1915 Florida Gators football team

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1915 Florida Gators football
Florida Gators c. 1915
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record4–3 (3–3 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainA. A. "Daddy" Lotspeich
Home stadiumUniversity Athletic Field
Seasons
← 1914
1916 →
1915 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Vanderbilt $ 5 0 0 9 1 0
Alabama 5 0 0 6 2 0
LSU 4 0 0 6 2 0
Transylvania 3 0 1 7 1 1
Auburn 5 1 0 6 2 0
Georgia 3 1 1 5 2 2
Chattanooga 3 1 2 5 2 2
Mississippi A&M 4 2 1 5 2 1
Kentucky 2 1 1 6 1 1
Florida 3 3 0 4 3 0
Clemson 2 2 1 2 4 2
South Carolina 1 1 1 5 3 1
Furman 1 1 0 5 3 0
Mercer 2 3 0 5 4 0
Mississippi College 2 3 0 4 4 1
The Citadel 1 2 0 5 3 0
Sewanee 1 2 2 4 3 2
Tennessee 1 4 0 4 4 0
Tulane 1 4 0 4 4 0
Central University 0 3 1 3 5 1
Louisville 0 3 1 1 5 1
Howard (AL) 0 3 0 3 4 1
Wofford 0 3 0 3 5 0
Ole Miss 0 5 0 2 6 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1915 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1915 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The season was C. J. McCoy's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. McCoy's 1915 Florida Gators completed their tenth varsity football season with an overall record of 4–3[1] and their sixth year in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) with a conference record of 3–3.[2]

Before the season

Last year, first-year head coach

Charles J. McCoy had churned out a Florida team in the top half of the SIAA.[3] McCoy this year was also the school's first basketball
coach.

The team's captain was tackle A. A. "Daddy" Lotspeich. At the guards were

backfield was Rammy Ramsdell, "the Gators' first quarterback of note,"[4] and first scholarship athlete at the University of Florida.[4]

Assisting the team was Z. J. Stanley, the head coach of the Maryville Scots the previous year.[5]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultSource
October 9at AuburnL 0–7[6]
October 163:25 p.m.vs. SewaneeL 0–7[7]
October 30
Florida Southern*
W 45–0[8]
November 6vs. Georgia
  • Barrs Field
  • Jacksonville, FL (rivalry)
L 0–37[9]
November 13The Citadel
  • Fleming Field
  • Gainesville, FL
W 6–0[10]
November 18Tulane
  • Fleming Field
  • Gainesville, FL
W 14–7[11]
November 25at Mercer
W 34–7[12]
  • *Non-conference game

[1]

Game summaries

Auburn

Florida at Auburn
1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
Auburn 0 007 7

The season opened with a 7–0 loss to Auburn. Florida played hard for three quarters, until Wren scored the winning touchdown in the final period.[13]

Ham Dowling

The starting lineup was Henderson (left end), Lotspiech (left tackle), Callen (left guard), Farrin (center), Yon (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Roble (right end), Ramsdell (quarterback), Thompson (left halfback), Fuller (right halfback), Sparkman (fullback).[13]

Sewanee

Sewanee at Florida
1 234Total
Sewanee 0 700 7
Florida 0 000 0
  • Date: October 16
  • Location: Barrs Field
    Jacksonville, FL
  • Game start: 3:25 p. m.
  • Game weather: Hot

Florida lost to coach

Harris Cope's Sewanee Tigers 7–0, continuing the losing streak against the Tigers. The Sewanee game was then the largest crowd to see a game in Jacksonville.[15]

"After scoring one touchdown Sewanee was content to allow Florida to exhaust herself in vain attempts to find the weak spot in the Purple defense."[14] Sewanee's Ellerbe scored the game's only touchdown.[14]

The starting lineup was Henderson (left end), Lotspeich (left tackle), Dowling (left guard), Farrior (center), Yon (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Robles (right end), Ramsdell (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Fuller (fullback).[14]

Florida Southern

The Gators lengthened their winning streak against

Florida Southern with an easy 45–0 victory.[16]

Georgia

Georgia at Florida
1 234Total
Georgia 0 13177 37
Florida 0 000 0
  • Date: November 6
  • Location: Barrs Field
    Jacksonville, FL
  • Referee: Rip Major

The Gators lost their first-ever game against coach Alex Cunningham's Georgia Bulldogs 0–37 in Jacksonville, at a larger crowder than at the Sewanee game.[17] The Gators carried the ball to Georgia's 15-yard line in the first period, but never threatened afterwards.[18] Georgia put across two touchdowns in the second quarter, and had a strong second half.[17]

