1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season

1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season
League NCAA
Sport College football
Duration October 2, 1897
through January 8, 1898
Number of teams 16
Regular Season
Season champions Vanderbilt
1897 SIAA football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Vanderbilt $ 3 –0 –0  6 –0 –1
Georgia 2 –0 –0  2 –1 –0
Auburn 2 –0 –1  2 –0 –1
Tennessee 1 –0 –0  4 –1 –0
Central 1 –1 –0  1 –1 –0
Nashville 1 –1 –0  1 –1 –0
Alabama 0 –0 –0  1 –0 –0
Texas 0 –0 –0  6 –2 –0
LSU 0 –0 –0  1 –1 –0
Sewanee 1 –2 –1  1 –3 –1
Clemson 0 –1 –0  2 –2 –0
Cumberland 0 –1 –0  0 –1 –0
Georgia Tech 0 –1 –0  0 –1 –0
Mercer 0 –1 –0  0 –1 –1
Kentucky State 0 –2 –0  2 –4 –0
SW Presbyterian 0 –0 –0  0 –0 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1897 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the members schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1897 college football season

The season began on October 2. Conference play began on October 9 with Georgia shutting out Clemson 24–0 in Athens.

After the Sewanee game, Coach R. G. Acton's Vanderbilt Commodores claimed the program's first ever conference title.[1] This was followed by a challenge met by the other southern team to claim a championship, South Atlantic school Virginia; which claims seven prior championships of the South. The game ended a 0–0 tie. Said Coach Acton, "It was the best game ever played in the South." Vanderbilt held all opponents scoreless.[2]

The Texas Longhorns averaged the most points per game in the conference.[3]

The 1897 season was one in which a member school, Tulane University, was barred from intercollegiate football participation by SIAA President, Dr. Dudley. This was part of a sanction handed down in response to the LSU game the previous season in which Tulane was forced to forfeit for having fielded an ineligible player.[4][5]

The season was also notable for the game Virginia played against Georgia, featuring the death of Richard Von Albade Gammon.[6]

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. Rank Team Head coach Overall record Conf. record PPG PAG
1VanderbiltR. G. Acton6–0–13–019.90.0
2GeorgiaCharles McCarthy2–12–018.75.7
3AuburnJohn Heisman2–0–12–0–113.31.3
4Tennessee4–11–012.83.2
5 (tie)CentralH. McC. Anderson1–11–1
5 (tie)Nashville1–11–1
5 (tie)AlabamaAllen McCants1–00–06.00.0
5 (tie)TexasWalter F. Kelly6–20–020.54.5
5 (tie)LSUAllen Jeardeau1–10-014.016.0
10SewaneeJ. G. Jayne1–3–11–2–13.05.6
11 (tie)ClemsonWilliam M. Williams2–20–17.014.5
11 (tie)Cumberland0–10–1
11 (tie)Georgia TechJ. B. Wood0–10–10.028.0
11 (tie)MercerGordon Saussy0–1–10–10.013.0
15Kentucky StateLyman B. Eaton2–40–24.719.7
?Southwestern Presbyterian

Key

PPG = Average of points scored per game
PAG = Average of points allowed per game

Regular season

Index to colors and formatting
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member won
Non-conference matchup; SIAA member lost
Non-conference matchup; tie
Conference matchup

SIAA teams in bold.

Week One

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 2Kentucky UniversityKentucky StateLexington, KYW 8–6

Week Two

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 9Kentucky UniversityVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 22–0
October 9ClemsonGeorgiaHerty Field • Athens, GAUGA 24–0
October 11Kentucky StateKentucky WesleyanOwensboro, KYL 4–0
October 15KingTennesseeWaite Field • Knoxville, TNW 28–0

Week Three

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 16SewaneeNashvilleNashville, TNNASH 6–5
October 18CentralSewaneeMcGee Field • Sewanee, TNSEW 4–0

Week Four

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 23San AntonioTexasClark Field • Austin, TXW 10–0
October 23Georgia TechGeorgiaHerty Field • Athens, GAUGA 24–0
October 23AuburnMercerMacon, GAAUB 26–0
October 23CumberlandTennesseeWaite Field • Knoxville, TNTENN 6–0
October 23Georgetown (KY)Kentucky StateLexington, KYW 20–4
October 23ClemsonCharlotte YMCACharlotte, NCW 10–0
October 23VMIVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 12–0
October 25ClemsonNorth CarolinaChapel Hill, NCL 28–0
October 29AuburnNashvilleNashville, TNAUB 14–4

Week Five

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
October 30AuburnSewaneeMcGee Field • Sewanee, TNT 0–0
October 30VirginiaGeorgiaPiedmont Park • Atlanta, GAL 17–4
October 30VanderbiltKentucky StateStoll Field • Lexington, KYVAN 50–0
October 30TexasDallasDallas, TXL 18–4
November 1TexasFort WorthFort Worth, TXL 6–0
November 3TexasTCUWaco, TXW 18–10

Week Six

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 5North CarolinaSewaneeMcGee Field • Sewanee, TNL 12–6
November 6North CarolinaVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNW 31–0
November 6CentralKentucky StateLexington, KYCENT 18–0
November 8North CarolinaTennesseeWaite Field • Knoxville, TNL 16–0
November 10ClemsonSouth CarolinaColumbia, SCW 18–6

Week Seven

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 13Tuscaloosa A. C.AlabamaThe Quad • Tuscaloosa, ALW 6–0
November 13Houston Town TeamTexasClark Field • Austin, TXW 42–6

Week Eight

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 20TexasSan AntonioSan Antonio, TXW 12–0
November 25Fort WorthTexasClark Field • Austin, TXW 38–0
November 25CentreKentucky StateLexington, KYL 36–0
November 25SewaneeVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNVAN 10–0
November 25Virginia TechTennesseeWaite Field • Knoxville, TNW 18–0

Week Nine

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
November 26TennesseeBristol A. C.Bristol, TNW 12–0

Week Ten

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 7VirginiaVanderbiltDudley Field • Nashville, TNT 0–02,400[7]

Week Eleven

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 11DallasTexasClark Field • Austin, TXW 20–16

Week Thirteen

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
December 20Montgomery A. C.LSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LAW 28–6

Week Sixteen

DateVisiting teamHome teamSiteResultAttendanceReference
January 8CincinnatiLSUState Field • Baton Rouge, LAL 26–0

References

  1. ↑ http://www.vucommodores.com/ot/champions.html
  2. ↑ "Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Vanderbilt University".
  3. ↑ "Texas Season Schedule - databaseFootball.com/NCAA". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  4. ↑ Hardesty, Dan. "LSU:The Louisiana Tigers". The Strode Publishers.Huntsville, Alabama. 1975. pg 24-25.
  5. ↑ "Baton Rouge Wins Without Winning". The Daily Picayune. October 25, 1896. pg. 8.
  6. ↑ William Hanford Edwards. Football Days: Memories of the Game and of the Men Behind the Ball. p. 244.
  7. ↑ "Vanderbilt, 0; Virginia, 0". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 7, 1897. p. 7. Retrieved January 7, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
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