1908 Florida football team

The 1908 Florida football team represented the University of Florida during the 1908 college football season. The season was Jack Forsythe's third and last as the head coach of the University of Florida football team.[2] Forsythe's 1908 Florida football team posted a record of 5–2–1 in their third varsity season.

1908 Florida football
ConferenceIndependent
1908 record5–2–1
Head coach
CaptainWilliam Wetmore "Gric" Gibbs[1]
1908 Southern college football independents records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Virginia      7 0 1
George Washington      8 1 1
Oklahoma      8 1 1
Tulane      7 1 0
North Carolina A&M      6 1 0
Navy      9 2 1
Florida      5 2 1
Davidson      5 2 2
TCU      6 3 0
VMI      4 2 0
VPI      5 4 0
Texas      5 4 0
Kentucky State      4 3 0
West Virginia      5 3 0
Arkansas State Normal      3 3 0
North Carolina      3 3 3
Delaware      3 4 1
William & Mary      4 6 1
Kendall      2 3 0
South Carolina      3 5 1
Georgetown      2 4 1
Howard (AL)      2 4 0
Maryland      3 8 0
Stetson      0 1 1
Wake Forest      1 4 0
Southwest Texas State      0 2 0
Marshall      0 6 0

Before the season

The team was captained by veteran transfer William Gibbs. It was the first season for a talented Gainesville product, Dummy Taylor.[3] The backfield also included Charlie Bartleson Jim Vidal, and William A. Shands, future state senator and namesake of Shands Hospital.[3]

One story of Florida becoming the "Florida Gators" originates in 1908. Gainesville shop owner ordered orange and blue pennants with a gator emblem from the Michie Company, drawing inspiration from the University of Virginia.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResult
October 10at MercerMacon, GAL 0–24
October 17at Riverside Athletic Club
W 4–0
October 21Gainesville Athletic Club
W 37–5
October 24at Columbia CollegeLake City, FLW 6–0
November 1at RollinsWinter Park, FLL 0–5
November 7Stetson
  • The Baseball Park
  • Gainesville, FL
W 6–5
November 21Riverside Athletic Club
  • The Baseball Park
  • Gainesville, FL
W 37–0
November 26at StetsonDeLand, FLT 0–0

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.[5]

Season summary

Mercer

The Florida football team opened the season with a loss to the Mercer Baptists for the third consecutive season, 24–0. Mercer outweighed Florida by 20 pounds.[6]

The starting lineup was Malhorton (left end), Rader (left tackle), Vanfleet (left guard), Parker (center), Videll (right guard), J. Taylor (right tackle), Shands (right end), Thompson (quarterback), Bartleson (left halfback), E. Taylor (right halfback), Gibbs (fullback).[6]

Riverside A. C.

UF at Riverside, 1908

Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club of Jacksonville twice. The first win was 4–0. Former Gator Roy Corbett coached and played right halfback for Riverside.[7]

Gainesville A. C.

The Gainesville Athletic Club fell to Florida 37–5.

Columbia College

Columbia College of Lake City was beaten 6–0.

Rollins

1 2Total
Florida 0 0 0
Rollins 0 5 5

Florida lost to the state champion Rollins Tars 5–0. Rollins' Harman broke away for a 30-yard touchdown in the second half.[8]

Stetson

Florida also played the Stetson Hatters for the first time, beating them 6–5 on the Orange and Blue's home field in Gainesville. Dummy Taylor's extra point decided the win over Stetson, after a Charlie Bartleson touchdown run.[3][9]

Riverside A. C.

The second win over Riverside was 37–0.

Stetson

1 2Total
Florida 0 0 0
Stetson 0 0 0

Florida tied Stetson 0–0 in a rematch on the Hatters' home field in DeLand, Florida.[10]

The starting lineup was Moody (left end), Taylor (left tackle), Shands (left guard), Parker (center), McMillan (right guard), Rader (right tackle), Haughton (right end), Bartleson (quarterback), Gibbs (left halfback), E. Taylor (right halfback), Vidal (fullback).[10]

Postseason

Forsythe finished his three-year tenure as Florida's football coach with an overall record of 14–6–2.[5][11]

References

  1. http://www.essie.ufl.edu/about_us/history/honoring_william_wetmore_gibbs/
  2. Norm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 7–11 (2007).
  3. McEwen 1974, p. 42
  4. McEwen 1974, p. 43
  5. 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.
  6. "Mercer 24; Florida 0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 11, 1908. p. 4. Retrieved July 22, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  7. McEwen 1974, p. 41
  8. Football 1908
  9. "U. of F. Victorious". Stetson Weekly Collegiate. 21 (6). November 12, 1908.
  10. "Football Game". Stetson Weekly Collegiate. 21 (3). November 26, 1908.
  11. Horne 2012, p. 105

Bibliography

  • Horne, Larry E. (2012). Florida Gators IQ. ISBN 1-4499-8947-0.
  • McEwen, Tom (1974). The Gators: A Story of Florida Football. Huntsville, Alabama: The Strode Publishers. ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
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