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1903 Cumberland Bulldogs football team

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1903 Cumberland Bulldogs football
SIAA co-champion
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record6–1–1 (4–1–1 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainW. W. Suddarth
Seasons
← 1902
1904 →
1903 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Clemson + 2 – 0 – 1 4 – 1 – 1
Cumberland (TN) + 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 1 – 1
Sewanee 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Vanderbilt 5 – 1 – 1 6 – 1 – 1
Mississippi A&M 2 – 0 – 2 3 – 0 – 2
Georgia 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 4 – 0
Ole Miss 1 – 1 – 1 2 – 1 – 1
Texas 0 – 0 – 1 5 – 1 – 2
Kentucky State 0 – 0 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Alabama 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 4 – 0
Auburn 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 3 – 0
Tennessee 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Georgia Tech 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Tulane 0 – 1 – 1 2 – 2 – 1
Mercer 0 – 1 – 0 0 – 1 – 0
Nashville 0 – 2 – 0 1 – 3 – 0
LSU 0 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
SW Presbyterian   –     –  
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1903 Cumberland Bulldogs football team represented Cumberland University in the 1903 college football season. The team was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), compiling a 6–1–1 record. The Bulldogs notably beat Vanderbilt and tied John Heisman's Clemson at year's end in a game billed as the "SIAA Championship Game." They also beat Alabama, LSU, and Tulane in five days. The school claims a share of the SIAA title. It has been called "the best football team in the history of Cumberland."[1][2]

Before the season

[edit]

For the 1903 season, point values were different from those used in contemporary games. In 1903 a touchdown was worth five points, a field goal was worth five points and a conversion (PAT) was worth one point.[3]

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultSource
October 33:00 p.m.at Vanderbilt
W 6–0[4]
October 203:00 p.m.at Sewanee
L 0–6[5]
November 2Tennessee Docs*Lebanon, TNW 86–0[6]
November 7Grant University of Athens*Lebanon, TNW 92–0[7]
November 14at Alabama
W 44–0[8]
November 163:00 p.m.at LSU
W 41–0[9]
November 183:30 p.m.at Tulane
W 28–0[10]
November 26vs. Clemson
T 11–11[11]

[12][13] Games with Kentucky State College and Kentucky University were canceled.[14][15]

Season summary

[edit]

At Vanderbilt

[edit]
Cumberland at Vanderbilt
1 2Total
• Cumberland 6 0 6
Vanderbilt 0 0 0

Cumberland upset the Vanderbilt Commodores 6–0. Four minutes after the game started, Waterhouse had the decisive touchdown. M. O. Bridges had his right collarbone broken.[16]

The starting lineup was Waterhouse (left end), M. L. Bridges (left tackle), James (left guard), Smith (center), Cragwall (right guard), Suddarth (right tackle), Spencer (right end), Smiser (quarterback), Head (left halfback), Newton (right halfback), M. O. Bridges (fullback).[16]

Sewanee

[edit]
Cumberland at Sewanee
1 2Total
Cumberland 0 0 0
• Sewanee 0 6 6

Cumberland suffered the season's only loss to the Sewanee Tigers. Henry D. Phillips plowed through the line for the deciding score.[17]

The starting lineup was Waterhouse (left end), M. L. Bridges (left tackle), James (left guard), Smith (center), Cragwall (right guard), Suddarth (right tackle), Spencer (right end), Smiser (quarterback), Head (left halfback), Anderson (right halfback), Minton (fullback).[17]

Tennessee Medical College

[edit]

Cumberland defeated Tennessee Medical College 86–0.[18] Spencer scored three touchdowns.

Grant University

[edit]

Cumberland then walloped Grant University of Athens 92–0.[19]

Alabama

[edit]

To close the regular season, Cumberland beat Alabama, LSU, and Tulane all by shutout in five days. Red Smith and Head starred in the 44–0 defeat of Alabama.[20] Cumberland outweighed Alabama by an average of nearly 30 pounds.[20]

The starting lineup was Waterhouse (left end), M. L. Bridges (left tackle), M. O. Bridges (left guard), Smith (center), Cragwall (right guard), Suddarth (right tackle), Spencer (right end), Smiser (quarterback), Head (left halfback), Anderson (right halfback), Minton (fullback).[21]

LSU

[edit]
Cumberland at LSU
1 2Total
• Cumberland 18 23 41
LSU 0 0 0

Just two days later, Cumberland beat W. S. Borland's LSU Tigers 41–0. The starting lineup was Ashley (left end), M. O. Bridges (left tackle), Lieper (left guard), Smith (center), Cragwall (right guard), Suddarth (right tackle), Sanders (right end), Smiser (quarterback), Head (left halfback), Anderson (right halfback), Minton (fullback).[22]

Tulane

[edit]

Two days later still, Cumberland defeated Tulane 28–0.

Postseason

[edit]

"SIAA championship game"

[edit]
Clemson vs. Cumberland
1 2Total
Clemson 0 11 11
Cumberland 11 0 11

Cumberland tied John Heisman's Clemson Tigers in a game billed as the SIAA championship. Cumberland rushed out to an early 11 to 0 lead. Wiley Lee Umphlett in Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football writes, "During the first half, Clemson was never really in the game due mainly to formidable line play of the Bridges brothers–giants in their day at 6 feet 4 inches–and a big center named "Red" Smith, was all over the field backing up the Cumberland line on defense. Clemson had been outweighed before, but certainly not like this."[23]

A contemporary account reads "The Clemson players seemed mere dwarfs as they lined up for the kickoff. To the crowd on the sidelines it didn't seem that Heisman's charges could possibly do more than give a gallant account of themselves in a losing battle."[23] A touchdown was scored by fullback E. L. Minton (touchdowns were worth 5 points).[24] Guard M. O. Bridges kicked the extra point. Halfback J. A. Head made another touchdown, but Bridges missed the try.

