The 1912 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

in the

1912 college football season The 1912 college football season was the first of the modern era, as the NCAA implemented changes to increase scoring: *Teams were given ''4 downs'' instead of ''3 downs'' to gain ten yards *The value of a touchdown was increased from ''5 points ...

. The 1912 season was

Dan McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin (July 29, 1879 – January 23, 1936) was an American football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from ...

's ninth year as head coach. Members of the

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...

(SIAA), the Commodores won their third straight conference title this year, posting an 8–1–1 win–loss–tie record (3–0–1 SIAA). The team played its home games at

Dudley Field FirstBank Stadium (formerly Dudley Field and Vanderbilt Stadium) is a American football, football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the American South, South to be used exclusively for college foo ...

. It used the

short punt formation The short punt formation is an older formation on both offense and defense in American football, popular when scoring was harder and a good punt was itself an offensive weapon.Retyl, Richard U-M's Shotgun Offense is Older than the Winged Helmets T ...

as its offensive scheme. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 391–19. The team scored 100 points in each of the first two contests; the 105–0 victory over of

Russellville, Kentucky Russellville is a home rule-class city in Logan County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 6,960 at the time of the 2010 census. History Local historian Alex C. Finley has claimed the area was firs ...

was the largest in Vanderbilt history. The team posted seven shutout victories, being scored upon in only three games. The team's only loss came to national champion

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. The Commodores also played to a tie with the

Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

. Several players received postseason honors. Halfback and team captain

Lewie Hardage Lewis Woolford Hardage (February 11, 1891 – August 29, 1973) was an American college football player and college football and baseball coach. Hardage was an All-Southern halfback every year he played: 1908, 1909, 1911, and 1912—the first t ...

was selected a third-team All-American by

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

, the fourth player from the South ever to receive such recognition, and was a unanimous first-team All-Southern selection.

Center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Hugh Morgan,

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

Enoch Brown, tackle Tom Brown, fullback

Ammie Sikes Ammie Thomas Sikes (July 26, 1892 – September 9, 1963) was an American college football player and physician. He played as a fullback at Vanderbilt University from 1911 to 1914. Early years Sikes was born on July 26, 1892, in Smyrna, Tennessee ...

, and

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

Herman Daves James Herman Daves (August 5, 1890 – July 4, 1946) was a college football player. College football Daves was a guard and tackle for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He played on the 1912 and 1918 Vanderbilt tea ...

also received All-Southern recognition.

Before the season

Vanderbilt faced its hardest schedule to date. The team lost several varsity letter winners to graduation, including

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Ray Morrison J. Ray Morrison (February 28, 1885 – November 19, 1982) was an American football and baseball player and a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (1915–1916, 1922– ...

, tackle

Ewing Y. Freeland Ewing Young "Big 'un" Freeland (January 1, 1887 – August 15, 1953) was an American football and baseball player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Daniel Baker College (1912–1914), Texas C ...

, and guards Charles H. Brown and

Will Metzger William Edgar "Frog" Metzger, Jr. (August 21, 1890 – December 2, 1951) was a college football player. Vanderbilt Metzger was a prominent guard for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University from 1908 to 1911. Metzger was Dan McGug ...

. Aside from Morrison, Vanderbilt retained the rest of its

backfield The offensive backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the q ...

of the previous year, then voted best in the South by the ''

Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the Atlanta metropolitan area, metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Con ...

''. It included halfbacks Lew Hardage (the team's

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

) and

Wilson Collins Cyril Wilson Collins (May 7, 1889 – February 28, 1941) was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly at left field for the Boston Braves in the and seasons. Listed at , 165 lb., Collins batted and threw right-handed. ...

and fullback

. Replacing Morrison at quarterback was renowned

drop kick A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it as it touches the ground. Drop kicks are used as a method of restarting play and scoring points in rugby union and rugby league ...

Zach Curlin Zachary Henry Curlin (January 31, 1890 – June 3, 1970) was an American football and basketball player and coach. Background and career Curlin attended Christian Brothers College (now University) in Memphis and the Webb School. and played pia ...

. The 1912 season saw the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

implement several rule changes to increase scoring. These included: the value of a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

increased from 5 points to 6, the

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Interna ...

of the

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

was reduced to 100 yards, 10-yard

end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...

s were added, the

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the o ...

was eliminated, and unlimited use of the

forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The forward pass is one of the main distinguishers between gridiron ...

was introduced.

