Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 391–19. The team scored 100 points in each of the first two contests; the 105–0 victory over Bethel of Russellville, Kentucky was the largest in Vanderbilt history.[1] The team posted seven shutout victories, being scored upon in only three games. The team's only loss came to national champion Harvard. The Commodores also played to a tie with the Auburn Tigers.
The 1912 season saw the NCAA implement several rule changes to increase scoring. These included: the value of a touchdown increased from 5 points to 6, the length of the field was reduced to 100 yards, 10-yard end zones were added, the onside kick was eliminated, and unlimited use of the forward pass was introduced.[2]
The season started with the largest win in school history, a 105–0 victory over Bethel of Russellville, Kentucky. Future Vanderbilt star Josh Cody played for Bethel.[8]
The game began at 3:30p.m. in pouring rain.[9][10] Wilson Collins began the scoring when he took a punt 45 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown.[11]Substitute quarterback Rabbi Robins was better suited to the mud than starter Zach Curlin.[11] At one point during the game, Robins returned a kick 70 yards for a touchdown.[11] Collins had five touchdowns, Enoch Brown three, Hardage, Robins and Morrison two each, and Reyer and Chester one each.[11]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Covington (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).[1]
The Commodores then won by a 100–3 score against the Maryville Scots. Despite the first two games being like practice games, the large scores were a surprise, for in both the substitutes replaced the regulars by the second quarter.[13] Maryville's Badgett scored on a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.[14] One of Vanderbilt's scores was a 40-yard forward pass from Hardage to Brown.[12]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Covington (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).[14]
The game with Rose Polytechnic was seen as the first real test of the season. The Commodores still managed a 54–0 victory, with substitutes replacing the regulars by the end of the first half.[13] The first score came on a 35-yard interception return by Lew Hardage.[15]
During the game's opening drive, Rose Poly tried a trick play with a player in civilian clothes and satchel receiving the ball.[15] He was caught by Vanderbilt defenders before he reached his own 30-yard line.[15]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Swofford (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Chester (fullback).[15]
Georgia
The Commodores easily defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 46–0 in the rain. Coaching the Bulldogs was McGugin product Alex Cunningham. The game was played on the infield and part of the right outfield of Ponce de Leon Park.[16] According to Vanderbilt University Quarterly, the score would have been higher but for the water and mud.[13] Georgia star Bob McWhorter was held in check; his best run went for 12 yards.[13]
Center Hugh Morgan
The first score of the game came when Wilson Collins got away for a 20-yard run, but fumbled. The ball was picked up by Zach Curlin and run in for a touchdown. When the game ended, Georgia men tried to steal the ball, and a fight broke out, broken up by coach McGugin and umpire Ted Coy.[16]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Shea (right halfback), and Chester (fullback).[16]
Mississippi
Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 24–0, the visitors showing a strong defense.[17] Morgan, Collins, and Sikes were on the sidelines for the whole game. Multiple times, the Commodores fumbled near the goal line.[18]
Game action from Vanderbilt vs. Virginia, 1912
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Milholland (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), T. Brown (center), Swafford (right guard), Covington (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Shea (right halfback), and Turner (fullback).[17]
Vanderbilt met Virginia for the first time since 1898.[20] It also won for the first time, 13–0.[19] Ammie Sikes scored first, after runs of 35 and 28 yards by Lew Hardage paved the way.[19] A 30-yard forward pass from Hardage to Enoch Brown got the second touchdown.[19] In the last period, Sikes broke loose, down to the 5-yard line when he was caught from behind by Buck Mayer.[19]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Daves (left tackle), Huffman (left guard), Morgan (center), Covington (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), Milholland (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).[19]
Zach Curlin drop kicked a field goal against Harvard.
Vanderbilt suffered its only loss of the season on the road to coach Percy Haughton's national champion Harvard Crimson 9–3. Only Dartmouth played the Crimson closer. "As usual Harvard tried out the strength of its defense in the first period, kicking usually on the second down."[21] Harvard used mostly substitutes and scored a touchdown five minutes after the second period began.[21] Lew Hardage was injured and taken off the field.[21]
Vanderbilt's lone score was a 28-yard field goal from Zach Curlin early in the third quarter, after Harvard muffed a punt.[21] The Crimson added another field goal in the final period.[21]
In the last ten minutes, the Commodores tried their full repertoire of tricks, including a delayed forward pass in which the ball was handled by four men and netted a 22-yard gain from Rabbi Robins.[22] The International News Service reported: "Although defeated, Vanderbilt was not outplayed; for never was a gamer team seen in the Stadium."[23]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Swafford (left guard), Morgan (center), Daves (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).[22]
The Auburn Tigers upset expectations and tied the Commodores 7–7. Ammie Sikes scored first for Vanderbilt.[25] Auburn scored after a Sikes fumble. The ball was kicked some fifteen yards down field clear of the melee, picked up by Kirk Newell, and run 55 yards to the end zone.[25]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Reams (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Moody (center), Covington (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Turner (fullback).[25]
Vanderbilt defeated rival Sewanee 16–0. In the first period, Sewanee had to punt from its own end zone. The pass to Jenks Gillem went wide, and before he could recover it he was downed by Enoch Brown for a safety.[26] Gillem had one punt of 58 yards that day.[n 1] Vanderbilt's game seemed to stagnate until Wilson Collins was hurt and replaced by Tom Shea in the third quarter.[28] Then two touchdowns came in the fourth period, one by Robins and another Turner.[26] In his last game, Lew Hardage played well despite his hurt left ankle.[29][30]
Vanderbilt had clamored for a rematch to decide a champion after its tie with Auburn, but Auburn was upset by Georgia 12–6, meaning Vanderbilt's victory over Sewanee secured the SIAA title.[31]
The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Reams (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Swofford (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).[29]
Postseason
Lew Hardage
Awards and honors
Lew Hardage was selected third-team All-American by Walter Camp, the fourth ever Southern player to get such a recognition.[32][n 2] He was a unanimous All-Southern selection.[32]Innis Brown wrote: "Hardage has been rated as probably the most successful man in the south at making forward passes."[34] Ammie Sikes, Hugh Morgan, Tom Brown, and Enoch Brown all made composite All-Southern.
