1912 Florida Gators football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1912 Florida Gators football 1912Gators.jpg 285 The 1912 Gators practicing on the UF campus Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association SIAA 5–2–1 0–2–1 George E. Pyle 4th Sam Buie University Athletic Field Bacardi Bowl W Won 28–0 vs. Vedado Tennis Club The 1912 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1912 college football season. The season was the fourth for George Pyle as the Florida Gators football team's head coach. Pyle's 1912 Florida Gators finished their seventh varsity football season with an SIAA conference record of 1–2Roger Saylor, " Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association https://web.archive.org/web/20110523072320/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv06/CFHSNv06n2g.pdf 2011-05-23 ," College Football Historical Society, The LA84 Foundation (1993). Retrieved September 11, 2010. and an overall winning record of 5–2–1. The 1912 season saw several milestone events for the young program, including the first season in which they officially competed as the "Florida Gators"; their first conference games (in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association), their first contests with future rivals Auburn, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina, and their first participation in a post-season bowl game. Florida also claimed an unofficial state championship by beating in-state rival Stetson for the third consecutive year. Schedule October 12 l y Auburn Drake Field Auburn, AL rivalry 13–27 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36567880/ Florida holds Auburn close The Tampa Morning Tribune October 13, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com October 19 w y South Carolina University Field Gainesville, FL 10–6 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93275903/florida-courage-triumphs-in-test-with-so/ The Tampa Tribune Florida courage triumphs in test with South Carolinians October 20, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com October 26 l y Georgia Tech Jacksonville, FL 6–14 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-news-showing-of-tech-is-d/147614756/ Showing of Tech is disappointing The Birmingham News October 27, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com November 4 w y 1912 College of Charleston Maroons College of Charleston University Field Gainesville, FL 78–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-times-charlestonians-were-outc/147614936/ Charlestonians were outclassed The Tampa Daily Times November 5, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com November 15 w y Stetson University Field Gainesville, FL 23–7 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-florida-defeat/147615068/ Florida defeats Stetson The Montgomery Advertiser November 16, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com November 28 t y Mercer Jacksonville, FL 0–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-mercer-tied-by-flori/147615160/ Mercer tied by Florida The Atlanta Journal November 29, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com December 21 w y y Tampa Athletic Club Tampa, FL 44–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-rondofootball1tampatri/19328370/ Alligators romp on local footballers in uninteresting game The Tampa Morning Tribune December 22, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com December 25 w y y Vedado Athletic Club Almendares Park Havana, Cuba Bacardi Bowl 28–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-times-florida-beat-cuban-foot/25103121/ Florida beat Cuban football team at Havana on Christmas The Tampa Daily Times December 28, 1912 May 18, 2024 Newspapers.com 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide https://web.archive.org/web/20151208143532/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2015/media_guide.pdf 2015-12-08 , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015. Before the season Florida joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a large confederation of southern athletic programs that was the precursor to several other regional conferences, including the Southeastern Conference. This raised the profile of the young program (1912 was only the seventh academic year for the modern University of Florida) and allowed more contests against older football programs in the south and elsewhere. As Florida sportswriter and UF alumnus Tom McEwen wrote, "it was in 1912 when the Gators really ventured out into big-time football."McEwen 1974 47 Game summaries Auburn The season began with the first-ever game against coach Mike Donahue's Auburn Tigers, a 13–27 loss. Florida was unable to gain on Auburn's line, and made its scores off Auburn miscues.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5968061/the_atlanta_constitution/ 13 Auburn 27, Florida 13 The Atlanta Constitution October 13, 1912 July 22, 2016 Newspapers.com "The team, the coach and the University are happy over this honorable result, and grant cheerfully that Florida is not master; but only the worthy opponent of the Southern team, which, with Vanderbilt, claims the Southern pennant." Though a loss, the Gators scored more points than any other Auburn opponent that year. thumb|left|The South Carolina contest. South Carolina South Carolina at Florida S. Carolina Florida 3 0 3 0 0 0 3 7 October 19 University Field • Gainesville, FL Sources: In the second week of play, the Gators defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks for the first time 10–6. One writer labeled it "the most thrilling and hardest fought game ever played on University Field." Florida came back to win down 3–0 at the half,http://floridagators.com/news/2012/10/19/1125.aspx On this date in Gators History: Oct 19, 1912 October 19, 2012 Chris Harry Dummy Taylor had an 18-yard drop kick field goal.Carlson 2007 18 After Taylor missed a drop kick, Carolina fumbled, and Florida's Hoyle Pounds recovered for a touchdown. Georgia Tech Georgia Tech at Florida Ga. Tech Florida 7 0 7 0 0 6 0 0 October 26 Jacksonville, FL Pat Murray Sources: In their first time facing John Heisman's Georgia Tech team, Florida fell 6–14 in Jacksonville. Down 7–0, Florida scored after two passes from Tenney to Pounds, the first netting 40 yards. Alf McDonald made Tech's second touchdown.