1909 Sewanee Tigers football team

The 1909 Sewanee Tigers football team represented Sewanee: The University of the South during the 1909 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The team was coached by Harris G. Cope in his 1st year as head coach, compiling a record of 6–1 (5–0 SIAA) and outscoring opponents 160 to 42 to win the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. Sewanee beat the previous season's champions LSU and Auburn, and upset rival Vanderbilt, handing the school its first loss to a Southern team in six years.

1909 Sewanee Tigers football
SIAA champion
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1909 record6–1 (4–0 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainSilas Williams
Home stadiumHardee Field
1909 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Sewanee $ 4 –0 –0  6 –1 –0
Vanderbilt 4 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
Alabama 4 –1 –1  5 –1 –2
LSU 3 –1 –0  6 –2 –0
Georgia Tech 4 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Auburn 4 –2 –0  5 –2 –0
Howard (AL) 2 –2 –0  5 –2 –1
Clemson 2 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Ole Miss 1 –2 –1  4 –3 –2
Georgia 1 –4 –1  1 –4 –2
The Citadel 0 –1 –1  4 –3 –2
Mississippi A&M 0 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Mercer 0 –4 –0  3 –5 –0
Tennessee 0 –5 –0  1 –6 –2
  • $ – Conference champion

Before the season

The Tigers hired new head coach Harris Cope, a former Sewanee quarterback. Assisting Cope was former Sewanee fullback and guard Henry D. Phillips; and former Princeton quarterback Edward Dillon.[1]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
October 9Southwestern Presbyterian*
W 64–0
October 16at Princeton*
L 0–20
October 23at Georgia Tech
W 15–0
October 30vs. LSU
W 15–67,000
November 6Castle Heights*
  • Hardee Field
  • Sewanee, TN
W 38–0
November 13at AuburnBirmingham, ALW 12–11
November 25at Vanderbilt
W 16–5
  • *Non-conference game

[2]

Season summary

Southwestern Presbyterian
1 2Total
SW Presb. 0 0 0
• Sewanee 29 35 64

Sources:[3]

The season opened with a 64–0 win over Southwestern Presbyterian. "The players suffered from the heat and dust."[3] The first score came after three minutes had past, when Ed Finlay ran 60 yards for a touchdown.[3]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Finlay (right end), Browne (quarterback), Myers (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[3]

at Princeton
1 2Total
Sewanee 0 0 0
• Princeton 8 12 20

Sources:[4]

Sewanee was defeated by eastern power Princeton 20–0. Princeton's F. B. Read scored first on a 10-yard touchdown through Sewanee's right side, five minutes into the first quarter.[4] Later, Princeton got a safety when Lionel Moise fell on his own punt in the endzone.[4] Later still, Read had a 65-yard touchdown run.[4] The final touchdown was a short run by F. T. Dawson.[4]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Gillem (right end), Brown (quarterback), Myers (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[4]

Georgia Tech
1 2Total
• Sewanee 6 9 15
Georgia Tech 0 0 0

Sources:[5]

Quarterback Chigger Browne starred in the 15–0 defeat of John Heisman's Georgia Tech. A touchdown in each half, and a 30-yard field goal from Moise in the second, made the scores. Browne ran in the first touchdown on a run which captured the crowd, and the second was on a forward pass from Browne to Hawkins.[5]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Finlay (right end), Browne (quarterback), Myers (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[5][6]

at LSU
1 2Total
• Sewanee 9 6 15
LSU 0 6 6

Sources:[7]

Sewanee beat the LSU Tigers in New Orleans 15–6. According to Vanderbilt coach Dan McGugin, Sewanee won due to better punting.[7]

President Taft (pictured) showed up for the Sewanee-LSU game.

