1913 Auburn Tigers football team

Last updated

1913 Auburn Tigers football
Auburn Tigers football team (1913).jpg
National champion (Billingsley MOV)
SIAA champion
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record8–0 (8–0 SIAA)
Head coach
Base defense 7–2–2
Captain Kirk Newell
Home stadium Drake Field
Rickwood Field
Uniform
10sauburnuniform.png
Seasons
←  1912
1914  →
1913 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Auburn $ 8 –0 –08 –0 –0
Mississippi A&M 5 –1 –16 –1 –1
Georgia 3 –1 –06 –2 –0
Vanderbilt 3 –1 –05 –3 –0
Georgia Tech 5 –2 –07 –2 –0
Alabama 4 –3 –06 –3 –0
LSU 1 –1 –26 –1 –2
Sewanee 2 –2 –04 –3 –0
Florida 2 –2 –04 –3 –0
Clemson 2 –4 –04 –4 –0
Mississippi College 1 –2 –06 –3 –0
Tennessee 1 –3 –06 –3 –0
The Citadel 0 –3 –13 –4 –2
Mercer 0 –4 –12 –5 –1
Kentucky 0 –1 –06 –2 –0
Texas A&M 0 –1 –13 –4 –2
Central University 0 –2 –02 –5 –0
Tulane 0 –4 –03 –5 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1913 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1913 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Tigers were retroactively recognized as a national champion in 1999 by the Billingsley Report's alternative calculation which considers teams' margin of victory. The team was coached by Mike Donahue and was undefeated at 8–0, outscoring opponents 224–13.

Contents

Auburn was the champion of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The team played just two games at home. [1] [2] Under Billingsley's primary methodology, Chicago was recognized as the national champion. [3] [4] Although it is a recognized national championship, [5] Auburn does not claim the title, but does acknowledge it in its official media guide.

Before the season

Since Auburn's tie with Vanderbilt last year, teams other than Vanderbilt had a chance to win a title, and newspapers covered football more than the World Series for the first time. [6]

Coach Donahue built his team around his defense, which played out of a 7–2–2 scheme. The team was led by senior captain Kirk Newell. One source reads "Coach Donahue loved the fullback dive and would run the play over and over again before sending the elusive Newell wide on a sweep." [7]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 4 Mercer
W 53–0 [8]
October 11 Florida
W 55–0 [9]
October 18at Clemson
W 20–0 [10]
October 25 Mississippi A&M
W 34–0 [11]
November 1vs. LSU
W 7–0 [12]
November 8at Georgia Tech
W 20–0 [13]
November 15 Vanderbilt
  • Rickwood Field
  • Birmingham, AL
W 14–6 [14]
November 22at Georgia
W 21–712,000 [15]

Game summaries

Mercer

A.P.I. began its season with a 53-0 blowout against visiting Mercer on Drake Field. [2]

Florida

Florida at Auburn
1234Total
Florida00000
•Auburn132171455

The week before, the Florida Gators had the largest win in their history, a 144–0 win over Florida Southern. Auburn crushed the Gators 55–0. Auburn scored five touchdowns in the first half. [16] Captain Kirk Newell retired in the third period due to the heat. [16]

The starting lineup was Wynne (left end), Esslinger (left tackle), Lockwood (left guard), Pitts (center), Thigpen (right guard), Louisell (right tackle), Robinson (right end), Arnold (quarterback), Newell (left halfback), Sparkman (right halfback), Harris (fullback). [16]

Mississippi A&M

The second place Mississippi A&M Aggies fell to Auburn 34–0 after years of close games between the two schools. [17]

Clemson

Clemson was defeated 20–0 with coach Donahue using his fullback. [18]

The starting lineup was Wynne (left end), Esslinger (left tackle), Lockwood (left guard), Pitts (center), Thigpen (right guard), Louisell (right tackle), Robinson (right end), Arnold (quarterback), Newell (left halfback), Sparkman (right halfback), Harris (fullback). [18]

LSU

LSU at Auburn
1234Total
LSU00000
•Auburn00707

Sources: [19]

In a close game of conventional football, Auburn beat the LSU Tigers 7–0, with Tom Dutton standing out at center of defense. [20] Kirk Newell starred with end runs, and in the third quarter brought the ball to the 12-yard line with a 40-yard run. [19] Red Harris eventually made the deciding score. [19]

The starting lineup was Taylor (left end), Louisell (left tackle), Thigpen (left guard), Pitts (center), Lockwood (right guard), Esslinger (right tackle), Robinson (right end), Arnold (quarterback), Newell (left halfback), Kearley (right halfback), Harris (fullback). [19]

Georgia Tech

Auburn beat Georgia Tech 20–0, Auburn's sixth straight shutout. After the first half, Tech's line was beaten down by Auburn's. [21]

Vanderbilt

Auburn at Vanderbilt
1234Total
•Auburn700714
Vanderbilt60006

Sources:

In "one of the most spectacular games the South ever saw", [22] Auburn beat Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores 14–6. Auburn scored with fullback Hart. Vanderbilt responded quickly with a 30-yard pass from Ammie Sikes to Hord Boensch. Using four different fullbacks on one drive, Auburn drove 80 yards to win. [23]

Georgia

Auburn at Georgia
1234Total
•Auburn077721
Georgia70007

Sources: [24]

