[1][2] The Pitt Weekly noted proudly: "The football team of 1913 brought the University from a position of relative unimportance among the colleges to a place on a level with the ten or twelve leaders in the sport.

This success is to be attributed to various causes, but the underlying reasons are found in the inauguration of the new coaching policy under Duff and Harlan, the acquisition of a number of new men who raised the standard of play, the hard course of training undergone in the football camp at Windber during the month of September and the erection of a permanent training house where the proper care and supervision might be given the members of the team.

"[13]Accordingly, the December 12 edition of The Pitt Weekly reported: "Because of his brilliant work in turning out a winning team this past season Joe Duff, former Princeton player, was re-elected coach of the University football eleven for next year at a meeting of the General Athletic Committee.

On September 2, forty-four prospects assembled at Union Station for the trip to Johnstown, followed by a car ride to Camp Hamilton at Windber, PA for three weeks of preseason drills.

"[20] During this camp session, Coach Duff's most significant personnel adjustment was moving Robert Peck from fullback to center, where he would become a three time All-American.

"[30] "For the second consecutive year, the Pitt football team brought joy to the hearts of its followers and gloom to the Cornell rooters by winning a hard earned victory over the Ithacans.

"[36]The Baltimore Sun praised Pitt: "Fulfilling expectations, the Navy-Pittsburgh University football game here today developed into one of the hottest contests seen on a local gridiron for a long time, and the lads from the Smoky City emerged from the fray victors, 13–6....Last season, with a team that showed every sign of a coming aggregation, they played the Middies to a scoreless tie in the opening game for Uncle Sam's sea-fighters, and having suffered only slight losses by graduation they have assembled this year a football machine that is calculated to give any of the big teams a stiff rub.

"Throughout the fourth and last period Navy made tremendous but futile efforts to crush Pitt's defense, finally advancing the ball to the Varsity's 12-yard line.

The following players were substituted during the game: Carl Hockensmith, Karl Morrow, Roy Heil, James DeHart, Isadore Shapira, John Sutherland, and Leo Collins.

[37][38] On October 17, Pop Warner, in his thirteenth and last season as the Carlisle coach, brought his team to Pittsburgh for the opening game at Forbes Field.

[39] To compound matters, "on the eve of one of the hardest games on the schedule Carlisle Captain Busch, right guard, was forced to resign for the good of the team.

The score of 10–3 is some what disappointing to those Pitt men who had anticipated victory by a wider margin; but the varsity was evidently under wraps, and the redskins failure to apply harder pressure kept the Blue and Gold from working too hard.

The following players were substituted during the game: James Jones, Isadore Shapira, Rendall Soppitt, Joe Matson, William Harrington, Roy Heil, Cliff Morrow, Stevie Dillon, George Fry, and Edward Hanley.

[6][43] On October 24 "with a record of four victories and no defeats, Pitt clashed with the representatives of Georgetown University, in the first game played between these two institutions since 1910, when "Tex” Richards' team triumphed over the Washingtonians by a count of 17–0.

The visitors gave Pitt the biggest scare of the season, especially in the second period of play, when they outplayed their heavier opponents, and caused Coach Duff to send in reinforcements at every turn.

The game abounded in possibilities for scoring, especially for Georgetown, but the visiting team had an attack which failed to penetrate the Pitt defense when the chances were presented.

The worst of this condition is that the unfavorable words of our critics here in this city are creeping under the skin of the student body like a slow poison, leaving a feeling of apathy and sapping the spirit of confidence.

The local boys were like babies in the hands of the Pitt huskies, and went down like ten-pins before the rushes of Hastings, Hanley, and Dillon, while the end runs of Heil and Fry were something bewildering to the Dickinson defense.

[55] The Pittsburg Press was hopeful: "This great display of real football by the wearers of the Blue and Gold sent up their stock many points for the championship contest next week with W. & J. next Saturday"[56] The Pitt lineup for the game against Dickinson was H. Clifford Carlson, Joe Matson and Thomas Beattie (left end), Tiny Thornhill, John Sutherland and R. N. Clicquenroi (left tackle), Wayne Smith and James McQuiston (left guard), Bob Peck and Isadore Shapira (center), Rendall Soppitt and Chuck Reese (right guard), Carl Hockensmith (right tackle), James Herron, William Harrington and Thomas Healey (right end), Roy Heil and Fred Ward (quarterback), Andy Hastings, Cliff Morrow and Stevie Dillon (left halfback), Whitey Miller and James Morrow (right halfback), and George Fry and Edward Hanley (fullback).

[54][55] On November 7, third-year coach Bob Folwell brought 5–1 Washington & Jefferson to Pittsburgh for the annual battle for Western Pennsylvania football supremacy.

[57] The Red and Black lineup boasted two second team Walter Camp All-Americans – halfback Johnny Spiegel and tackle Britain Patterson and one third teamer - center Burleigh Cruikshank.

"[59] Richard Guy of The Gazette Times was impressed: "The Red and Black warriors from Washington & Jefferson College triumphed over the University of Pittsburgh foemen in their annual football meeting yesterday afternoon at Forbes Field, 13 to 10.

"[60] Ralph Davis of The Pittsburgh Press agreed: "While to Washington & Jefferson goes the silver loving cup emblematic of the premiership and the title in fact as well as in name, to the Pitt cohorts goes the splendid record of having baffled the wonderful Red and Black attack, and having during a great part of the game outplayed the team, which lost by one point to the Harvard Crimson, and smeared the colors of Eli Yale in the mud.

All the Pittsburgh newspapers on November 8, 1914 covered the Wash- Jeff game and also carried a breaking news story of note to the Pitt faithful.

That the Carlisle coach was considering a tempting offer made by the local school was admitted by the Pitt athletic authorities last night, but it was declared that Warner had yet to sign a contract.

Boggs of The Pittsburg Press noted: "An intercepted forward pass and a fumble were the main reasons for the defeat of Carnegie Tech at the hands of the Pitt eleven at Forbes Field yesterday in a game which was close and hard-fought, and which kept the rather small crowd on edge during the entire playing time.

The gasoline explosion at the celebration following the Harvard game almost put Tobin out of football for good, but the State leader is ready for today's fray, and has been shifted to quarterback.

"Although Pitt several times threatened to score in the first half, the State gridders set their teeth, fought back stubbornly and were able to stave off the advance until after halftime.

To shape an eleven containing so much new material into a team that has made such a showing against our veteran opponents is undoubtedly the work of brains, skill, and untiring devotion.

[79] "Guy "Chalky" Williamson was elected Captain of next year's football team at a meeting of the letter men immediately preceding the dinner on Thanksgiving evening.