Championships
Vanderbilt won the SIAA title in football, baseball, and track.[35] According to Nathan Stauffer, Texas A&M was Vanderbilt's nearest challenger for best football team in the South.[36]
Personnel
Depth chart
The following chart provides a visual depiction of Vanderbilt's lineup during the 1912 season with games started at the position reflected in parentheses.[4] The chart mimics a short punt formation while on offense, with the quarterback under center.
The 1908 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1908 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team went 6–1, outscoring opponents 158–10. Auburn featured a strong defense that held all but one opponent scoreless. The team was the first during the second term of coach Mike Donahue at Auburn.
The 1921 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia during the 1921 college football season. This was the team's second season under the guidance of head coach Herman Stegeman. The Bulldogs had a 7–2–1 record, and were also co-champion of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association: co-champions Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt were also undefeated. Vanderbilt tied Georgia with an onside kick in their game which decided conference title. The Bulldogs' only two losses came against two of the football powerhouses of the day, Eastern schools Harvard and Dartmouth.
Lewis Woolford Hardage was an American college football player and college football and baseball coach.
The 1904 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1904 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his first season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee and finished the season with a record of 9–0.
The 1915 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1915 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Dan McGugin served his 12th season as the Commodores' head coach. Vanderbilt was a member of the SIAA. They faced a 10-game schedule. Vanderbilt scored 459 points in its first seven shutout games, and 514 points in 510 minutes of actual playing time by season's end, making it a legitimate "point-a-minute team" leading the nation in scoring with a school record still unequaled today.
The 1922 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1922 Southern Conference football season. During the season, Dan McGugin's 18th as head coach, Vanderbilt compiled a record of 8–0–1 and outscored its opponents 177 to 16. The Commodores' defense was unrivaled in the South, leading the nation in giving up just 1.8 points per game, none of them at home. The season included a tie with Michigan at the dedication of the new Dudley Field; the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football. The season was immediately dubbed one of the best in Vanderbilt and Southern football history.
The 1903 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1903 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. James R. Henry coached Vanderbilt for one season in 1903. His squad finished the season with a 6–1–1 record. The season was marred only by the upset loss to Cumberland. John J. Tigert and Bob Blake were both Rhodes Scholars.
The 1905 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1905 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his second season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee and finished the season with a record 7–1 overall and 6–0 in SIAA, outscoring their opponents 372–22. Vanderbilt played seven home games and won them all including six shutout victories.
The 1906 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1906 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his third season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Commodores played seven home games in Nashville, Tennessee at Curry Field, and finished the season with a record of 8–1 overall and 5–0 in SIAA.
The 1907 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1907 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his fourth season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Commodores played five home games in Nashville, Tennessee and finished the season with a record 5–1–1 and 3–0 in SIAA.
The 1920 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1920 college football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his 16th season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Commodores played five home games in Nashville, Tennessee, and finished the season with a record 4–3–1 and 3–3 in the SIAA. The Commodores outscored their opponents, 134–124.
The 1924 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1924 Southern Conference football season. The 1924 season was Dan McGugin's 20th year as head coach. Members of the Southern Conference, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee, at Dudley Field and finished the season with a record of 6–3–1. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 150–53. Fred Russell's Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football dubs it "the most eventful season in the history of Vanderbilt football."
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.
The 1910 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football during 1910 college football season. In Dan McGugin's 7th year as head coach, the Commodores as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) compiled an 8–0–1 record and outscored their opponents 165 to 8, winning a conference championship.
The 1911 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1911 college football season. It was Dan McGugin's 8th year as head coach. The team outscored its opponents 259 to 9, winning an undisputed Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) title.
The 1919 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1919 college football season. The 1919 season was Dan McGugin's 15th year as head coach. McGugin was returning from his stent in the Army during World War I where he was relieved by interim head coach Ray Morrison. Josh Cody was selected third-team All-America by Walter Camp, for the second time.
The 1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1927 Southern Conference football season. The 1927 season was Dan McGugin's 23rd year as head coach. Running back Jimmy Armistead led the nation in scoring in 1927 with 138 points. The team's quarterback was Bill Spears. One fellow wrote Vanderbilt produced "almost certainly the legit top Heisman candidate in Spears, if there had been a Heisman Trophy to award in 1927."
The 1909 Sewanee Tigers football team represented Sewanee: The University of the South during the 1909 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team was coached by Harris G. Cope in his 1st year as head coach, compiling a record of 6–1 and outscoring opponents 160 to 42 to win the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. Sewanee beat the previous season's champions LSU and Auburn, and upset rival Vanderbilt, handing the school its first loss to a Southern team in six years.
The 1911 College Football All-Southern Team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-Southern Teams selected by various organizations for the 1911 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Ray Morrison and Harry Costello were selected for Outing magazine's "Football Honor List for 1911" selected by coaches from the East and West. Vanderbilt won the SIAA championship.
Ammie Thomas Sikes was an American college football player and physician. He played as a fullback at Vanderbilt University from 1911 to 1914.
↑ Charles Weatherby (April 2, 2014). "Wilson Collins". The Miracle Braves of 1914: Boston's Original Worst-to-First World Series: 13. ISBN9781933599700.
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