1919 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

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1919 Vanderbilt Commodores football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1919 record5–1–2 (3–1–2 SIAA)
Head coach
  • Dan McGugin (15th season)
Offensive schemeShort punt
CaptainJosh Cody
Home stadiumDudley Field
Seasons
← 1918
1920 →
1919 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Auburn $ 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Alabama 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Centre 1 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Kentucky 3 – 1 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Georgia Tech 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Tulane 3 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Vanderbilt 3 – 1 – 2 5 – 1 – 2
Furman 2 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Mississippi A&M 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Georgia 4 – 2 – 2 4 – 2 – 3
LSU 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Clemson 3 – 2 – 2 6 – 2 – 2
Florida 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Wofford 1 – 1 – 0 3 – 2 – 1
Transylvania 1 – 1 – 0 2 – 4 – 0
Ole Miss 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
The Citadel 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Sewanee 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Georgetown (KY) 0 – 0 – 0 0 – 2 – 0
Tennessee 0 – 3 – 2 3 – 3 – 3
South Carolina 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 7 – 1
Mercer 0 – 1 – 0 0 – 2 – 0
Mississippi College 0 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Howard (AL) 0 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 2
  • $ – Conference champion

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 (he also received the honor in 1915).

Before the season[]

After World War I, Josh Cody returned to Vanderbilt for his senior year.[1] He was elected captain.

Schedule[]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
October 4Union (TN)*
W 41–0
October 11Tennessee
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN (rivalry)
T 3–3[2]
October 18at Georgia Tech
L 0–20
October 25Auburn
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN
W 7–6
November 1at Kentucky
T 0–0
November 8Alabama
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN
W 16–12[3]
November 15at Virginia*
W 10–6
November 27Sewanee
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN (rivalry)
W 33–21
  • *Non-conference game

[4]

Season summary[]

Union[]

The season opened with a 41–0 victory over the Union Bulldogs.

Tennessee[]

A steady rain hindered the Tennessee game which ended a 3–3 tie. Josh Cody scored on a 30-yard drop kick, while Buck Hatcher made a 25-yard drop kick.[5]

at Georgia Tech[]

Vanderbilt fell to Georgia Tech in the mud 20–0. Buck Flowers and fullback Gaiver starred.[6]

The starting lineup was Adams (left end), Cody (left tackle), Bailey (left guard), Early (center), Buckner (right guard), Lipscomb (right tackle), Goar (right end), Sherman (quarterback), Floyd (left halfback), Berryhill (right halfback), Hendrix (fullback).[7]

Auburn[]

Auburn at Vanderbilt
1 234Total
Auburn 0 600 6
• Vanderbilt 0 700 7

SIAA champion Auburn suffered its only loss to Vanderbilt, 7–6. Josh Cody returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown and made the winning extra point.[8] A bit after, Ed Sherling ran in from the 1-yard line, but Pete Bonner missed goal.[8]

Tom Lipscomb and Frank Goar were sent in on Auburn's last drive. Goar had been sick and Lipscomb was suffering from an injured ankle. The two spurned the team to victory in what the Vanderbilt yearbook called "the greatest defensive stand ever staged by any Vanderbilt team."

The starting lineup was Zerfoss (left end), Cody (left tackle), Buckner (left guard), Early (center) Holmes (right guard), Bailey (right tackle), Adams (right end), Latham (quarterback), Berryhill (left halfback), Floyd (right halfback), Wiggs (fullback).[8]

Kentucky[]

On Stoll Field in Lexington, the Kentucky Wildcats fought the Commodores to a scoreless tie.

Alabama[]

1 234Total
Alabama 0 066 12
• Vanderbilt 0 1303 16
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Dudley Field
    Nashville, Tennessee

On a muddy field, the Commodores beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 16–12, giving the Tide their only loss of the season.[9]

On its first drive of the game, Alabama took the ball to the Vanderbilt 2-yard line, but then fumbled the ball that was recovered by Josh Cody of the Commodores to end the scoring threat.[9] The second Alabama fumble resulted in the first touchdown of the game. Early in the second quarter, Riggs Stephenson fumbled the ball that was recovered by Tommy Zerfoss and returned 35-yards for a 7–0 Vanderbilt lead.[9] They further extended their lead to 13–0 at halftime on a 20-yard Grailey Berryhill touchdown run.[9]

Alabama rallied in the second half with a pair of two-yards Stephenson touchdown runs in the third and fourth quarter that made the score 13–12.[9] Cody then provided for the final margin in the 16–12 Commodores' victory with his 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.[9]

The starting lineup was Adams (left end), Cody (left tackle), Hendrix (left guard), Early (center), Bailey (right guard), Lipscomb (right tackle), Westgate (right end), Latham (quarterback), Richardson (left halfback), Zerfoss (right halfback), Wiggs (fullback).[10]

at Virginia[]

Vanderbilt v. Virginia

Vanderbilt met the Virginia Cavaliers on Lambeth Field and won 10–6. The starting lineup was Zerfoss (left end), Cody (left tackle), Hendrix (left guard), Early (center) Bailey (right guard), Lipscomb (right tackle), Adams (right end), Latham (quarterback), Berryhill (left halfback), Wade (right halfback), Wiggs (fullback).[11]

Sewanee[]

On a field wet from previous rains, the Sewanee Tigers put up a game fight as Vanderbilt won 33–21. The starting lineup was Zerfoss (left end), Cody (left tackle), Hendrix (left guard), Early (center), Basley (right guard), Lipscomb (right tackle), Adams (right end), Latham (quarterback), Richardson (left halfback), Floyd (right halfback), Wade (fullback).[12]

Postseason[]

Fuzzy Woodruff recalls "Auburn claimed it. "We defeated Tech" said Auburn. "Yes, but we defeated you" said Vanderbilt. "Yes", said Alabama, "but Tech, Tulane ,and Tennessee took your measure. We defeated Georgia Tech, who tied Tulane, so we are champions...The newspapers, however, more or less generally supported the claim of Auburn..."[13]

References[]

  1. ^ "McGugin Will Have Powerful Machine in Coming Grid Battles". Atlanta Constitution. July 27, 1919. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. ^ "Tennessee eleven holds Vanderbilt eleven to tie score". Nashville Tennessean. October 12, 1919. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Commodores blast Alabama's hopes for championship". Nashville Tennessean. November 9, 1919. Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "1919 Vanderbilt Commodores Schedule and Results".
  5. ^ "Football Gleanings". The Davidsonian. October 15, 1919. p. 2. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. ^ "Georgia Tech Swamps Vanderbilt, 20 to 0". The Washington Post. October 19, 1919. p. 23. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 84
  8. ^ a b c d "Cody Leads Teammates To Hard-Won Victory". The Tennessean. October 26, 1919. p. 20. Retrieved June 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "Alabama is defeated by own fumbles". The New Orleans Item. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 9, 1919.
  10. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 96
  11. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 97
  12. ^ "Commodores Win By 33 to 21 Score". The Atlanta Constitution. November 28, 1919. p. 19. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 105

Additional sources[]

  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 2.
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