Rammy Ramsdell

The starting lineup was Henderson (left end), Lotspeich (left tackle), Dowling (left guard), Farrior (center), Robles (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Lovell (right end), Ramsdell (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Fuller (fullback).[17]

The Citadel

The Citadel at Florida
1 234Total
The Citadel 0 000 0
Florida 0 060 6
  • Date: November 13
  • Location:
    Gainesville, FL

Florida beat The Citadel 6–0 in a game "marked by frequent fumbling."[19] Florida scored when, in the third quarter, Sparkman rushed for an 8-yard touchdown.[19]

Tulane

In a torrential rain,

Tulane for the first time and upset the Olive and Blue 14–7, the highlight of the season.[20] Rammy Ramsdell scored the game-winning touchdown, "crashing through center" and zig-zagging 60 yards to the endzone.[21]

The starting lineup was Henderson (left end), Lotspeich (left tackle), Yon (left guard), Farrior (center), Robles (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Wilkinson (right end), Ramsdell (quarterback), Sparkman (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Fuller (fullback).[21]

Mercer

Florida at Mercer
1 234Total
Florida 13 777 34
Mercer 0 070 7

The Gators defeated the Mercer Baptists 34–7. Rammy Ramsdell had a then-school record of four touchdowns.[23][24][25][26][27]

According to one account, Ramsdell in fact scored three touchdowns but set up all five. The first was a Sparkman touchdown set up by a 25-yard end run from Ramsdell, the second was a 5-yard run by Fuller set up by a 40-yard pass from Ramsdell to Henderson.[22]

The starting lineup was Henderson (left end), Lotspeich (left tackle), Robles (left guard), Farrior (center), Yon (right guard), Goldsby (right tackle), Wilkinson (right end), Ramsdell (quarterback), Thomson (left halfback), Sparkman (right halfback), Fuller (fullback).[22]

Personnel

Line

Player Position Games
started
High school Height Weight Age
Ham Dowling Guard
Duval
5'9" 185 20
Rex Farrior
Center
Hillsborough
5'8" 170 19
Jack Goldsby Tackle 5'9" 185 20
B. Henderson End 5'8" 150 20
Daddy Lotspeich Tackle 5'10" 175 23
Liza Robles Tackle 5'11" 180 21
Bill Wilkinson End 5'8" 145 22
Everett Yon Guard 5'11" 175 20

Backfield

Player Position Games
started
High school Height Weight Age
Bush Bushnell Halfback 5'8" 150 21
Ed Embry Halfback 5'11" 170 22
Artie Fuller Fullback 5'11" 158 20
Rammy Ramsdell Quarterback Hillsborough 5'10" 150 21
Jim Sparkman Halfback 5'8" 167 19
Harry K. Thompson Halfback 5'7" 150 24

Subs

Player Position Games
started
High school Height Weight Age
Paul Collins Line 5'10" 175 22
Fat DeVane Guard 6'0" 205 20
Stock Stockton 5'9" 160 21

[28]

Coaching staff

  • Head coach:
    Charles J. McCoy
  • Assistant coach: Z. J. Stanley
  • Manager: T. J. Swanson

References

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ University of Florida 1916, p. 87
  4. ^ a b 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 October 2, 2011.
  5. ^ a b University of Florida 1916, p. 95
  6. Newspapers.com
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  7. Newspapers.com
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  8. Newspapers.com
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  9. Newspapers.com
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  10. Newspapers.com
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  11. Newspapers.com
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  12. Newspapers.com
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  13. ^
    Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ .
  15. ^ "The Game owes it all to Sewanee". November 2, 1997.
  16. ^ University of Florida 1916, p. 94
  17. ^ a b c d "Georgia Victorious Over Aligators---Score: 37-0". The Red and Black. Vol. 22, no. 6. November 19, 1915.
  18. Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. ^
  20. ^ McEwen 1974, p. 59
  21. ^
    Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  22. ^
  23. ^ Rachel George (September 26, 2010). "Where Florida freshman Trey Burton's six-touchdown game ranks".
  24. .
  25. ^ "Tebow Leads Football to Victory at South Carolina, 51-31". November 11, 2007. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  26. ^ "Making His Mark".
  27. ^ "Sports: Spurrier ire directed at fourth-down conversions".
  28. ^ University of Florida 1916, pp. 88–95

Bibliography