1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season

Last updated

1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season
League NCAA
Sport College football
DurationOctober 2, 1897
through January 8, 1898
Teams16
Regular Season
Season champions Vanderbilt
Football seasons
←  1896
1898  →
1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Vanderbilt $3–0–06–0–1
Georgia 2–0–02–1–0
Auburn 2–0–12–0–1
Central (KY) 1–1–01–2–0
Nashville 1–1–01–1–0
Alabama 0–0–01–0–0
Tennessee 0–0–04–1–1
Texas 0–0–06–2–0
LSU 0–0–01–1–0
Sewanee 1–2–11–3–1
Clemson 0–1–02–2–0
Mercer 0–1–00–2–1
Cumberland (TN) 0–1–00–1–0
Kentucky State College 0–2–02–4–0
SW Presbyterian 0–0–00–0–0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the members schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1897 college football season

Contents

The season began on October 2. Conference play began on October 9 with Georgia shutting out Clemson 24–0 in Athens.

After the Sewanee game, Coach R. G. Acton's Vanderbilt Commodores claimed the program's first ever conference title. [1] This was followed by a challenge met by the other southern team to claim a championship, South Atlantic school Virginia; which claims seven prior championships of the South. The game ended a 0–0 tie. Said Coach Acton, "It was the best game ever played in the South." Vanderbilt held all opponents scoreless. [2]

The Texas Longhorns averaged the most points per game in the conference. [3]

The 1897 season was one in which a member school, Tulane University, was barred from intercollegiate football participation by SIAA President, Dr. Dudley. This was part of a sanction handed down in response to the LSU game the previous season in which Tulane was forced to forfeit for having fielded an ineligible player. [4] [5]

The season was also notable for the game Virginia played against Georgia, featuring the death of Richard Von Albade Gammon. [6]

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. RankTeamHead coachOverall recordConf. recordPPGPAG
1 Vanderbilt R. G. Acton 6–0–13–019.90.0
2 Georgia Charles McCarthy 2–12–018.75.7
3 Auburn John Heisman 2–0–12–0–113.31.3
4 Tennessee 4–11–012.83.2
5 (tie) Central H. McC. Anderson1–11–1
5 (tie) Nashville 1–11–1
5 (tie) Alabama Allen McCants 1–00–06.00.0
5 (tie) Texas Walter F. Kelly 6–20–020.54.5
5 (tie) LSU Allen Jeardeau 1–10–014.016.0
10 Sewanee J. G. Jayne1–3–11–2–13.05.6
11 (tie) Clemson William M. Williams 2–20–17.014.5
11 (tie) Cumberland 0–10–1
11 (tie) Georgia Tech J. B. Wood0–10–10.028.0
11 (tie) Mercer Gordon Saussy 0–1–10–10.013.0
15 Kentucky State Lyman B. Eaton2–40–24.719.7
? Southwestern Presbyterian

Key

PPG = Average of points scored per game
PAG = Average of points allowed per game

Regular season

Index to colors and formatting
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member won
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member lost
Non-conference matchup; tie
Conference matchup

SIAA teams in bold.

Week One

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 2 Kentucky University Kentucky State Lexington, KY W 8–6 [7]

Week Two

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 9Kentucky UniversityVanderbilt Dudley Field • Nashville, TN W 22–0 [8]
October 9ClemsonGeorgia Herty Field • Athens, GA UGA 24–0 [9]
October 11Kentucky State Kentucky Wesleyan Winchester, KY L 0–4 [10]
October 15 King (TN) TennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TN W 28–0 [11]

Week Three

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 16Mercer Gordon Institute Barnesville, GA T 0–0 [12]
October 16SewaneeNashvilleNashville, TNNASH 6–5 [13]
October 18Central (KY)Sewanee Hardee Field • Sewanee, TN SEW 4–0 [14]

Week Four

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 23San AntonioTexas Varsity Athletic Field • Austin, TX W 10–0 [15]
October 23 Georgia Tech GeorgiaHerty Field • Athens, GAW 24–0600 [16]
October 23AuburnMercerCentral City Park • Macon, GA AUB 26–0 [17]
October 23 Williamsburg (KY) TennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNW 6–0 [18]
October 23 Georgetown (KY) Kentucky StateLexington, KYW 20–4 [19]
October 23ClemsonCharlotte YMCA Latta Park • Charlotte, NC W 10–0
October 23 VMI VanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 12–0 [20]
October 25Clemson North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC L 28–0 [21]
October 29AuburnNashville Nashville, TN AUB 14–4 [22]

Week Five

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 30AuburnSewaneeHardee Field • Sewanee, TNT 0–0 [23]
October 30 Washington and Lee CentralLexington, KYL 0–22 [24]
October 30 Virginia Georgia Brisbine Park • Atlanta, GA L 4–175,000 [25]
October 30Kentucky StateVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 50–0400 [26]
October 30TexasDallasCycle Park • Dallas, TX L 4–18 [27]
November 1Texas Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX L 0–6 [28]
November 3Texas Add-Ran Christian Waco, TX W 18–10 [29]

Week Six

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 5North CarolinaSewaneeHardee Field • Sewanee, TNL 6–12 [30]
November 6North CarolinaVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 31–0 [31]
November 6CentralKentucky StateLexington, KYCENT 18–0 [32]
November 8North CarolinaTennesseeBaldwin Park • Knoxville, TNL 0–16 [33]
November 10Clemson South Carolina Columbia, SC W 18–6 [34]

