nevin Fetzer, and a fellow named "Harris" (more on that later) figured most prominently among this bunch. In addition to the perceived improvement in personnel and the retention of an excellent coach was the innovation of a new "rub-down" room located in Primrose Hall for the benefit of sore football players; previously, the "rubbers" had to go from room to room (The Charlotte Observer, October 2nd, 1911, p. 3; Red and White, Vol. XIII No. 1 (September 1911), pp. 60-61; Western Sentinel, September 15th, 1911, p. 5).

While there were a lot of positives to look forward to, there were some losses: two-time captain, All-Southern player, and center John Bray (who graduated) figured most prominently among them, though the losses of adept backfield man "Maggie" Von Eberstein (who elected not to return to college) and right guard "Governor" Grover Cleveland Glenn (a 1-year agricutural student) were also vital role players. And in a similar situation to the previous season, Harry Hartsell was back, but had suffered injuries in a track meet the previous spring and was unlikely to play a major role (Red and White, Vol. XIII No. 1 (September 1911), p. 61); he played briefly as a substitute during the Bucknell game, but filled a big role down the season's final stretch.

Unlike the previous several seasons of massive rule changes, few major adaptations were made over the offseason. The biggest change was a slight liberalization of the passing game, changing the penalty for an incomplete forward pass from the spot the play started at rather than the point the pass was attempted from, which was by rule at least 5 yards back of the line of scrimmage. Other rule changes were largely procedural in nature.

The Aggies opened their 1911 campaign with a match against the U.S.S. Franklin, a naval training ship station at the Norfolk Naval Yard. As with previous meetings between the Farmers and Tars, the festivities surrounding the sailors' trip to Raleigh was likely more anticipated than the game itself, with parades, a wreath laying ceremony, and even an honorary barbecue dinner, scheduled. The Red and White won 23-to-nothing over the Jackies, though it was widely said a stifling heat slowed the days' play.

A week later, the Farmers traveled to Lexington, Virginia, where they met the Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute. Originally an open date on their schedule, Manager Alan Bowler scheduled the meeting as a "much-needed practice" ahead of their highly-anticipated meeting with Bucknell (The Charlotte Observer, October 2nd, 1911, p. 3). The Red, White, and Yellow of Virginia took an early lead over the A&M team with a score just 3-1/2 minutes into the first quarter. They had a chance to tie things up in the second quarter, but had their extra point attempt was blocked on an incredible V.M.I. play. The play was rememebered as "about as big a surprise as any that has taken place this season" in a retrospective article focusing on North Carolina's football teams, blaming listless playing. "The men failed to realize until the last quarter that they were up against a team." The student paper blamed "absolute over-confidence, under-estimation of their opponents' strength, and an utter disregard of all training rules by nearly every man on the team" (The Charlotte News, December 3rd, 1911, p. 11; Red and White, Vol. 13 No. 2 (October 1911), p. 147).

Five days later, the Red and White attempted to shake the shackles of defeat in their annual State Fair game, with organizers electing to pit the Farmers against a Northern football team for the second year in a row. Bucknell, from Pennsylvania, was chosen as the opponent. With calls to "Remember Lexington" and their loss from lazy playing, an invigorated A&M aggregation scored about 7 minutes into the first quarter. Hartsell came in after halftime, but quickly left because he was "not now in condition to play for a long time."

The Volunteers of Tennessee were NC A&M's next opponent; they met at home once again. This was just the second time the Farmers had ever met the Orange and White: their first meeting, in 1893, was their first recorded intercollegiate win, as well as their first out-of-state competition. While the much-maligned Hartsell was expected to miss the game once again, star halfback Robertson also missed the game due to a sickness; Harris also played despite practicing just once in the week ahead of the game after suffering an injury versus Bucknell. To fill the gaps, all of the backers shifted, with Anthony and Hassell picking up the empty spot. The Aggies won a wet slog of a game 16-to-nothing.

Just ahead of the Tennessee game, Coach Greene also announced that several of the old players "were unable to keep pace" with a faster style of play than employed in previous seasons which emphasized outside runs and passes slightly more than their line runs of old. The announcement foreshadowed the season slightly, with their two losses coming as their team faltered down the stretch in otherwise-close games.

That's what caused the score of the Navy game to balloon after the Aggies led at the half. Though still proud of their accomplishments (the Red and White were the first team to score upon Navy since 1909), the loss was hard to swallow after leading 5-6 at halftime. Alternatively, the North Carolinians were more distracted by a biplane which circled the field -- an event which puts that NC State-Navy game tied for first airplane flyover in college football history.

After losing to the Middies in their second road contest of the season, A&M returned to Raleigh for their final home game of the season against a strong Washington & Lee team. The Generals entered the contest with a 4-0-1 record to their name, including a tie against the Aggies' greatest foe of the time, Virginia Tech. The Lexingtonians played a substitute-heavy game with a panoply of players dashing in and out of the game. The number of replacements was said to have "made it hard for the Virginians to show the best sort of team work." The Farmers won the game 15-3, with the Virginians avoiding a shut-out on a field goal with only 3-minute remaining.