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5967895/the_atlanta_constitution/ 9 Fast End Runs Win For Tech The Atlanta Constitution October 27, 1912 July 22, 2016 Newspapers.com Kid Woltz The starting lineup was Mosley (left end), Coarsey (left tackle), Wilson (left guard), Watt (center), Baker (right guard), Sutton (right tackle), Pounds (right end), Buie (quarterback), Tenney (left halfback), Taylor (right halfback), McCullock (fullback). Charleston The Gators beat the College of Charleston 78–0. Florida used several forward passes.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5967872/the_tennessean/ The Tennessean Charleston Beaten 10 November 5, 1912 July 22, 2016 Newspapers.com Stetson Florida gave Stetson its worst loss on the year, 23–7.A History of Stetson Football https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125820/http://www.gohatters.com/pdf8/748668.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=14600 2016-03-04 This was considered Dummy Taylor's greatest game.McEwen 1974 48 He kicked three field goals, two extra points, and ran for a touchdown.Carlson 2007 12 Mercer The Mercer Baptists fought the Gators to a scoreless tie. Mercer outweighed Florida, and both squads attempted several field goals.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5968027/the_atlanta_constitution/ Mercer Holds Florida Team The Atlanta Constitution 9 November 29, 1912 July 22, 2016 Newspapers.com Mercer had shut out Florida each time they had met.https://books.google.com/books?id=t8BABAAAQBAJ&pg=PT18 Jon Nelson A History of College Football in Georgia: Glory on the Gridiron July 2012 18 History Press 978-1-61423-613-9 Tampa Athletic Club Before the contest in Cuba, the Gators stopped in Tampa and defeated the Tampa Athletic Club 44–0.http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/28/news_pf/Sports/Tampa_s_top_10_games.shtml Tampa's top 10 games Greg Auman September 28, 2007 Rex Farrior, a high school senior who would become the captain of Florida's football team soon thereafter, played on the amateur home squad.McEwen 1974 49 Postseason Bacardi Bowl In December, the Florida Gators team competed in their first ever post-season games: the Bacardi Bowl, a two-game series in Havana against squads from two Cuban athletic clubs.Antonya English, "100 things about 100 years of Gator football https://web.archive.org/web/20160904141255/http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/27/Sports/100_things_about_100_.shtml 2016-09-04 ", St. Petersburg Times (August 27, 2006). Retrieved March 1, 2010.College Football Data Warehouse, 1912 Game by Game Record https://web.archive.org/web/20110525230838/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=1919&year=1912 2011-05-25 . Retrieved February 23, 2009. The first game was held on Christmas Day, and the Gators defeated the Vedado Athletic Club, 28–0. The second game, which pitted the Gators against the Cuban Athletic Club of Havana, ended abruptly when Coach Pyle realized that the officials were running the game according to football's old rules and that the head referee was the former coach of his opponent.Carlson 2007 Pyle pulled his players off the field during the first quarter and was arrested for violating a Cuban law prohibiting a game's suspension after spectators' money had been collected."Football Row in Havana; Florida University Students Hooted for Breaking Up Game", The New York Times, p. S1 (December 29, 1912). Retrieved July 31, 2010. A trial was scheduled and Pyle was released on bail, at which point he, the team, and the Gators' entire traveling party quickly boarded a steamship for Tampa, an escape which caused the coach to be branded a "fugitive from justice" by Cuban authorities. Bacardi Bowl officials declared that Florida had forfeited the second game and listed the result as a 1–0 win for the Cuban Athletic Club, while the University of Florida declared the game a 1–0 forfeit win for the Gators. In later years, the incomplete game was dropped from the university's official football record, and Florida's football teams would never again compete against a squad from Cuba. Personnel Line Florida Gators Player Position Gamesstarted High school Height Weight AgeA. A. Baker guard 175Sam Buie end 124Jim Coarsey tackle 170S. W. Lawler guardMerritt tackleHoyle Pounds endHubby Price guardShands endJohn Sutton guard 6'0"18521Wilson center Backfield Florida Gators Player Position Gamesstarted High school Height Weight AgeBullock fullbackHarvey Hester quarterbackDummy Taylor halfback 16521Louis E. Tenney halfback 155 Subs Florida Gators Player Position Gamesstarted High school Height Weight AgeBeelorHuntMcIntoshMosely References 30em Bibliography Carlson Norm University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators Whitman Publishing, LLC Atlanta, Georgia 2007 978-0-7948-2298-9 McEwen Tom The Gators: A Story of Florida Football The Strode Publishers Huntsville, Alabama 1974 0-87397-025-X External links Bacardi Bowl game program Florida Category:Florida Gators football seasons Florida Gators football