1901_Vanderbilt_Commodores_football_team
1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
American college football season
The 1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1901 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Commodores were coached by Walter H. Watkins in his first year as head coach.
| 1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football | |
|---|---|
SIAA champion | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Record | 6–1–1 (4–0 SIAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Captain | John Edgerton |
| Home stadium | Dudley Field |
Seasons | |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt $ | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 2 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 0 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cumberland (TN) | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky State | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 5 | Kentucky State College | W 22–0 | [3] | |||
| October 12 | Central University* |
| W 25–0 | [4] | ||
| October 19 | Georgia |
| W 47–0 | [5] | ||
| October 26 | at Auburn |
| W 41–0 | [6] | ||
| November 2 | 3:00 p.m. | at Washington University* |
| L 11–12 | 400–2,000 | [7] |
| November 9 | 3:15 p.m. | Tennessee |
| W 22–0 | 1,000 | [8] |
| November 16 | Sewanee* |
| T 0–0 | [9] | ||
| November 28 | 2:00 p.m. | Nashville* |
| W 10–0 | 5,000 | [10] |
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Week 1: Kentucky State College
On opening day, the Commodores defeated Kentucky State 22–0, looking much faster than the visitors.[11]
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).[11]
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 48–0, avenging the loss by the same score last year to Reynolds' Tar Heels.
Week 4: Auburn
Vanderbilt beat Auburn 41–0, in a game that was "extremely disappointing and slow."[12]
Week 5: Washington University
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Washington University gave the Commodores their only loss of the season, 12–11. Vanderbilt quarterback Fred Hume made a 50-yard gain, setting up John Edgerton's touchdown.[14] Washington fought hard and responded with a touchdown drive, with Cassell making the score. Washington made the extra point, and went up 6–5. Bryan scored another touchdown for Vanderbilt to make the score 11–6 at the half. Washington's Smith scored a touchdown in the second half, and Lehman kicked goal for the win.[14]
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).
Attendance for the game was reported variously as "hardly exceed[ing]" 400 and 2,000.[15][14]
Week 6: Tennessee
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Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 22–0. John Edgerton scored three touchdowns and John J. Tigert scored another.[16]
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).[16]
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.[1]
Week 8: Nashville
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The 1901 team was likely the best football team in University of Nashville (Peabody) history. Coached by Charley Moran, the team defeated Sewanee 39–6 "and mopped up with about everything else."[17] The Commodores practiced in secret for ten days in preparation.[1] Vanderbilt faced Nashville on Thanksgiving Day and won 10–0 in front of 4 to 5,000 spectators,[18] using "Harvard tactics."[19] 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."[20]
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).[18]
- Vanderbilt University (1902). Vanderbilt University Quarterly. Vol. 2. pp. 64–65.
- Ernie Couch (2001). SEC Football Trivia.
- "Kentucky Cardinals; Prove an easy mark for fast Vanderbilt eleven". Nashville Banner. October 7, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Crushing defeat; Vanderbilt beats C.U. 25 to 0". Lexington Leader. October 13, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Georgia's Waterloo: So game with Vanderbilt on Dudley Field proves". The Nashville American. October 20, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Old Gold and Black colors of the victors: Vanderbilt beats Auburn with ease". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 27, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Washington wins from Vanderbilt". The St. Louis Republic. November 3, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt winner: Piles up score of 22 to 0 against Tennessee". The Nashville American. November 10, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Neither one scored: Vanderbilt and mountain lads play a tie game". The Nashville American. November 17, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt crushes hopes of Nashville". The Birmingham Age-Herald. November 29, 1901. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt the Winner". The Courier-Journal. October 6, 1901. p. 16. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt 41, Auburn 0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 27, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Washington Meets Vanderbilt Today". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. November 2, 1901. p. 3. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Exciting Contest". The Tennessean. November 3, 1901. p. 6. Retrieved May 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Washington Won Again". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. November 3, 1901. p. 15. Retrieved July 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt Winner". The Tennessean. November 10, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Brown Calls Vanderbilt '06 Best Eleven South Ever Had". Atlanta Constitution. February 19, 1911. p. 52. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dixie Championship Goes To Vanderbilt". Atlanta Constitution. November 29, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved July 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Vanderbilt Used Harvard Tactics". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved May 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- Bill Carey. "Stargazing, Vanderbilt football and 'Bachelor of Ugliness' reigned 100 years ago". Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