Schedule

Season summary

Bethel

The season started with the largest win in school history, a 105–0 victory over of

. Future Vanderbilt star

Josh Cody Joshua Crittenden Cody (June 11, 1892 – June 17, 1961) was an American college athlete, head coach, and athletics director. Cody was a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he played several sports. As a versatil ...

played for Bethel. The game began at 3:30 p.m. in pouring rain. Wilson Collins began the scoring when he took a punt 45 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Substitute quarterback Rabbi Robins was better suited to the mud than starter Zach Curlin. At one point during the game, Robins returned a kick 70 yards for a touchdown. Collins had five touchdowns, Enoch Brown three, Hardage, Robins and Morrison two each, and Reyer and Chester one each. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Covington (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).

Maryville

*Sources: The Commodores then won by a 100–3 score against the

Maryville Scots Maryville College is a private liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The college is one of th ...

. Despite the first two games being like practice games, the large scores were a surprise, for in both the substitutes replaced the regulars by the second quarter. Maryville's Badgett scored on a 31-yard

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

in the fourth quarter. One of Vanderbilt's scores was a 40-yard forward pass from Hardage to Brown. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Covington (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).

Rose Polytechnic

*Sources: The game with Rose Polytechnic was seen as the first real test of the season. The Commodores still managed a 54–0 victory, with substitutes replacing the regulars by the end of the first half. The first score came on a 35-yard

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...

return by Lew Hardage. During the game's opening

drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...

, Rose Poly tried a

trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or ...

with a player in civilian clothes and

satchel A satchel is a bag with a strap, traditionally used for carrying books.Satchel
The Cambridge Dictionary. ...

receiving the ball. He was caught by Vanderbilt defenders before he reached his own 30-yard line. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Swofford (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Chester (fullback).

Georgia

The Commodores easily defeated the

Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...

46–0 in the rain. Coaching the Bulldogs was McGugin product

Alex Cunningham Alexander Cunningham (born 1 May 1955) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stockton North since 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Shadow Minister for Courts and Sentencing since 2020. Born i ...

. The game was played on the

infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...

and part of the right

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball and ...

Ponce de Leon Park Ponce de Leon Park ( ; also known as Spiller Park or Spiller Field from 1924 to 1932, and "Poncey" to locals, was the primary home field for the minor league baseball team called the Atlanta Crackers for nearly six decades. The Crackers played ...

. According to ''Vanderbilt University Quarterly'', the score would have been higher but for the water and mud. Georgia star

Bob McWhorter Robert Ligon McWhorter (June 4, 1891 – June 29, 1960) played football and baseball at the University of Georgia. Early years McWhorter attended Gordon Military College in Barnesville, Georgia. He played football and baseball there under coac ...

was held in check; his best run went for 12 yards. HughMorgan

The first score of the game came when Wilson Collins got away for a 20-yard run, but

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

d. The ball was picked up by Zach Curlin and run in for a touchdown. When the game ended, Georgia men tried to steal the ball, and a fight broke out, broken up by coach McGugin and umpire

Ted Coy Edward Harris Coy (May 23, 1888 – September 8, 1935) was an American football player and coach. Coy was selected as a first-team All-American three straight years from 1907 to 1909 and was later selected as the fullback on Walter Camp's All-T ...

. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Huffman (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Shea (right halfback), and Chester (fullback).

Mississippi

Vanderbilt beat

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

24–0, the visitors showing a strong

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

. Morgan, Collins, and Sikes were on the sidelines for the whole game. Multiple times, the Commodores fumbled near the goal line. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Milholland (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), T. Brown (center), Swafford (right guard), Covington (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Shea (right halfback), and Turner (fullback).

Virginia

*Sources: Vanderbilt met

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

for the first time since

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

. It also won for the first time, 13–0. Ammie Sikes scored first, after runs of 35 and 28 yards by Lew Hardage paved the way. A 30-yard forward pass from Hardage to Enoch Brown got the second touchdown. In the last period, Sikes broke loose, down to the 5-yard line when he was caught from behind by Buck Mayer. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Daves (left tackle), Huffman (left guard), Morgan (center), Covington (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), Milholland (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).

Harvard

*Sources: Vanderbilt suffered its only loss of the season on the road to coach

Percy Haughton Percy Duncan Haughton (July 11, 1876 – October 27, 1924) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He served as head football coach at Cornell University from 1899 to 1900, at Harvard University from 1908 to 1916, and at Columbia ...

's national champion

Harvard Crimson The Harvard Crimson are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Harvard College. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2013, there were 42 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at ...

