1897 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1897 Vanderbilt Commodores football 1897vandy.jpg 285 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association SIAA 6–0–1 3–0 R. G. Acton 2nd Howard Boogher Dudley Field SIAA champion The 1897 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represent Vanderbilt University during the 1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Vanderbilt was in its eighth season of playing football; coached by R. G. Acton. The Commodores finished the season without being scored on. Vanderbilt played in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) and won the SIAA Championship, the first claimed in school history. Schedule October 9 w y 1897 Kentucky University Kentucky University Dudley Field Nashville, TN 22–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/lexington-herald-leader-kentucky-univers/136905445/ Kentucky University loses at other game at Nashville The Sunday Leader October 10, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com October 16 w Central (KY) Dudley Field Nashville, TN 14–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-vanderbilt-14-cu/136905532/ Vanderbilt 14, C.U. 0 The Courier-Journal October 10, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com October 19 w y VMI Dudley Field Nashville, TN 12–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-vanderbilts-game-local/136905668/ Vanderbilt's game, local collegians defeat the V.M.I. boys by a score of 12 to 0 The Nashville American October 20, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com October 30 w Kentucky State College Dudley Field Nashville, TN rivalry 50–0 400 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lexington-herald-fifty-to-noting-th/136905768/ Fifty to noting, the score by which S.C. loses to Vanderbilt The Lexington Herald October 31, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com November 6 w y North Carolina Dudley Field Nashville, TN 31–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-goal-from-the-field-phil/136905879/ Goal from the field, Phil Connell's good foot ably assists in piling up a victorious score The Nashville American November 7, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com November 25 w Sewanee Dudley Field Nashville, TN rivalry 10–0 https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-post-herald-vanderbilt-wins/136905993/ Vanderbilt wins; Sewanee defeated by a score of 10 to 0 in Nashville yesterday Birmingham Age-Herald November 26, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com December 6 t y Virginia Dudley Field Nashville, TN 0–0 2,400–4,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-vanderbilt-claims-th/136906082/ Vanderbilt claims the championship The Atlanta Journal December 8, 1897 December 16, 2023 Newspapers.com http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/history.html Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Football 2012-04-04 2011-09-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20110930001313/http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/history.html dead Game summaries Kentucky University The season opened with a 22–0 defeat of Kentucky University Central (KY) On October 16, Vanderbilt had a hard time defeating Central of Kentucky.Woodruff 1928 70 VMI The VMI Keydets fell to Vanderbilt 12–0. Kentucky State College Vanderbilt 12 38 Kentucky St. 0 0 Dudley FieldNashville, Tennessee 400 Dr. R. A. Barr Vanderbilt rolled up a 50–0 score over Kentucky State College.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5704684/the_tennessean/ The Tennessean Were Sorely Routed 6 October 31, 1897 June 27, 2016 Newspapers.com The starting lineup was Boogher (left end), McAlister (left tackle), Whitemore (left guard), Brown (center), Hassett (right guard), Langhorst (right tackle), Stringfield (right end), Cox (quarterback), Connell (left halfback), Dye (right halfback), Farrell (fullback). In the second half of the Georgia–Virginia game in Atlanta, a Georgia fullback named Richard Von Albade ("Von") Gammon was fatally injured on a play. The Georgia, Georgia Tech and Mercer football teams soon disbanded. The Atlanta Journal ran a headline; "Death Knell of Football" and the Georgia legislature passed a bill to outlaw football in the state of Georgia.Woodruff 1928 71 North Carolina On November 6, the Commodores beat the Tar Heels 31–0 .Woodruff 1928 75 Sewanee Vanderbilt beat in-state rival Sewanee 10–0. A shocking event occurred in 1897 at the Thanksgiving Day match with Sewanee on the original Dudley Field. The word "hell" had been used in the line of a popular cheer on campus by Vanderbilt students and spread into events as football. This caused uproar with the university administration and the city of Nashville. Both teams commenced to pass the ball around for the purpose of limbering up. Throughout this preliminary the students of both colleges gave their respective yells and sung their several songs written for the occasion. There was one yell given with great frequency by the Vanderbilt students which was very offensive to decent people. It starts off "Hippity Huz, Hippity Huz; What in the hell is the matter with us." It had become so popular at Vanderbilt that it was in the minds and causes them to be oblivious to the fact that it was not exactly proper to shock refined ladies by such utterances. Phil Connell and captain Howard Boogher dove to recover the ball after the victory. Virginia Virginia at Vanderbilt Virginia 0 0 Vanderbilt 0 0 Dudley FieldNashville, Tennessee 2,400 Favorable After the Sewanee game, all talk in Nashville was about Vanderbilt being the champions of the South. The other southern university with an outstanding season was the Virginia. The Orange and Blue were 6–2 with losses to Navy and Penn. Virginia agreed to come to Nashville for a game on December 6 with a guarantee of $600, plus half of the net receipts. Virginia used only 15 players and traveled 26 hours on the train that brought them to Nashville. A crowd of 2,400 watched the game end, 0–0. The Nashville American reported, "Unquestionably it was the greatest game ever played in the South. The assaults on the line were terrific, the tackling was brutal, the entire play fierce. Only once was the 20-yard line of either team invaded. Almost immediately after McAlester kicked off, the terrors of the tandem play were displayed. This play meant to bend one side of the line so that the end, the tackle and the guard reinforced the four backs in their charges at the line. Whether the force was directed was not known." Said Coach Acton, "It was the best game ever played in the South. Virginia was heavier and made most of her weight, using mass plays almost entirely. Our men played a more scientific game. My team can beat any team in America of the same weight." Vanderbilt's average weight was 165 pounds. The starting lineup was Boogher (left end), McAlister (left tackle), Whitemore (left guard), Brown (center), Hassett (right guard), Langhorst (right tackle), Stringfield (right end), Goodson (quarterback), Connell (left halfback), Dye (right halfback), Farrell (fullback).https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8222787/chicago_daily_tribune/ Chicago Daily Tribune 7 December 7, 1897 Vanderbilt, 0; Virginia, 0. January 7, 2017 Newspapers.com Postseason Vanderbilt and Virginia would share the southern title. The American also reported that, "The Vanderbilt players were in a jolly humor yesterday with their miniature football pinned upon the labels of their coats. Joe Goodson, quarterback, was apparently out of training from a large ten-cent cigar he smoked, a gift of Benjamin Childers of Pulaski. `Tab' Farrell had his hair cut and other members were more or less changed in appearance." References Additional sources A History of Southern Football 1890–1928 Woodruff Fuzzy 1 1928 Vanderbilt Category:Vanderbilt Commodores football seasons Category:College football undefeated seasons Vanderbilt Commodores football