The 1919 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 1919 college football season. The 1919 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 15th year as head coach. McGugin was returning from his stent in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during World War I where he was relieved by interim head coach

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– ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

, for the second time (he also received the honor in 1915).

Before the season

After World War I,

returned to Vanderbilt for his senior year. He was elected captain.

Schedule

Season summary

Union

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

Tennessee

A steady rain hindered the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

game which ended a 3–3 tie.

scored on a 30-yard drop kick, while

Buck Hatcher Adolphus Henry "Buck" Hatcher (May ll, 1896 – November 7, 1987) was an American college football player. University of Tennessee Hatcher was a prominent tackle for the Tennessee Volunteers football teams of the University of Tennessee from 19 ...

made a 25-yard drop kick.

at Georgia Tech

Vanderbilt fell to

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

in the mud 20–0.

Buck Flowers Allen Ralph "Buck" Flowers, Jr. (March 26, 1899 – April 8, 1983) was an American college football player who was a halfback for the Davidson Wildcats football team of Davidson College in 1917 and for the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football ...

and fullback Gaiver starred. 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).

Auburn

*Sources: SIAA champion Auburn suffered its only loss to Vanderbilt, 7–6.

returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown and made the winning extra point. A bit after, Ed Sherling ran in from the 1-yard line, but Pete Bonner missed goal.

Tom Lipscomb Thomas Lipscomb was a college football player. Vanderbilt Lipscomb was a prominent tackle and guard for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football teams, playing opposite Josh Cody. 1915 He and Cody blocked a punt in the game against Sewanee ...

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).

Kentucky

Stoll Field Stoll Field/McLean Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It was the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team. The field has been in use since 1880, but the concrete stands were opened in Oc ...

in Lexington, the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

fought the Commodores to a scoreless tie.

Alabama

*Source: On a muddy field, the Commodores beat the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a me ...

16–12, giving the Tide their only loss of the season. 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

of the Commodores to end the scoring threat. 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. They further extended their lead to 13–0 at halftime on a 20-yard

Grailey Berryhill Grailyn Hewitt "Grailey" Berryhill (August 17, 1896 – January 10, 1976) was an American football player, physician, and politician. He was a star running back for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He scored six touc ...

touchdown run. 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. Cody then provided for the final margin in the 16–12 Commodores' victory with his 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. 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).

at Virginia

Vanderbilt met the Virginia Orange and Blue 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).

Sewanee

On a field wet from previous rains, the

Sewanee Tigers The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 Province 4 of the Epis ...

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).

Postseason

Fuzzy Woodruff Lorenzo Ferguson "Fuzzy" Woodruff (May 27, 1884 – December 7, 1929) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known throughout most of the southeast for his vivid writing. He was also a music and drama critic. He began his newspaper c ...

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..."

References

Additional sources

* {{Vanderbilt Commodores football navbox 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 ...