1907 Florida football team

The 1907 Florida football team represented the University of Florida during the 1907 college football season. The season was Jack Forsythe's second as the head coach of the University of Florida football team.[1] The Orange and Blue lost to the Mercer Bears for the second season in a row, beat the Rollins College Tars in Gainesville, Florida, and tied the Tars on their home field in Winter Park, Florida. Forsythe's 1907 Florida football team posted an overall record of 4–1–1 in their second varsity season.[2]

1907 Florida Gators football
State co-champion
ConferenceIndependent
1907 record4–1–1
Head coach
Offensive schemeMinnesota shift
CaptainRoy W. Corbett
1907 Southern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
South Carolina   –    3 –0 –0
Stetson   –    2 –0 –0
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial   –    1 –0 –0
Mississippi College   –    1 –0 –0
North Carolina A&M   –    6 –0 –1
Kentucky State   –    9 –1 –1
Texas   –    6 –1 –1
Davidson   –    4 –1 –1
Florida   –    4 –1 –1
Navy   –    9 –2 –1
VPI   –    7 –2 –0
William & Mary   –    6 –3 –0
Virginia   –    6 –3 –1
TCU   –    4 –2 –2
West Virginia   –    6 –4 –0
VMI   –    5 –3 –0
Tulane   –    3 –2 –0
Oklahoma   –    4 –4 –0
North Carolina   –    4 –4 –1
Baylor   –    4 –3 –1
Arkansas   –    3 –4 –1
Maryland   –    3 –5 –0
Georgetown   –    2 –4 –1
Howard (AL)   –    3 –6 –0
Oklahoma A&M   –    1 –3 –0
The Citadel   –    1 –5 –1
Chattanooga   –    0 –5 –1
Delaware   –    0 –5 –1
Catholic University   –    0 –1 –0
Spring Hill   –    0 –1 –0

Before the season
Roy Corbett

Only four men from the 1906 team returned.[3] Captain Roy Corbett was also the athletics editor of the Florida Pennant.[4] The team featured newcomer William A. Shands, future state senator and namesake of Shands Hospital.[5][6]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResult
October 12at MercerMacon, GAL 0–6
October 26at Columbia Agricultural CollegeSavannah, GAW 6–0
November 9?Rollins
W 9–4
November 16at Riverside Athletic ClubJacksonville, FLW 21–0
November 28Riverside Athletic Club
  • The Baseball Park
  • Gainesville, FL
W 17–0
November 30?at RollinsWinter Park, FLT 0–0

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.[2]

Season summary

Mercer

The season opened with the Mercer Baptists beating Florida 6–0. Sam Jameson, son of Mercer president S. Y. Jameson, sustained a broken collarbone while tackling a Florida player.[7] Mercer scored on a blocked kick.[8]

Columbia
1 2Total
• Florida 0 6 6
Columbia 0 0 0

Next, Florida gained a 6–0 upset win over Columbia Agricultural College of Savannah.[6][note 1] After a scoreless first half, Roy Corbett ran 65 yards to set up a touchdown run by coach Forsythe.[9] Forsythe also averaged 45 yards per punt.[10] The win led to a parade in the streets.[11]

Rollins
1 2Total
Rollins 4 0 4
• Florida 0 9 9

Against the Rollins Tars, Florida won 9–4. Merchants in Gainesville closed the stores from 3 to 4:30 p. m. to allow their workers to attend a State Championship game.[12] "Grit" Gibbs played with a fever which turned out to be malaria.[13]

Clarence Boyer made a placekick in the first half for Rollins. In the second, Florida got a touchdown on an 8-yard run by Jim Shands and a 35-yard drop kick from Mal Haughton.[13][14][15]

Riverside A. C.

Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club 21–0 in Jacksonville. Forsythe repeatedly ran for gains.[16]

Riverside A. C.

In a rematch, Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club 17–0 in Gainesville.[17]

Rollins

In a rematch, Florida fought Rollins to a scoreless tie in Winter Park.[14]

Postseason

Both Florida and Stetson claimed state titles.[18][note 2]

Notes
  1. A team photo is captioned "We licked Savannah 6 - 0. Hallelujah!!!"
  2. Another Florida team picture is captioned "Champions of Florida '07".

References
  1. Norm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 7–11 (2007).
  2. 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  3. McEwen 1974, p. 40
  4. Couch, Ernie (30 July 2001). "SEC Football Trivia". Thomas Nelson Inc – via Google Books.
  5. McCarthy 2000, p. 13
  6. McEwen 1974, p. 41
  7. "Broke His Collarbone But Saved Mercer Team". The Atlanta Constitution. October 13, 1907. p. 8. Retrieved July 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Mercer Defeats University Boys". Gainesville Daily Sun. October 13, 1907. p. 2. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Carlson 2007, p. 11
  10. Carlson 2007, p. 8
  11. "University Boys Were The Winners". Gainesville Daily Sun. October 28, 1907. p. 4. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Carlson 2007, p. 12
  13. Carlson 2007, p. 9
  14. "Football, 1907 :: Student Lives at Rollins".
  15. "Sandspur, Vol. 14 No. 01, 1908. :: Central Florida Memory". digital.library.ucf.edu.
  16. "University Boys Won Easy Victory". Gainesville Daily Sun. November 17, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "University Boys Won Easy Victory". Gainesville Daily Sun. November 29, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "A History of Stetson Football" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm (2007). University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators. Atlanta, Georgia: Whitman Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M (2000). Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom (1974). The Gators: A Story of Florida Football. Huntsville, Alabama: The Strode Publishers. ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
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