Wikipedia

1916 Florida Gators football team

The 1916 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1916 college football season. The season was C. J. McCoy's third and last as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Depleted of first-string football talent and lacking depth, McCoy's 1916 Florida Gators suffered through a disastrous season in which they posted an overall record of 0–5 and a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) conference record of 0–4 while scoring a total of three points, leading to the head coach's dismissal.[1][2]

1916 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record0–5 (0–4 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainRex Farrior
Home stadiumUniversity Athletic Field
Seasons
← 1915
1917 →
1916 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 1
Tennessee + 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Vanderbilt 4 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
LSU 3 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 2
The Citadel 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1
Tulane 2 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Kentucky 2 – 1 – 2 4 – 1 – 2
Auburn 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Georgia 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Alabama 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Sewanee 2 – 2 – 2 5 – 2 – 2
Centre 1 – 1 – 1 5 – 1 – 3
Howard (AL) 1 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Georgetown (KY) 1 – 1 – 0 2 – 1 – 0
Mississippi A&M 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Transylvania 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 3 – 2
Mississippi College 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Clemson 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Wofford 1 – 2 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Louisville 1 – 2 – 1 2 – 3 – 1
Furman 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Chattanooga 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Florida 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 5 – 0
Mercer 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Ole Miss 0 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

Florida football's first losing season was notable for the first meetings with future Southeastern Conference rivals Tennessee and Alabama.

Before the season

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Florida had posted a 9–5 record over the previous two seasons under Coach McCoy. Believing that he had the makings of a great squad, he arranged the most ambitious and difficult football schedule to date.[3] McCoy's plans were thwarted, however, by a series of injuries and academic ineligibility problems, beginning when the Gators' starting quarterback, Rammy Ramsdell, broke his leg playing on Florida's baseball team and missed the entire football season.[4]

The team suffered the transfer of guard Ham Dowling, and tackle Everett Yon was called by the National Guard to defend the Mexican border.[5] Due to a shortage of men, captain Rex Farrior, previously a center, moved to fullback.[note 1]

Mercer scheduled a game with Florida, but several Mercer linemen were behind in their studies, and the game was canceled.[7]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 14at Georgia
L 0–21[8]
October 21vs. Alabama
L 0–16[9]
October 28vs. Tennessee
L 0–24[10]
November 11vs. AuburnJacksonville, FL (rivalry)L 0–20[11]
November 18at Indiana*
L 3–145,000[12]
  • *Non-conference game

[2]

Game summaries

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Georgia

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Florida at Georgia
1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Georgia 0 0714 21

The season opened with a 21–0 loss to Georgia in Athens. The contest was scoreless in the first half.[13] Georgia had to send in two stars who were resting with dislocated shoulders.[13] Walter Neville scored the game's first touchdown.[13]

The starting lineup was F. Henderson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Duvan (left guard), Robles (center), Golsby (right guard), Perry (right tackle), Wilkinson (right end), Fuller (quarterback), Wilson (left halfback), Hatcher (right halfback), Farrier (fullback).[13]

Alabama

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Led by Cecil Creen, the Crimson Tide beat the Gators 16–0 in the two's first ever meeting.[14] Creen twice tackled Florida's Ward from behind with a clear field ahead.[14] It was the Gators' first loss at University Field.[15]

Tennessee

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Tennessee at Florida
1 234Total
• Tennessee 7 7010 24
Florida 0 000 0

The SIAA champion Tennessee Volunteers blanked the Gators in Tampa 24 to 0 in the two rivals first-ever meeting. Buck Hatcher's punts were the feature of the contest.[16]

The starting lineup was F. Henderson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Perry (left guard), Robles (center), O. DeVane (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Wood (right end), Fuller (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Wilson (right halfback), Farrier (fullback).[16]

Auburn

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Auburn at Florida
1 234Total
• Auburn 6 707 20
Florida 0 000 0

The Auburn Plainsmen beat the Gators 20–0. Auburn's fullback Scott was the star of the contest. The second touchdown was a 50-yard interception return by Godwin.[17]

