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1919 Auburn Tigers football team

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1919 Auburn Tigers football
SIAA champion
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record8–1 (5–1 SIAA)
Head coach
Base defense7–2–2
CaptainPete Bonner
Home stadiumDrake Field
Seasons
← 1918
1920 →
1919 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
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 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1919 college football season. It was the Tigers' 28th overall season and they competed as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Mike Donahue, in his 15th year, and played their home games at Drake Field in Auburn, Alabama. They finished with a record of eight wins and one loss (8–1 overall, 5–1 in the SIAA) and as SIAA champions.

Before the season

The team's captain was tackle Pete Bonner. His brother Thomas Herbert "Herb" Bonner also attended Auburn and was a guard on the team.[1]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 27Marion Military Institute*W 37–0
October 4at HowardW 19–6
October 10Camp Gordon*
  • Drake Field
  • Auburn, Alabama
W 25–13
October 17Clemson
  • Drake Field
  • Auburn, Alabama
W 7–0
October 25at VanderbiltL 6–7
November 1vs. GeorgiaW 7–08,000
November 8at Spring Hill*Mobile, AlabamaW 10–0
November 15Mississippi A&M
  • Rickwood Field
  • Birmingham, Alabama
W 7–08,000
November 27at Georgia TechW 14–7
  • *Non-conference game
  • Source: 1919 Auburn football schedule[2][3]

Season summary

Marion Military Institute

The season opened with a 37–0 victory over the Marion Military Institute.

Howard

In the second week of play, the Tigers had a poor showing but managed to beat Howard 19–6.[4][5]

Camp Gordon

Camp Gordon at Auburn
1 234Total
Camp Gordon 7 060 13
Auburn 6 0019 25

Auburn came back to beat the Fifth Division of Camp Gordon 25–13 in a "nerve-wracking" game.[4] Beretsky of the fifth division ran a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.[4] The pounding of Red Howard and Ed Sherling led the comeback.[4]

The starting lineup was Shirley (left end), Bonner (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Snider (center), Warren (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Scott (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[4]

Clemson

Clemson at Auburn
1 234Total
Clemson 0 000 0
Auburn 0 007 7
  • Date: October 17
  • Location: Drake Field
    Auburn, Alabama
  • Referee: Alcock (Washington & Lee)

Auburn beat Clemson 7–0. "It was anybody's game until the last quarter", when Sherling scored Auburn's lone touchdown. Rodney Ollinger starred on defense.[6]

The starting lineup was Ollinger (left end), Bonner (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Snider (center), H. Bonner (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Scott (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[6]

at Vanderbilt

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

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

Vanderbilt's 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 Ollinger (left end), Bonner (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Snider (center), H. Bonner (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Scott (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[7]

Georgia

Auburn vs. Georgia
1 234Total
Auburn 7 000 7
Georgia 0 000 0

In heavy rain and mud, Auburn defeated Georgia 7–0.[8] Red Howard ran through the entire Georgia team for 52 yards and the touchdown.[8][9]

The starting lineup was Ollinger (left end), Bonner (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), H. Bonner (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Williamson (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[8]

Spring Hill

The Spring Hill Badgers, coached by Auburn great Moon Ducote, fell to Auburn 10–0. A slippery field led to weak punting.[10] The starting lineup was Ollinger (left end), H. Bonner (left tackle), Griffin (left guard), Snider (center), Rogers (right guard), Martin (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Shirey (left halfback), Stubbs (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[10]

Mississippi A&M

Mississippi A&M at Auburn
1 234Total
Miss. A&M 0 000 0
Auburn 0 700 7

In a meeting of unbeatens, Auburn beat the Mississippi Aggies 7–0. Herb Bonner recovered a fumble for the game's only touchdown.[11] Rodney Ollinger was as a standout as a punter and on defense.[11]

The starting lineup was Ollinger (left end), Bonner (left tackle), Warren (left guard), Caton (center), Rogers (right guard), H. Bonner (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Williamson (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[11]

at Georgia Tech

Auburn at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Auburn 0 266 14
Ga. Tech 7 000 7

In John Heisman's last game as Georgia Tech head coach,[13] Auburn gave Tech its first loss to an SIAA school in five years (since Auburn won in 1914) by a 14–7 score. Fatty Warren proved the star of the game.

The first touchdown of the game was made by Jack McDonough.[12] Judy Harlan later fell on his own punt for a safety.[12] In the third quarter, Warren blocked a Dewey Scarboro punt and Sloan recovered the ball and ran it 35 yards for a touchdown.[12] Warren "waddled" for a 40-yard touchdown off a Jimmy Brewster fumble for the 14–7 victory.[12][13][14] Zelda Sayre sent captain Pete Bonner a telegram after the win, it read:[15]

"Shooting a seven, aren’t we awfully proud of the boys, give them my love—knew we could."

She signed it "Zelder Sayre."

The starting lineup was Ollinger (left end), P. Bonner (left tackle), Sloan (left guard), Caton (center), Rogers (right guard), Warren (right tackle), Pruitt (right end), Trapp (quarterback), Stubbs (left halfback), Howard (right halfback), Shirling (fullback).[12]

Postseason

For defeating Tech and due to charges of professionalism aimed at undefeated Centre, Auburn was SIAA champion. 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..."[16]

References

  1. ^ Gene Hinton (September 12, 1920). "Auburn Is Ready For Gong". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 5. Retrieved August 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ 2009 Auburn Football Media Guide (PDF). Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Media Relations Office. 2009. p. 185.
  3. ^ "1919 Auburn University Football Schedule". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Gene Hinton (October 12, 1919). "Auburn's Plainsmen Victorious 25 to 18 Over Fifth Division". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Auburn Outplayed By Howard Team". The Tennessean. October 5, 1919. p. 18. Retrieved August 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ a b c "Alabama Tigers Defeat Clemson". The Atlanta Constitution. October 18, 1919. p. 16. Retrieved June 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ 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 icon
  8. ^ a b c d Gene Hinton (November 2, 1919). "In Gruelling Fight Red and Black Holds Plainsmen, 7 to 0". p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "Sammy Howard, Mayor of Phenix City, Alabama" (PDF). Congressional Record – Senate. October 18, 1995.
  10. ^ a b "Plainsmen Held To Close Score By Spring Hill". The Atlanta Constitution. November 9, 1919. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ a b c d Gene Hinton (November 16, 1919). "Auburn's Plainsmen Down Mississippi By seven to Nothing". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 4. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Outplaying Tornado, Auburn Eleven Won". The Atlanta Constitution. November 28, 1919. p. 19. Retrieved May 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ a b 1920 Glomerata p. 173
  14. ^ John Staton (November 17, 1921). "Golden Tornado Spends Day Studying Auburn Formations". Atlanta Constitution. p. 12. Retrieved April 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ Jeremy Henderson (October 27, 2014). "Zelda Fitzgerald, Auburn fan".
  16. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 105
  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)