M. O. Bridges

After halftime, Clemson quarterback John Maxwell raced 100 yards for a touchdown. Clemson missed the try. Cumberland fumbled a punt and Clemson recovered. Cumberland expected a trick play when Fritz Furtick simply ran up the middle and scored.[25] One account of the play reads "Heisman saw his chance to exploit a weakness in the Cumberland defense: run the ball where the ubiquitous Red Smith wasn't. So the next time Sitton started out on one of his slashing end runs, at the last second he tossed he ball back to the fullback who charges straight over center (where Smith would have been except that he was zeroing in on the elusive Sitton) and went all the way for he tying touchdown."[23] Jock Hanvey kicked the extra point and the game ended in an 11–11 tie. The winning team was to be awarded the ball. Captain W. W. Suddarth of Cumberland wanted captain Hope Sadler of Clemson to get the ball, and Sadler insisted Suddarth should have it. Some ten minutes of bickering was resolved when the ball was given to patrolman Patrick J. Sweeney, for warning the media and fans to stay down in front and allow spectators to see the game.[25] Heisman pushed for Cumberland to be named SIAA champions at year's end,[26] and the school claims a share of the title.[27][28] It was Heisman's last game as Clemson head coach.[29]

The starting lineup was Waterhouse (left end), M. L. Bridges (left tackle), M. O. Bridges (left guard), Smith (center), Cragwall (right guard), Suddarth (right tackle), Spencer (right end), Smiser (quarterback), Head (left halfback), Anderson (right halfback), Minton (fullback).[30]

Players

[edit]

Line

[edit]
Player Position Games
started 		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Milton. L. Bridges tackle Cornersville, Tennessee 6'4" 225
Marvin O. Bridges guard Cornersville, Tennessee 6'4" 225 25
William Cragwell guard
Red Smith center Mooney 6'0"
C. M. Spencer end
W. W. Suddarth tackle
C. E. Waterhouse end

Backfield

[edit]
Player Position Games
started 		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
J. C. Anderson halfback
J. A. Head halfback
E. L. Minton fullback
Booker Smiser quarterback

Awards and honors

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
  • Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 1.
  • "Football Team: Team of '03". The Phoenix. Lebanon, Tennessee: Students of Cumberland University. 1904. pp. 118–121. Retrieved December 6, 2024 – via Internet Archive.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Winstead Paine Bone (1935). A History of Cumberland University. The Author. pp. 137, 260.
  2. ^ "Fine Football in Southland". The Courier-Journal. October 25, 1903. p. 25. Retrieved May 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Scoring values". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  4. ^ "Vanderbilt beaten; Cumberland University team spring surprise on Nashville collegians". The Commercial Appeal. October 4, 1903. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Sewanee wins, but it was the fight of her life". Nashville Banner. October 21, 1903. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "By Large Score". Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. November 3, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved July 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  7. ^ "Cumberland , 92; Grant, 0". Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga, Tennessee. November 8, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. ^ "Cumberland too heavy, Defeats University of Alabama, 44 to 0". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 15, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Cumberland keeps up great winning streak". The Atlanta Journal. November 17, 1903. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Football!". The Times-Democrat. New Orleans, Louisiana. November 18, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved July 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "Right royal football game between Cumberland–Clemson resulted in tie". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 27, 1903. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "1903 schedule".
  13. ^ "Athletics". Cumberland University Bulletin: 32.
  14. ^ "No Game At Lexington". The Courier-Journal. November 3, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved December 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ "Kentucky University Game Cancelled". The Courier-Journal. October 27, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved December 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. ^ a b "Cumberland Wins". The Tennessean. October 4, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved May 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  17. ^ a b "The Varsity Triumphs Over Cumberland". Sewanee Purple. Vol. 20, no. 8. October 27, 1903. hdl:11005/766.
  18. ^ "Clemson Team Much Crippled". The Atlanta Constitution. November 11, 1903. p. 9. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. ^ "Cumberland's Easy Victory". The Courier-Journal. November 8, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved December 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  20. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 150
  22. ^ "Louisiana Is Very Easy". The Times-Democrat. November 17, 1903. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  23. ^ a b c Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football. p. 67. ISBN 9780313284045.
  24. ^ Sam Blackman (December 15, 2014). "Clemson's "First Bowl Game"". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  25. ^ a b Lou Sahadi (October 2014). "24. 1903 Game With Cumberland". 100 Things Clemson Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. ISBN 9781623689490.
  26. ^ Langum, David J (January 2010). From Maverick to Mainstream: Cumberland School of Law, 1847-1997. p. 95. ISBN 9780820336183.
  27. ^ "Football".
  28. ^ "Cumberland Blues". May 17, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  29. ^ John M. Heisman (October 2, 2012). Heisman: The Man Behind The Trophy. p. 138. ISBN 9781451682939.
  30. ^ "Clemson Tigers Tie Cumberland". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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