1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football
SIAA champion
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1901 record 611 (501 SIAA)
Head coach W. H. Watkins (1st year)
Captain John Edgerton
Home stadium Dudley Field
1901 SIAA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Vanderbilt $ 5 0 1     6 0 1
Clemson 2 0 1     3 1 1
Nashville 3 1 1     6 1 1
LSU 2 1 0     5 1 0
Sewanee 2 1 1     4 2 2
North Carolina 2 1 0     7 2 0
Tulane 2 1 0     4 2 0
Alabama 2 1 2     2 1 2
Auburn 2 3 1     2 3 1
Tennessee 1 2 2     3 3 2
Texas 0 0 1     8 2 1
Mississippi A&M 1 2 0     2 2 1
Cumberland 0 1 0     0 1 0
Kentucky State 0 2 0     2 6 1
Ole Miss 0 4 0     2 4 0
Georgia 0 4 2     1 5 2
  • $ Conference champion

The 1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1901 college football season. The Commodores were coached by Walter H. Watkins in his first year as head coach.

Before the season

Going into the season, the team was built around a veteran nucleus of John Edgerton, Walter Simmons, Hughes, Booth, and Davis. The line was light, but made up for with its aggressiveness.[1] Starting quarterback Fred Hume weighed just 122 pounds.[2]

Schedule

Date Time Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 5 Kentucky State Dudley FieldNashville, TN (Rivalry) W 220    
October 12 Centre Dudley Field • Nashville, TN W 250    
October 19 Georgia Dudley Field • Nashville, TN (Rivalry) W 470    
October 26 at Auburn Riverside Park • Montgomery, AL W 410    
November 2 at Washington (MO) Athletic Park • St. Louis, MO L 1112   2,000
November 9 3:15 p. m. Tennessee Dudley Field • Nashville, TN (Rivalry) W 220   1,000
November 16 Sewanee Dudley Field • Nashville, TN (Rivalry) T 00    
November 28 2:00 p. m. Nashville Dudley Field • Nashville, TN W 100   5,000
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. All times are in Central Time.

Season summary

Week 1: Kentucky State

On opening day, the Commodores defeated Kentucky State 220, looking much faster than the visitors.[3]

The starting lineup was Williamson (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Kyle (right halfback), Tigert (fullback).[3]

Week 2: Centre

In the second week of play, Vanderbilt beat Centre 25–0.

Week 3: Georgia

The Commodores defeated coach William A. Reynolds' Georgia Bulldogs 480, avenging the loss by the same score last year to Reynolds' Tar Heels.

Week 4: Auburn

Vanderbilt beat Auburn 410, in a game that was "extremely disappointing and slow."[4]

Week 5: Washington (MO)

Vanderbilt at Washington (MO)
1 2Total
Vanderbilt 11 0 11
Washington (MO) 6 6 12
  • Date: November 2
  • Location: Athletic Park
    St. Louis, MO
  • Game attendance: 2,000
  • Referee: Todd

The Washington University Bears of St. Louis gave the Commodores their only loss of the season, 1211. Vanderbilt quarterback Fred Hume made a 50-yard gain, setting up John Edgerton's touchdown.[5] Washington fought hard and responded with a touchdown drive, with Cassell making the score. Washington made the extra point, and went up 65. Bryan scored another touchdown for Vanderbilt to make the score 116 at the half. Washington's Smith scored a touchdown in the second half, and Lehman kicked goal for the win.[5]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Bryan (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[5]

Week 6: Tennessee

Tennessee at Vanderbilt
1 2Total
Tennessee 0 0 0
Vanderbilt 11 11 22

Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 220. John Edgerton scored three touchdowns and John J. Tigert scored another.[6]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Bryan (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Tigert (left halfback), Kyle (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[6]

Week 7: Sewanee

Coach Billy Suter's Sewanee Tigers fought the Commodores to a scoreless tie despite Vanderbilt gaining 367 yards. Twice the Commodores were stopped at the 1-yard line.[7]

Week 8: University of Nashville

Nashville vs. Vanderbilt
1 2Total
Nashville 0 0 0
Vanderbilt 5 5 10
  • Date: November 28
  • Location: Dudley Field
    Nashville, TN
  • Game start: 2:00 p. m.
  • Game attendance: 5,000
  • Referee: George W. Rowbotham (Memphis)

The 1901 team was likely the best football team in University of Nashville (Peabody) history. Coached by Charley Moran, the team defeated Sewanee 396 "and mopped up with about everything else."[8] The Commodores practiced in secret for ten days in preparation.[7] Vanderbilt faced Nashville on Thanksgiving Day and won 100 in front of 4 to 5,000 spectators,[9] using "Harvard tactics."[10] After thirty minutes of gameplay, John Edgerton scored a touchdown taking the wind out of the sails of Nashville rooters. A riot broke out downtown the next day. According to the account of the event in the Nashville Banner (repudiated in the Hustler), the trouble started when a number of Vanderbilt students "tried to paint the stone fence of the University of Nashville yellow and black."[11]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Kyle (quarterback), Tigert (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[9]

References

  1. Vanderbilt University, p. 64
  2. Ernie Couch (2001). SEC Football Trivia.
  3. 1 2 "Vanderbilt the Winner". The Courier-Journal. October 6, 1901. p. 16. Retrieved May 16, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Vanderbilt 41, Auburn 0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 27, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 "Exciting Contest". The Tennessean. November 3, 1901. p. 6. Retrieved May 10, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "Vanderbilt Winner". The Tennessean. November 10, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Vanderbilt University, p. 65
  8. "Brown Calls Vanderbilt '06 Best Eleven South Ever Had". Atlanta Constitution. February 19, 1911. p. 52. Retrieved March 8, 2015 via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Dixie Championship Goes To Vanderbilt". Atlanta Constitution. November 29, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved July 31, 2015 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Vanderbilt Used Harvard Tactics". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved May 14, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  11. Bill Carey. "Stargazing, Vanderbilt football and 'Bachelor of Ugliness' reigned 100 years ago". Retrieved March 8, 2015.

Bibliography

Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt University Quarterly. 2. 

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