Sewanee scored with an Aubrey Lanier touchdown and Moise drop kick in the first half.[7] LSU scored when, after blocking a punt, Robert L. Stovall recovered the ball for a touchdown.[8] Soon after, President William Howard Taft showed up to the game for about ten minutes.[8] Sewanee added another touchdown.[7]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Gillem (right end), Brown (quarterback), Myers (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[8]

Castle Heights

Sewanee beat the Castle Heights Military Academy 38–0. By the second half, Sewanee gained at will.[9] The feature of the game was Gillem's 100-yard touchdown run.[9]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Stoney (right guard), Stone (right tackle), Finlay (right end), Brown (quarterback), Gillem (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[9]

at Auburn
1 2Total
• Sewanee 6 6 12
Auburn 5 6 11

Sources:[10]

Sewanee defeated the Auburn Tigers by a single point, 12–11, Auburn's missed extra point proving the difference. Grantland Rice called this game the season's best contest, and recalled Lanier diving to fair catch a punt, and landing on his head.[11]

Auburn scored when Lew Hardage put the ball in striking distance with a 30-yard run. Bradley Streit then went over for the touchdowns, Reynolds missed the kick.[10] Sewanee's touchdown was set up by a 45-yard rush from Chigger Browne. Hawkins went over. Later, Browne had another big run of 60 yards and a touchdown.[10] Moise made both extra points. Auburn blocked a punt for another score late.[10]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Finlay (right end), Browne (quarterback), Lanier (left halfback), Gillem (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[12]

at Vanderbilt
1 2Total
• Sewanee 5 11 16
Vanderbilt 0 5 5

Sources:[13]

Sewanee easily defeated its old rival Vanderbilt 16–5, giving Vanderbilt its first loss to a Southern team in six years. and netting the SIAA championship for Sewanee. "Moise, for Sewanee, played the game of his life."[14] For Sewanee's first score, a forward pass netted forty yards and Aubrey Lanier went around end for a touchdown.[14] Lanier also got the second touchdown. The third came when Ed Finlay ran through the line.[14]

The starting lineup was Williams (left end), Faulkenberry (left tackle), Cheape (left guard), Juhan (center), Cox (right guard), Moise (right tackle), Finlay (right end), Browne (quarterback), Myers (left halfback), Lanier (right halfback), Hawkins (fullback).[13]

Postseason

The Tigers won the SIAA title for the first time since the 1899 "iron men". Grantland Rice called Aubrey Lanier "the noblest Tiger of them all."[15] The Kappa Alpha Journal gives similar praise that year, calling Lanier "The greatest performer of the college game on the Southern field.[16]

Players

Line
Player Position Games
started		 Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Eric CheapeguardAvon Park, Florida6'1"170
Thomas A. Cox, Jr.guard
Ed Finlayend
Frank FaulkinberrytackleLincoln County, Tennessee6'4"198
Alvin C. Gillemend
Frank JuhancenterMacon, Georgia5'11"160
Lionel MoisetackleDallas, Texas
Jim StoneyguardCamden, South Carolina
Silas WilliamsendGreenville, South Carolina5'9"150

Backfield
Player Position Games
started		 Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Chigger BrownequarterbackMemphis, Tennessee5'8"125
Murray Hawkinsfullback
Aubrey LanierhalfbackButler, Arkansas5'10"170
John D. Myershalfback

Coaching staff

References
  1. "Dillon will Coach The Tigers of 1910". The Evening Missourian. January 28, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved April 11, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "1909 Sewanee football schedule".
  3. "Sewanee's Easy Victory". The Courier-Journal. October 10, 1909. p. 11. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Princeton Too Strong". The Tennessean. October 17, 1909. p. 6. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Sewanee Bests Georgia Techs". The Tennessean. October 24, 1909. p. 14. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Woodruff 1928, p. 228
  7. Dan McGugin. "Sewanee Beats L. S. U." The Tennessean. p. 4. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Sewanee Wins Splendid Game". The Courier-Journal. October 31, 1909. p. 36. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Sewanee 38; C. H. 0". The Tennessean. November 9, 1909. p. 6. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Sewanee, 12; Auburn, 11". The Washington Post. November 14, 1909. p. 2. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Grantland Rice (November 15, 1909). "Brilliant Contest". The Tennessean. p. 6. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Tigers Trim Auburn Team". Atlanta Constitution. November 14, 1909. p. 3. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Sewanee Wins Southern Title From Vanderbilt". The Atlanta Constitution. November 26, 1909. p. 4. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Sewanee Wins Contest Easily". The Courier-Journal. November 26, 1909. p. 7. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. James Gregg (1949). "Sports at Sewanee". Sewanee Alumni News: 5.
  16. Order, Kappa Alpha (1909). "Alpha-Alpha, University of the South". Kappa Alpha Journal. 27 (2): 200.
  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. 1.
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