Week Seven

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 13Tuscaloosa Athletic ClubAlabama The Quad • Tuscaloosa, AL W 6–0 [35]
November 13Houston Town TeamTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 42–6 [36]

Week Eight

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 20TexasSan Antonio San Antonio, TX W 12–0 [37]
November 25Fort WorthTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 38–0 [38]
November 25 Centre Kentucky StateLexington, KYL 0–36 [39]
November 25SewaneeVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 10–0 [40]
November 25Tennessee VPI Roanoke, VA W 18–0 [41]

Week Nine

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 26TennesseeBristol Athletic Club Bristol, TN W 12–0 [42]

Week Ten

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 7VirginiaVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNT 0–02,400 [43]

Week Eleven

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 11DallasTexasVarsity Athletic Field • Austin, TXW 20–16 [44]

Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 20Montgomery Athletic ClubLSU State Field • Baton Rouge, LA W 28–6 [45]

Week Fourteen

Week Fifteen

Week Sixteen

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
January 8 Cincinnati LSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LAL 0–28 [46]

References

  1. ↑ "Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Vanderbilt University". Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Vanderbilt University". Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Texas Season Schedule - databaseFootball.com/NCAA". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ Hardesty, Dan. "LSU:The Louisiana Tigers". The Strode Publishers.Huntsville, Alabama. 1975. pg 24-25.
  5. ↑ "Baton Rouge Wins Without Winning". The Daily Picayune. October 25, 1896. pg. 8.
  6. ↑ William Hanford Edwards (1916). Football Days: Memories of the Game and of the Men Behind the Ball. p. 244.
  7. ↑ "State College wins a game". The Courier-Journal. October 3, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Kentucky University loses at other game at Nashville". The Sunday Leader. October 10, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "University of Georgia defeats Clemson College". The Morning News. October 10, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Winchester 4, State College 0". The Courier-Journal. October 12, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "U of T wins first game of the year". The Journal and Tribune. October 16, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Neither could score, the football game at Barnesville resulted in a draw". The Macon Telegraph. October 17, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "U. of N. downs Sewanee in a brilliant game". The Nashville American. October 17, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Sewanee defeats Central". The Nashville American. October 19, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "The boys on the gridiron; The Varsity eleven capture their first scalp yesterday". Austin Daily Statesman. October 24, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Georgians showed some strong plays". The Atlanta Constitution. October 25, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Auburn wins the first game". The Atlanta Constitution. October 24, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Game at Knoxville". Chattanooga Daily Times. October 24, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Kentucky State College wins from Georgetown". The Lexington Herald. October 24, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Vanderbilt's game, local collegians defeat the V.M.I. boys by a score of 12 to 0". The Nashville American. October 20, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "The University won, Clemson College defeated by a score of twenty-eight to nothing". The News and Observer. October 26, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Alabama boys are winners". The Nashville American. October 30, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Sewanee 0, Auburn 0". The Times-Democrat. October 31, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Defeat". The Sunday Leader. October 31, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Virginia wins, University practically walks over Georgia". The Richmond Dispatch. October 31, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Fifty to noting, the score by which S.C. loses to Vanderbilt". The Lexington Herald. October 31, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "The Dallas team beat the "Varsity aggregation yesterday". Fort Worth Register. October 31, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "'Varsity again downed, Was outclassed by the local eleven of Fort Worth". The Houston Post. November 2, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "'Varsity Won". Austin Daily Statesman. November 4, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Purple of Sewanee is trailed in the dust before North Carolina's stalwarts". The Nashville American. November 6, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Goal from the field, Phil Connell's good foot ably assists in piling up a victorious score". The Nashville American. November 7, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "K.S.C. meets defeat at Richmond yesterday". The Lexington Herald. November 7, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Two victories for Carolina". The Tar Heel. November 16, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Clemson wins; The Carolina boys are wondering how it happened". The Watchman and Southron. November 17, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Football game: The University defeated the Tuscaloosa Athletics yesterday on the college campus". The Age-Herald. Birmingham, Alabama: NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 19, 1897. p. 3.
  36. ↑ "By a score of 42 to 6, Houston was very easily defeated by 'Varsity". The Houston Post. November 14, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "The 'Varsity team defeated the San Antonio eleven by a score of 12 to 0". Austin Daily Statesman. November 21, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "'Varsity won yesterday". Austin Daily Statesman. November 26, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Game between Centre and State College yesterday; Results in a sad defeat for the local team". The Lexington Herald. November 26, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Vanderbilt wins; Sewanee defeated by a score of 10 to 0 in Nashville yesterday". Birmingham Age-Herald. November 26, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Tennessee Shuts Out Blacksburg". The Times . Library of Virginia. November 26, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  42. ↑ "U of T wins again". The Knoxville Tribune. November 27, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Vanderbilt, 0; Virginia, 0". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 7, 1897. p. 7. Retrieved January 7, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  44. ↑ "Varsity was victorious, Dallas by a score of twenty to sixteen". The Houston Post. December 12, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Baton Rouge easily defeats Montgomery". The Daily Picayune. December 21, 1897. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ "Baton Rouge was outclassed". The Daily Picayune. January 4, 1898. Retrieved April 28, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
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