1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

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.

1901 Vanderbilt Commodores football
SIAA champion
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1901 record	6–1–1 (4-0 SIAA)
Head coach	W. H. Watkins (1st season)
Captain	John Edgerton
Home stadium	Dudley Field

1901 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Vanderbilt $	4	–	0	–	0			6	–	1	–	1
Clemson	2	–	0	–	1			3	–	1	–	1
LSU	2	–	1	–	0			5	–	1	–	0
North Carolina	2	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Tulane	2	–	1	–	0			4	–	2	–	0
Alabama	2	–	1	–	2			2	–	1	–	2
Auburn	2	–	2	–	1			2	–	3	–	1
Tennessee	1	–	1	–	2			3	–	3	–	2
Mississippi A&M	1	–	2	–	0			2	–	2	–	1
Cumberland (TN)	0	–	1	–	0			0	–	1	–	0
Kentucky State	0	–	2	–	0			2	–	6	–	1
Georgia	0	–	3	–	2			1	–	5	–	2
Ole Miss	0	–	4	–	0			2	–	4	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Before the season

Going into the season, the team was built around a veteran nucleus of John Edgerton, Walter Simmons, Hughes, Booth, and Davis. The line was light, but made up for with its aggressiveness.[1] Starting quarterback Fred Hume weighed just 122 pounds.[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 5		Kentucky State	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	W 22–0
October 12		Centre*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	W 25–0
October 19		Georgia	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	W 47–0
October 26		at Auburn	Riverside Park Montgomery, AL	W 41–0
November 2		at Washington (MO)*	Athletic Park St. Louis, MO	L 11–12	2,000
November 9	3:15 p. m.	Tennessee	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	W 22–0	1,000
November 16		Sewanee*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	T 0–0
November 28	2:00 p. m.	Nashville*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	W 10–0	5,000
*Non-conference game All times are in Central time

Season summary

Week 1: Kentucky State

On opening day, the Commodores defeated Kentucky State 22–0, looking much faster than the visitors.[3]

The starting lineup was Williamson (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Kyle (right halfback), Tigert (fullback).[3]

Week 2: Centre

In the second week of play, Vanderbilt beat Centre 25–0.

Week 3: Georgia

The Commodores defeated coach William A. Reynolds' Georgia Bulldogs 48–0, avenging the loss by the same score last year to Reynolds' Tar Heels.

Week 4: Auburn

Vanderbilt beat Auburn 41–0, in a game that was "extremely disappointing and slow."[4]

Week 5: Washington (MO)

Vanderbilt at Washington (MO)

1 2 Total Vanderbilt 11 0 11 • Washington (MO) 6 6 12 Date: November 2 Location: Athletic Park St. Louis, Missouri Game attendance: 2,000 Referee: Todd

The Washington University Bears of St. Louis gave the Commodores their only loss of the season, 12–11. Vanderbilt quarterback Fred Hume made a 50-yard gain, setting up John Edgerton's touchdown.[5] Washington fought hard and responded with a touchdown drive, with Cassell making the score. Washington made the extra point, and went up 6–5. Bryan scored another touchdown for Vanderbilt to make the score 11–6 at the half. Washington's Smith scored a touchdown in the second half, and Lehman kicked goal for the win.[5]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Bryan (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[5]

Week 6: Tennessee

Tennessee at Vanderbilt

1 2 Total Tennessee 0 0 0 • Vanderbilt 11 11 22 Date: November 9 Location: Dudley Field Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 3:15 p. m. Game attendance: 1,000 Referee: Payne

Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 22–0. John Edgerton scored three touchdowns and John J. Tigert scored another.[6]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Bryan (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Hume (quarterback), Tigert (left halfback), Kyle (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[6]

Week 7: Sewanee

Coach Billy Suter's Sewanee Tigers fought the Commodores to a scoreless tie despite Vanderbilt gaining 367 yards. Twice the Commodores were stopped at the 1-yard line.[7]

Week 8: University of Nashville

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)

The 1901 team was likely the best football team in University of Nashville (Peabody) history. Coached by Charley Moran, the team defeated Sewanee 39–6 "and mopped up with about everything else."[8] The Commodores practiced in secret for ten days in preparation.[7] Vanderbilt faced Nashville on Thanksgiving Day and won 10–0 in front of 4 to 5,000 spectators,[9] using "Harvard tactics."[10] 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."[11]

The starting lineup was McLean (left end), Lawler (left tackle), Hughes (left guard) Perry (center), Crutchfield (right guard), Booth (right tackle), Simmons (right end), Kyle (quarterback), Tigert (left halfback), Davis (right halfback), Edgerton (fullback).[9]

References

1. Vanderbilt University, p. 64
2. Ernie Couch (2001). SEC Football Trivia.
3. "Vanderbilt the Winner". The Courier-Journal. October 6, 1901. p. 16. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Vanderbilt 41, Auburn 0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 27, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Exciting Contest". The Tennessean. November 3, 1901. p. 6. Retrieved May 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Vanderbilt Winner". The Tennessean. November 10, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Vanderbilt University, p. 65
8. "Brown Calls Vanderbilt '06 Best Eleven South Ever Had". Atlanta Constitution. February 19, 1911. p. 52. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Dixie Championship Goes To Vanderbilt". Atlanta Constitution. November 29, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved July 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Vanderbilt Used Harvard Tactics". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1901. p. 8. Retrieved May 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Bill Carey. "Stargazing, Vanderbilt football and 'Bachelor of Ugliness' reigned 100 years ago". Retrieved March 8, 2015.

Bibliography

Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt University Quarterly. 2.