The Tigers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 21–7 to claim the SIAA title. Many prominent persons, including the governor, saw the contest. [25]

Kirk Newell of Auburn and Bob McWhorter of Georgia played their last games. At the 25-yard line, from a freak formation, Georgia's David Paddock pass the ball to Logan who caught it on the run and into the endzone for the first score of the game. [24] Red Harris got over a score in the second period. In the third quarter, Auburn had driven to the 11-yard line, and Donahue pulled Harris for Christopher. The Georgia team expected a buck, and committed to stopping it. [24] Newell skirted around right end for 7 yards. Christopher eventually plunged in from the 4-yard line. Later, from the 35-yard line, Newell had a run to the 7-yard line, chased out of bounds by McWhorter. [24] Christopher again got the touchdown. [24]

The starting lineup was Kearley (left end), Louisell (left tackle), Thigpen (left guard), Pitts (center), Lockwood (right guard), Esslinger (right tackle), Robinson (right end), Arnold (quarterback), Newell (left halfback), Prendergast (right halfback), Harris (fullback). [24]

Postseason

Newell gained 1,707 yards that year, 46% of the team's entire offensive output; [26] and 5,800 yards rushing, 350 yards receiving, and 1,200 yards on punt returns for his career. [27] One writer claims "Auburn had a lot of great football teams, but there may not have been one greater than the 1913–1914 team." [2] Newell went on to be a World War I hero and member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. [28]

1913 Auburn football team Champions of South.jpg
The Champions of the South

Roster

Starters

Line

PlayerPositionGames
started		HometownPrep schoolHeightWeightAge
M. S. EsslingerTackle4
Bull Kearley End2 Franklin, Alabama 18022
Tubby Lockwood Guard4 Montgomery, Alabama 22023
Lou Louisell Tackle418
Boozer Pitts Center4 Pittsview, Alabama 19019
Robbie Robinson End4170
Baby Taylor End1 Birmingham, Alabama 6'2"19421
Big Thigpen Guard4200
Jack WynneEnd2

Backfield

PlayerPositionGames
started		HometownPrep schoolHeightWeightAge
Ted Arnold Quarterback4156
Red Harris Fullback4148
Kirk Newell Halfback4 Dadeville, Alabama 15022
Homer Prendergast Halfback1
S. S. SparkmanHalfback3

Subs

PlayerPositionGames
started		HometownPrep schoolHeightWeightAge
E. C. AdkinsHalfback
Bedie Bidez Fullback
Chris ChristopherFullback
ClevelandHalfback
C. W. CulpepperTackle
Roland FricksGuard
Lucy Hairston End/back Crawford, Mississippi
Frank Hart Fullback Eufaula, Alabama 19
C. B. MartinTackle
C. S. NobleQuarterback
George Steed Tackle

Staff

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References

  1. ↑ "AUBURNTIGERS.COM :: Auburn University Official Athletic Site Auburn University Official Athletic Site :: Football". Archived from the original on May 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Brady, Ethan. "Auburn's 1913 undefeated team" (PDF). Auburn Tigers Football. pp. 65, 69. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2018.
  3. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Billingsley's National Champions by Year". College Football Research Center. 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2002. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Auburn Recognized National Championships". Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 276
  7. ↑ "100 Year Anniversary: The Top 10 Players on Auburn's 1913 National Championship Team". June 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Mercer's eleven no match for Auburn". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 5, 1913. Retrieved March 17, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Auburn swamps Florida team". The Atlanta Journal. October 12, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Auburn forced to fight". The Commercial Appeal. October 19, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Auburn eleven scores at will". The Atlanta Constitution. October 26, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ G. J. Flournoy (November 2, 1913). "Auburn's line plunging wins from Louisiana State team; Kirk Newell stars again". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 7. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Auburn romps on Tech". The Nashville Tennessean. November 9, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Auburn triumphs over Commodores". The Birmingham Age-Herald. November 16, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Auburn proves claim to title". The Birmingham News. November 23, 1913. Retrieved May 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Florida Is Easy For Auburn Team". The Atlanta Constitution. October 12, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved July 22, 2016– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  17. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 280
  18. 1 2 Woodruff 1928 , p. 278
  19. 1 2 3 4 G. J. Flournoy (November 2, 1913). "Auburn's Line Plunging Wins From Louisiana State Team; Kirk Newell Stars Again". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 7. Retrieved May 7, 2016– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  20. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 281
  21. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 282
  22. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 283
  23. ↑ Woodruff 1928 , p. 284
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dick Jemison (November 23, 1913). "Auburn Wins Southern Title; Georgia Beaten Decisively; Harris Star of Fierce Game". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 7. Retrieved May 7, 2016– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  25. ↑ "Thousands Of Enthusiasts See Auburn Football Team Win South's Championship". The Atlanta Constitution. November 23, 1913. p. 6. Retrieved May 7, 2016– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  26. ↑ Henderson, Jeremy (August 21, 2013). "Football rankings guru Richard Billingsley says Auburn should claim century-old crown: 'My national championship for Auburn in 1913 is a very valid national championship'".
  27. ↑ Kelly Kazek (2011). Hidden History of Auburn. The History Press. pp. 58–61. ISBN   9781609492922.
  28. ↑ "Alabama Sports Hall of Fame – Birmingham, Alabama – Where Heroes Live Forever – Newell".

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