The 1927 NC State Wolfpack football team represented

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

during the

1927 Southern Conference football season The 1927 Southern Conference football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Conference as part of the 1927 college football season. The season began on September 17. Games were permitted after Thanksgi ...

. They played their home games in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Wolfpack were coached by Gus Tebell in his third year as head coach, compiling a record of 9–1 and outscoring opponents 216 to 69. NC State tied with Georgia Tech and Tennessee for the Southern Conference title, including the only unbeaten and untied conference record. Also in the conference were

Bill Spears William Douglas Spears (August 31, 1906 – December 31, 1992) known as "Bounding Bill Spears" was an American football player and stand-out quarterback for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football teams from 1925 to 1927. Spears was elected ...

-led Vanderbilt (giving both Tech and Tennessee their ties) and Georgia's " dream and wonder team." NC State was led by All-Southern running back and

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

inductee

Jack McDowall John Witherspoon McDowall (June 26, 1905 – May 25, 1969), known as "Spindle Legs", was an American football, baseball, basketball player and track and field, track athlete at North Carolina State University. McDowall was recognized as an Coll ...

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: Elon

The Wolf Pack opened the season with a 39–0 victory over .

Week 2: at Furman

In the second week, NC State suffered the season's only loss on the road to the Furman Purple Hurricane 0–20. Furman quarterback Whitey Rawl scored three touchdowns.

Week 3: Clemson

The Wolfpack beat the Clemson Tigers 18–6. Though

did not score any of the touchdowns his play resulted in all the scores, including passes to Childress and Goodwin. The starting lineup for the Wolfpack against Florida: Goodwin (left end), Evans (left tackle), Vaughan (left guard), Metts (center), Nicholson (right guard), Lepo (right tackle), Childress (right end), Adams (quarterback), Outen (left halfback), McDowall (right halfback), Warren (fullback).

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

was umpire.

Week 4: Wake Forest

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons were defeated 30–7. McDowall threw several passes, and returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.

Week 5: at Florida

In the fifth week of play, the Wolfpack faced captain

's native

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

, winning 12–6. Neither team scored until the final period. Since McDowall had been turned down by the University of Florida, legend has it just afterwards he mailed coach

Tom Sebring Harold Leon Sebring (March 9, 1898 – July 26, 1968), nicknamed Tom Sebring, was a Florida Supreme Court justice, and an American judge at one of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials of German war criminals after World War II. Sebring was a native ...

the game ball. A drive brought the Wolfpack to the 3-yard line, the feature play of which was a 30-yard pass from McDowall to Childress. A pass from McDowall to Frank Goodwin got the score. The Gators then began passing desperately in an attempt to win. A pass bounced off the hands of a Florida back and into McDowall's, who returned the ball 75 yards for the deciding score. On the ensuing kickoff, Gator back Tommy Owens ran it back for an 88-yard touchdown. The starting lineup for the Wolfpack against Florida: Goodwin (left end), Lepo (left tackle), Nicholson (left guard), Metts (center), Vaughan (right guard), Evans (right tackle), Childress (right end), Adams (quarterback), McDowall (left halfback), Cram (right halfback), Warren (fullback).

Week 6: North Carolina

NC State defeated the in-state rival

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...

19 to 6. The first score came after a 30-yard pass from

to Hunsucker set up a 9-yard end run from McDowall for touchdown. The third touchdown was a 4-yard touchdown pass the width of the field from McDowall to Hunsucker. The starting lineup for the Wolfpack against North Carolina: Goodwin (left end), Evans (left tackle), Vaughan (left guard), Metts (center), Nicholson (right guard), Lepo (right tackle), Childress (right end), Adams (quarterback), McDowall (left halfback), Hunsucker (right halfback), Lipscomb (fullback).

Week 7: vs. Davidson

The Wolf Pack beat the Davidson Wildcats 25–6. McDowall had a run of 65 yards. The starting lineup was: Goodwin (left end), Evans (left tackle), Vaughan (left guard), Metts (center), C. Nicholson (right guard), Lepo (right tackle), Childress (right end), Adams (quarterback), Hunsucker (left halfback), McDowall (right halfback), Warren (fullback).

Week 8: at Duke

NC State defeated Duke in Durham 20–18 "in one of the most thrilling football battles ever staged in N. C." After the Blue Devils rushed out to an early 12–0 lead, McDowall's two drop kicks proved the difference.

Week 9: at South Carolina

The South Carolina Gamecocks were shutout 34–0.

Week 10: Michigan State

*Sources: In the season's final game, NC State hosted a northern opponent, the Michigan Aggies. On a muddy, waterlogged field, the Wolfpack won 19 to 0. Captain

was cited as the best player in his final game, despite his only scoring play being a pass for an extra point.

Awards and honors

* All-Southern:

Players

Line

Backfield

Coaching staff

*Head coach: Gus Tebell *Assistants: Butch Slaughter, Doc Sermon

References

Sources

* {{Southern Conference football champions NC State NC State Wolfpack football seasons Southern Conference football champion seasons NC State Wolfpack football