9–3. Only Dartmouth played the Crimson closer. "As usual Harvard tried out the strength of its defense in the first period, kicking usually on the second down." Harvard used mostly substitutes and scored a touchdown five minutes after the second period began. Lew Hardage was injured and taken off the field. Vanderbilt's lone score was a 28-yard field goal from Zach Curlin early in the third quarter, after Harvard muffed a punt. The Crimson added another field goal in the final period. In the last ten minutes, the Commodores tried their full repertoire of tricks, including a delayed forward pass in which the ball was handled by four men and netted a 22-yard gain from Rabbi Robins. The

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

reported: "Although defeated, Vanderbilt was not outplayed; for never was a gamer team seen in the Stadium." The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Turner (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Swafford (left guard), Morgan (center), Daves (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).

Central University

Vanderbilt playing with just four regulars and a new backfield beat , 23–0. Hardage stayed home in

Decatur, Alabama Decatur (dɪˈkeɪtə(r)) is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. Nicknamed "The River City", it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake ...

due to an injury. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Chester (left end), Daves (left tackle), Reyer (left guard), Huffman (center), Swafford (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), Reams (right end), Robins (quarterback), Luck (left halfback), Shea (right halfback), and Milholland (fullback). Ammiesikes

Auburn

*Sources: The

upset expectations and tied the Commodores 7–7. Ammie Sikes scored first for Vanderbilt. Auburn scored after a Sikes fumble. The ball was kicked some fifteen yards down field clear of the melee, picked up by

Kirk Newell James Kirk "Runt" Newell (November 4, 1890 – January 15, 1967) was an American football and baseball player for the Auburn Tigers of Auburn University. He lettered four years in both, as well as once in each of basketball, track, and soccer. ...

, and run 55 yards to the end zone. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Reams (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Moody (center), Covington (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Curlin (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Turner (fullback).

Sewanee

*Sources: Vanderbilt defeated rival

Sewanee Sewanee may refer to: * Sewanee, Tennessee * Sewanee: The University of the South * ''The Sewanee Review'', an American literary magazine established in 1892 * Sewanee Natural Bridge * Saint Andrews-Sewanee School See also * Suwanee (disambiguati ...

16–0. In the first period, Sewanee had to punt from its own end zone. The pass to Jenks Gillem went wide, and before he could recover it he was downed by Enoch Brown for a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

. Gillem had one punt of 58 yards that day. Vanderbilt's game seemed to stagnate until Wilson Collins was hurt and replaced by Tom Shea in the third quarter. Then two touchdowns came in the fourth period, one by Robins and another Turner. In his last game, Lew Hardage played well despite his hurt left ankle. Vanderbilt had clamored for a rematch to decide a champion after its tie with Auburn, but Auburn was upset by Georgia 12–6, meaning Vanderbilt's victory over Sewanee secured the SIAA title. The starting lineup for Vanderbilt was: Reams (left end), Shipp (left tackle), Daves (left guard), Morgan (center), Swofford (right guard), T. Brown (right tackle), E. Brown (right end), Robins (quarterback), Hardage (left halfback), Collins (right halfback), and Sikes (fullback).

Postseason

Awards and honors

Lew Hardage was selected third-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n by

, the fourth ever

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

player to get such a recognition. He was a unanimous All-Southern selection.

Innis Brown Innis Brown (March 31, 1884 – January 23, 1961) was a college football player, referee, sportswriter, and civil engineer. His sports articles were nationally known, writing for the New York Sun and Hearst newspapers. Early years Innis Bro ...

wrote: "Hardage has been rated as probably the most successful man in the south at making forward passes." Ammie Sikes, Hugh Morgan, Tom Brown, and Enoch Brown all made composite All-Southern.

Championships

Vanderbilt won the SIAA title in football,

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

, and track. According to

Nathan Stauffer Nathan Pennypacker Stauffer (January 1, 1875 – June 5, 1959) was an American college football player and coach and physician. He served as the head football coach at Dickinson College from 1896 to 1899, at Pennsylvania Military College—now kno ...

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

was Vanderbilt's nearest challenger for best football team in the South.

Personnel

Depth chart

The following chart provides a visual depiction of Vanderbilt's lineup during the 1912 season with games started at the position reflected in parenthesis. The chart mimics a

while on offense, with the quarterback under center.

Varsity letter winners

The lettermen were dubbed "Wearers of the V." Team manager Frank Gilliland was also a letterman.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{SIAA football champions Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores football seasons

Vanderbilt Commodores football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football. The Commodores compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Divis ...