The starting lineup was F. Henderson (left end), Bankston (left tackle), Rosenthal (left guard), Robles (center), Stockton (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Wood (right end), Fuller (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Hatcher (right halfback), Farrier (fullback).[17]

At Indiana

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Florida at Indiana
1 234Total
Florida 0 300 3
• Indiana 0 077 14
  • Date: November 18
  • Location: Jordan Field
    Bloomington, IN
  • Game attendance: 5,000
  • Referee: Hamm (Kenyon)

Captain Rex Farrior broke his leg in the final two minutes of the final game, a 14–3 loss at Indiana, the only game in which the Gators scored when Paul Baker made a field goal.[18] Up at the half 3–0, Florida lineman Orryl Robles was ejected, and Florida never recovered.[15]

The starting lineup was F. Henderson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Rosenthal (left guard), Robles (center), Stockton (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Wood (right end), Fuller (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Hatcher (right halfback), Farrier (fullback).[18]

Postseason

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C. J. McCoy finished his three-year tenure as the Gators' coach with an overall record of 9–10.[2]

Personnel

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Line

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Player Position Games
started 		High school Height Weight Age
Bake Baker Tackle 4 6'2" 205 22
Paul Collins Line 5'10" 185 24
Fats DeVane Guard, center 2 6'0" 205 23
Jack Goldsby Tackle 4 5'9" 185 23
W. B. Henderson End 4 5'9" 155 23
Tootie Perry Guard 2 5'8" 235 21
Liza Robles Center 4 5'11" 180 23
Jew Rosenthal Tackle 2 5'10" 176 21
Stock Stockton Guard 2 5'9" 160 23
Tuck Tucker End 6'1" 158 19
Rowdy Bill Wilkinson End 1 5'8" 145 24
G. P. Wood End 3 6'1" 170 21

Backfield

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Player Position Games
started 		High school Height Weight Age
Bush Bushnell Halfback 5'8" 150 21
Rex Farrior Fullback 4 Hillsborough 5'8" 170 20
Artie Fuller Quarterback 4 5'11" 158 21
Fritz Hatcher Halfback 3 5'8" 155 22
Raymond Rood Halfback 6'0" 155 20
Jim Sparkman Halfback 3 5'8" 167 22
Leo Wilson Halfback 2 5'9" 155 20

Coaching staff

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Notes

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  1. ^ Rex Farrior became a name partner in a prominent Tampa law firm with 1910 quarterback Bob Shackleford, and remained one of the biggest boosters of the Gators sports program until his death.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Roger Saylor, "Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine," College Football Historical Society, The LA84 Foundation (1993). Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c 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. 59
  4. ^ Joey Johnston, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 98 Rammy Ramsdell Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine," The Tampa Tribune (September 22, 1999). Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  5. ^ McEwen 1974, p. 60
  6. ^ "Rex Farrior". National Football Foundation.
  7. ^ "Game With Florida Cancelled By Mercer". The Atlanta Constitution. October 30, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "Georgia beat Florida, 21–0". The Atlanta Journal. October 15, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Alabama too strong for Gator eleven". The Tampa Tribune. October 22, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Tennessee eleven clearly outclasses that of Florida". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 29, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Auburn crushes Florida". The Commercial Appeal. November 12, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Indiana is winner over Florida, 14 to 3". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. November 19, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Florida Eleven Worried Georgia". The Atlanta Constitution. October 15, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  14. ^ a b "1916 Recap" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  15. ^ a b McEwen 1974, p. 62
  16. ^ a b c "Tennessee 24, Florida 0". Atlanta Constitution. October 29, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  17. ^ a b c "Auburn Is Victor Over Florida Team". The Atlanta Constitution. November 12, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  18. ^ a b c D. C. Miller (November 19, 1916). "Florida Put Out 14-3, by Stiehm Men". The Indianapolis Star. p. 33. Retrieved August 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  19. ^ University of Florida 1917, pp. 94–101

Bibliography

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  • McEwen, Tom (1974). The Gators: A Story of Florida Football. Huntsville, Alabama: The Strode Publishers. ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • University of Florida (1917). The Seminole. Vol. 8.
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