1903 Sewanee Tigers football team
| 1903 Sewanee Tigers football | |
|---|---|
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SIAA co-champion | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| 1903 record | 7–1 (5–1 SIAA) |
| Head coach | George S. Whitney |
| Assistant coach | Frank M. Osborne |
| Captain | Joseph Lee Kirby-Smith |
| Home stadium | McGee Field |
| 1903 SIAA football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson + | 4 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cumberland + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sewanee + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 2 | – | 0 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 0 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 1 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercer | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davidson | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nashville | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1903 Sewanee Tigers football team represented the Sewanee Tigers of Sewanee: The University of the South in the 1903 season.
1903 met difficulty in determining an SIAA champion. Clemson had the best record, but lost to an inferior North Carolina team; and in the game to secure the SIAA title were tied by Cumberland. Clemson's John Heisman pushed strongly for Cumberland to share the SIAA title.[1] Cumberland's strongest victory was its win over Vanderbilt. However, Sewanee beat Cumberland, yet suffered its only loss to Vanderbilt. Therefore, one can find all of Clemson, Cumberland, Sewanee, and Vanderbilt defended as SIAA champion.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | Mooney* | McGee Field • Sewanee, TN | W 23–0 | ||||||
| October 17 | Tennessee Medical* | McGee Field • Sewanee, TN | W 6–0 | ||||||
| October 20 | 3:00 p. m. | Cumberland | McGee Field • Sewanee, TN | W 6–0 | |||||
| October 31 | at Auburn | Montgomery, AL (Rivalry) | W 47–0 | ||||||
| November 2 | at Alabama | Birmingham, AL | W 23–0 | ||||||
| November 7 | at Nashville | Peabody Field • Nashville, TN | W 6–0 | ||||||
| November 14 | at Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | W 17–0 | ||||||
| November 26 | at Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN (Rivalry) | L 5–10 | ||||||
| All times are in Eastern. | |||||||||
Season summary
Mooney
The season opened with a defeat of Mooney School by a 23–0 score.
Cumberland
|
Sewanee gave the greatest team in Cumberland history its only loss.. Henry D. Phillips plowed through the line for the deciding score.[3]
The starting lineup was Wheless (left end), L. Kirby-Smith (left tackle), Blount (left guard), Watkins (center), Phillips (right guard), Brong (right tackle), Jones (right end), Scarbrough (quarterback), Colmore (left halfback), E. Kirby Smith (right halfback), Stewart (fullback).[3]
Auburn
|
Sewanee easily beat Auburn 47–0. The first half was all Sewanee. Phillips made the first touchdown. After an Auburn fumble, Shaffer made the next touchdown.[4] Phillips soon made the next touchdown. Kirby-Smith the next.[4] In the second half, Auburn played better, but got nowhere near Sewanee's goal.[4] Phillips had three touchdowns in the second half, "by some of the finest line bucking ever seen here."[4]
The starting lineup was Wheless (left end), L. Kirby-Smith (left tackle), Harper (left guard), Watkins (center), Phillips (right guard), Brong (right tackle), Jones (right end), Scarbrough (quarterback), Colmore (left halfback), Shaffer (right halfback), Stewart (fullback).[4]
Alabama
Sewanee beat Alabama 23–0 in the first match between the two schools since 1896.[5] The game was originally scheduled to be played in Tuscaloosa, but was subsequently moved to West End Park in Birmingham in an effort to increase gate receipts.[6] Phillips made the first score.[6]
The starting lineup was Wheless (left end), Brong (left tackle), Harper (left guard), Watkins (center), Phillips (right guard), L. Kirby-Smith (right tackle), Jones (right end), Scarbrough (quarterback), Colmore (left halfback), E. Kirby Smith (right halfback), Stewart (fullback).[6]
Nashville
Sewanee defeated the Nashville Garnet and Blue 6–0. In 1903, Wreidt, the team's coach, resigned and Nashville football was threatened with its end, but it survived for a few more years.[7]
Vanderbilt
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Sewanee was defeated by rival Vanderbilt, 10–5, the first team to even score on the Tigers. Sewanee was crippled in the first half by the loss of Stewart, who fractured his ankle in a scrimmage before the game. He tried to play through it, but had to be helped off the field.[8] John J. Tigert, later a prominent educator, got Vanderbilt's first touchdown.[8] Sewanee tied the score with a touchdown in the second half. Later, Vanderbilt had the ball at the 4-yard line third down. "As great a stand of a football elevve was that of Sewaee before Vanderbilt's winning touchdown was made."[8] On third down from the 1-yard line the center Perry fell on a fumble. Sewanee protested that the runner was down, but Vanderbilt was awarded the touchdown.[8] "Vanderbilt, in fact all Nashville, is wild with joy tonight. Sewanee is looking forward to next Thanksgiving."[8]
The starting lineup was Wheless (left end), Brong (left tackle), Harper (left guard), Watkins (center), Phillips (right guard), E. Kirby-Smith (right tackle), Jones (right end), Scarbrough (quarterback), Sawrie (left halfback), Colmore (right halfback), Stewart (fullback).[8]
Players
Varsity lettermen
Line
| Player | Position | Games started |
Prep school | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. L. Brong | tackle | |||||
| Emile Harper | guard | |||||
| J. W. Jones | end | |||||
| Joseph Lee Kirby-Smith | tackle | |||||
| Ephraim Kirby-Smith | tackle | |||||
| Henry D. Phillips | guard | |||||
| Miles Watkins | center | |||||
| Wesley E. Wheless | end | |||||
Backfield
| Player | Position | Games started |
Prep school | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Scarbrough | quarterback | |||||
| Rupert Colmore | halfback | |||||
| Nate Sawrie | back | |||||
| W. Meacham Stewart | back | |||||
Subs
| Player | Position | Games started |
Prep school | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. A. Blount | ||||||
| Robert Bostrom | ||||||
| Roland Crownover | ||||||
| William Poyner | ||||||
| J. W. Price | ||||||
| I. J. Rosebrough | ||||||
| John Schaffer | ||||||
| Henry Sneed | ||||||
| David Wettlin | ||||||
References
- ↑ Langum, David J. From Maverick to Mainstream: Cumberland School of Law, 1847-1997. p. 95.
- ↑ "Sewanee football media guide".
- 1 2 "The Varsity Triumphs Over Cumberland". Sewanee Purple. 20 (8). October 27, 1903.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Auburn Was Pie For The Purple". The Atlanta Constitution. November 13, 1905. p. 4. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Alabama vs Sewanee". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- 1 2 3 http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/recaps/1903-season.pdf
- ↑ http://www.lostcolleges.com/#!nashville-university/c1bo2
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Commodores Win From Old Rivals". Atlanta Constitution. November 27, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.