1901 Nashville Garnet and Blue football team

The 1901 Nashville Garnet and Blue football team represented the University of Nashville during the 1901 college football season. The second of first two opponents is unknown. The 1901 team was likely the best football team in Nashville's history. Coached by Charley Moran, though they lost to southern power Vanderbilt, they "mopped up with about everything else."[1]

1901 Nashville Garnet and Blue football
Conference	Independent
1901 record	6–1–1
Head coach	Charley Moran (2nd season)
Home stadium	Peabody Field

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 2		at Mooney School*	Franklin, TN	W 11–0
October 5		at		W ?–?
October 12		at Texas	Dallas Fair Grounds Dallas, TX	T 5–5
October 19		at Auburn	Birmingham, AL	W 23–5
October 26		Tennessee	Peabody Field Nashville, TN	W 16–5
November 2		Sewanee	Peabody Field Nashville, TN	W 39–6
November 16		at Kentucky University	Lexington, KY	W 5–0
November 27	2:00 p.m.	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	L 0–10	5,000
*Non-conference game

Season summary

at Mooney School

Nashville at Mooney School

1 2 Total • Nashville 11 0 11 Mooney 0 0 0 Date: October 2 Location: Franklin, Tennessee Referee: Frank

To open the season, Nashville defeated the Mooney School 11–0.[2]

The starting lineup was Choate (left end), Blackburn (left tackle), Majors (left guard) Hawkins (center), Peake (right guard), Keller (right tackle), Kuykendall (right end), Church (quarterback), Reeves (left halfback), F. White (right halfback), Holland (fullback).[2]

at Texas

Nashville at Texas

1 2 Total Nashville 0 5 5 Texas 5 0 5 Date: October 12 Location: Dallas, Texas Referee: Andrews

Nashville tied the Texas Longhorns 5–5, in front of what was then the largest crowd ever to see a game in Dallas.[3]

The starting lineup was Choate (left end), Blackborn (left tackle), Peake (left guard) Hawkins (center), Majors (right guard), Keller (right tackle), Kuykendall (right end), Pollard (quarterback), Reeves (left halfback), F. White (right halfback), Biddle (fullback).[3]

Auburn

Nashville upset Auburn 23–5.

Tennessee

Nashville surprised again and beat Tennessee 16–5. Tennessee had just come off a tie of Clemson, when Clemson had in turn come off a 122–0 victory on opening day.

Sewanee

Sewanee at Nashville

1 2 Total Sewanee 6 0 6 • Nashville 11 28 39 Date: November 2 Location: Peabody Field Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 3:00 p. m. Referee: George W. Rowbotham (Memphis) Sources:[4]

Arguably the year's biggest win, Nashville kept up its win streak and beat Sewanee 39–6, then the worst defeat ever suffered by Sewanee. Nashville simply outweighed the Tigers.[4] Ormond Simkins scored first. Biddle once got a touchdown on a 35-yard run.[4]

The starting lineup was Choate (left end), Blackburn (left tackle), Majors (left guard) Hankins (center), Peake (right guard), Keller (right tackle), Kuykendall (right end), Pollard (quarterback), Reeves (left halfback), F. White (right halfback), Biddle (fullback).[4]

at Kentucky U.

Nashville beat state champion Kentucky University in Lexington 5–0. Kentucky governor J. C. W. Beckham made a 15-yard kick to ceremonially start the contest. Fullback Bidwell made the touchdown.[5]

at Vanderbilt

Nashville vs. Vanderbilt

1 2 Total Nashville 0 0 0 • Vanderbilt 5 5 10 Date: November 28 Location: Dudley Field Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 2:00 p. m. Game attendance: 5,000 Referee: George W. Rowbotham (Memphis)

Three Nashville players were ruled ineligible.[6] The Commodores practiced in secret for ten days in preparation. Vanderbilt faced Nashville on Thanksgiving Day and won 10–0 in front of 4 to 5,000 spectators,[7] using "Harvard tactics."[8] After thirty minutes of gameplay, John Edgerton scored a touchdown taking the wind out of the sails of Nashville rooters. A riot broke out downtown the next day. According to the account of the event in the Nashville Banner (repudiated in the Hustler), the trouble started when a number of Vanderbilt students "tried to paint the stone fence of the University of Nashville yellow and black."[9]

The starting lineup was Choate (left end), Blackborn (left tackle), Majors (left guard) Hankins (center), Peake (right guard), Keller (right tackle), Kuykendall (right end), Pollard (quarterback), Reeves (left halfback), F. White (right halfback), Biddle (fullback).[7]

Postseason

Amidst charges of professionalism, Nashville was blacklisted from the SIAA.[10][11][12]

References

1. "Brown Calls Vanderbilt '06 Best Eleven South Ever Had". Atlanta Constitution. February 19, 1911. p. 52. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "University of Nashville – Local foot ball eleven wins first game of season". The Nashville American. October 3, 1901. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Texas 5, Nashville 5". The Houston Post. October 13, 1901. Retrieved August 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Varsity Goes Downpage=1". Sewanee Purple. 18 (13). November 5, 1901. hdl:11005/711.
5. "Governor Beckham Kicks and Spirited Games Begin". Atlanta Constitution. November 17, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved August 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Three Ineligible Removed". The Courier-Journal. November 21, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Dixie Championship Goes To Vanderbilt". Atlanta Constitution. November 29, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved July 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Vanderbilt Used Harvard Tactics". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved May 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Bill Carey. "Stargazing, Vanderbilt football and 'Bachelor of Ugliness' reigned 100 years ago". Retrieved March 8, 2015.
10. "Will Meet At Chapel Hill". Asheville Citizen. December 11, 1901. p. 4. Retrieved August 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Athletic Blacklist Has Widespread Effect". The Charlotte News. December 14, 1901. p. 11. Retrieved August 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Fight Is Against Professionalism". Atlanta Constitution. December 22, 1901. p. 11. Retrieved August 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.