A week later, the Aggies traveled to the northeastern part of the county to meet Wake Forest's Baptists. The Gold and Black had only recently revived their program after sitting dormant for over a decade. Like the game against the Virginia Military Institute, it was largely seen as a warm-up game, with Wake Forest's only two wins among six games coming over Warrenton High School and a historically-weak Roanoke team. Despite the low win total, former A&M star halfback Frank Thompson led the Baptists to what was considered their best season since reviving the program. An unseasonably warm day and a misting of rain likely helped deflate the Farmers' margin of victory, but likely not as much as the fact the Farmers rested stars Dunn, Cool, and Hartsell.

The final game of the season was the most anticipated: a Thanksgiving Day match-up against chief rival Virginia Tech in Norfolk, Virginia. While the two teams always fought bitterly on the football field, this season's match featured an extra dose of animus, with the Virginians claiming the Farmers had broken their mutually agreed upon eligibility rules by allowing Robertson, Stafford, and Seifert to play on their football team after being emplyed on a professional baseball team. While the accusations were true -- the trio played minor-league ball in Elizabeth City -- A&M claimed their actions were allowed in the aforementioned contract; additionally, the players supposedly received no remuneration for their services.

While VPI disputed their eligibility, they agreed to play the game with the understanding the two teams would not meet again in any sports for the foreseeable future. With the tilt threatening to be the two's last, the game was cleanly played, free from major injuries or any accusations of slugging. Under clear skies and perfect football weather, the Techs did nothing but punt, punt, punt until the game's final minutes, when a field goal kicked by the leg of a fresh substitute notched the only scoring of the day. The Aggies' more aggressive and tiring style of play let them down for the second time this season.

Hartsell returned to play in the game -- his first and only full game of the season. Unfortunately, his lack of practice for the season showed through in his lack of consistency, with runs for several yards' frequently offset by fumbles and failed punt receptions. A second new player in the game was fullback Nathaniel D. Hargrove, who seemed to have materialized out of thin air to take the place of Harris, who had held down the job all season. As it turns out, Hargrove was not facing competition for the first time: it was the real name of Harris, an alias Hargrove had created to play football against the wishes of his parents, who opposed his playing of the sport.

The loss to VPI signaled the final game of a frustrating season for the Farmers. Alluding to the high number of returning players and rife expectations of continuity, Charlotte columnist William C. Dowd** recapped the season by noting that "The early part of the season brought forth such reports that the state, and in fact the entire South, expected them to clean up everything it went against by overwhelming scores. But," he continued, "those who had seen them play noticed a decided difference in the men" and observed "a listless and a seemingly don't care spirit in the whole team.... All admirers of the game," Dowd concluded, "frankly admit that it is the loss of Frank Thompson that the Farmers are feeling so. Don't think for a minute that that it was the fault of Coach Eddie Greene. He's still there with the goods." Maryland coach H. C. "Curley" Byrd dissented somewhat, blaming a frivolous passing game for their downfall: "had A. and M. stuck a little more closely to the close style [of play] it would have had a much more consistent season and would have come much nearer what was expected of it." There were also rumors of players breaking team rules (as alluded to after the V.M.I. game) including drinking, smoking, and staying up late (The Charlotte News, December 3rd, 1911, pp. 11, 15; The Sunday Star, December 10th, 1911, Sports, p. 1; Beezley, pp. 25-26).

At the close of the season, monograms (varsity letters) were awarded to McIver, Anthony, Spencer, Sykes, Arthur Phillips, Hargrove, and Fetzer, while stars (recognition to a player who has already earned a monogram) were given to Stafford, Robertson, Hurtt, Seifert, Dunn, Floyd, Cool, and Hartsell. Additional, though informal, honors were bestowed upon the latter five members, who earned spots of sportswriter C. B. Taylor's All-State team; their five spots were as many as Carolina (2) and Wake Forest (3) held combined. Stafford also received regognition for his work on the list in the form of an honorable mention. Three All-South Atlantic teams were made (one by The Washington Post, one by Richmond Times-Dispatch, and one by Maryland coach "Curley" Byrd) with a variegated assemblage of Red and White players making a place on each. Robertson was the Aggies' sole representative on the Post's list, while Floyd bore the banner for the Times-Dispatch's tabulators. Byrd's list was the most favorable, lauding both Hurtt and Hartsell (Wilmington Morning Star, December 9th, 1911, p. 3; The Raleigh Times, December 13th, 1911, p. 8; The Washington Post, December 10th, 1911, Sporting Section, p. 1; Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 3rd, 1911, Sporting Section, p. 1; The Sunday Star, December 10th, 1911, Sports, p. 1).

In recognition for his work on the football team, Greene was made the school's Athletic Director -- the first to hold the position at A&M. As part of his duties, Greene was placed in charge of football, baseball, track, and basketball activities. He remained employed in that role until his retirement following the 1913 football season. Those 5 consecutive years of coaching made Greene NC State's longest-tenured football coach until Doc Newton, who coached from 1937-1943.

** Dowd was a major Charlotte sports journalist who began his career as the sports editor. He attended both UNC and Wake Forest, and had previously been lambasted for unfair coverage of NC A&M in college baseball, so his objectivity may be called into question.