1908 Auburn Tigers football team

1908 Auburn Tigers football
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1908 record 6–1 (5–1 SIAA)
Head coach Mike Donahue
Base defense 7-2-2
Captain Tom McLure
1908 SIAA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
LSU † 3 – 0 – 0     10 – 0 – 0
Tulane 2 – 0 – 0     7 – 1 – 0
Vanderbilt 3 – 0 – 1     7 – 2 – 1
Auburn 5 – 1 – 0     6 – 1 – 0
Tennessee 4 – 2 – 0     7 – 2 – 0
Georgia Tech 5 – 3 – 0     6 – 3 – 0
Georgia 3 – 2 – 1     5 – 2 – 1
Alabama 1 – 1 – 1     6 – 1 – 1
Sewanee 1 – 1 – 1     4 – 1 – 3
Mississippi A&M 1 – 3 – 0     3 – 4 – 0
Clemson 1 – 4 – 0     1 – 6 – 0
Texas A&M 0 – 1 – 0     3 – 5 – 0
Dahlonega 0 – 1 – 0     0 – 1 – 0
Memphis University School 0 – 1 – 0     0 – 1 – 0
Mercer 0 – 3 – 0     3 – 4 – 0
Ole Miss 0 – 3 – 0     3 – 5 – 0
Gordon 0 – 3 – 0     0 – 3 – 0
Nashville   –         –  
Southern   –         –  
† – Conference champion

The 1908 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1908 college football season. The team went 6–1, outscoring opponents 158–10. Auburn featured a strong defense that held all opponents scoreless except the 10–2 loss to LSU. This team was the first during the second term of coach Mike Donahue at Auburn.

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
October 3 Howard West End Park • Birmingham, AL W 18–0  
October 10 Gordon* Auburn athletic field • Auburn, AL W 42–0  
October 17 at Mercer Macon, GA W 23–0  
October 24 12:00 pm Sewanee West End Park • Birmingham, AL W 6–0   3,000
October 31 LSU Auburn athletic field • Auburn, AL L 2–10  
November 7 at Georgia Tech Ponce de Leon Park • Atlanta, GA W 44–0  
November 14 Georgia Montgomery Baseball Park • Montgomery, AL W 23–0   3,500
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game.

Game notes

Howard College

1 2Total
• Auburn 18 0 18
Howard 0 0 0
  • Location: Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game start: afternoon
  • Game weather: 70°, Clear
  • Referee: Frank Jones

In a game of a 20- and 15-minute halves, Auburn scored three touchdowns in the first half to put away Howard College at West End Park in Birmingham. Despite being outweighed by Howard, Auburn had success running against the Bulldogs' tackles in the first half. The second half saw no score on either side with Auburn held in check by the punting of Bennie, Howard's left tackle. Both teams were reported to show a lack of preparation, with Auburn's talent making the difference in the game.[1][2]

Gordon College

1 2Total
Gordon 0 0 0
• Auburn 30 12 42
  • Location: Auburn, Alabama
  • Game start: afternoon
  • Game weather: 63°, Cloudy

In a game where the Tigers were not forced to punt, Auburn easily defeated the high school team from Gordon College in quick game at the Auburn athletic field. Auburn took the opening kickoff and drove for its first touchdown in the first two minutes, followed by four more touchdowns before the end of the half through the rushing of L. W. Hardage and D. Herron. Auburn's scrubs scored two more touchdowns in the second half to finish out the game.[1][3]

Mercer University

1 2Total
• Auburn 6 17 23
Mercer 0 0 0
  • Location: Macon, Georgia
  • Game weather: 80°, Partly cloudy

Auburn was held to a single score in the first half, but wore down Mercer's line in the second half, scoring three touchdowns behind the running of L. W. Hardage. Mercer's Poole returned an Auburn interception 70 yards before being dragged down short of the goal line by Auburn halfback W. W. Wynne, which was the only threat to score the Baptists had all game.[1]

Sewanee

1 2Total
Sewanee 0 0 0
• Auburn 0 6 6
  • Location: Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game start: 12:00 pm
  • Game attendance: 3,000
  • Game weather: 65°, Cloudy
  • Referee: Bradley Walker

Sewanee held the ball for most of the first half, exploiting Auburn's tackles—brought in against the inside run—with runs around end. Sewanee was unable to score, however, with Auburn's G. B. Sparkman recovering a Sewanee fumble on the Auburn two yard line. Auburn began to move the ball consistently on the visitors late in the first half, ending the period in Sewanee territory. In the second half, changes in Auburn's defense stymied Sewanee's end runs and field position gradually shifted in Auburn's favor. With seven minutes left in the game, Auburn's L.W. Hardage returned a Sewanee punt 45 yards for the game's only touchdown. [1][4]

Louisiana State

1 2Total
• LSU 5 5 10
Auburn 2 0 2
  • Location: Auburn, Alabama
  • Game start: 3:45 pm
  • Game weather: 70°, Fair
  • Referee: Halegan

Undefeated LSU met undefeated Auburn for the top spot in the SIAA at the Auburn athletic field. Auburn fumbled to LSU on its opening drive, and after an unsuccessful series of downs by each team, LSU launched a 51-yard scoring drive capped by a 40 yard touchdown pass from Fenton to Lally to bring the score to 5–0 in LSU's favor. Later in the half, Auburn's T.C. Locke blocked an LSU punt which was recovered by LSU's Fenton behind his own goal for a safety. After a short LSU drive in the second half, the teams traded free kicks on goal, none of which were successful, before Fenton returned an Auburn kick 35 yards to the Auburn 40 yard line. LSU drove to the Auburn 25, where Lally scored a touchdown around left end. LSU missed their second PAT of the game to leave the score at 10–2 in the visitor's favor. The remainder of the game was made up of short drives, kicks, and several penalties, including an ejection of LSU's captain Gandy for unnecessary roughness. [1][5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Glomerata (1909), 276–282.
  2. ↑ "Auburn Wins Game", Montgomery Advertiser, October 4, 1908.
  3. ↑ "Runs Over Gordon", Montgomery Advertiser, October 11, 1908.
  4. ↑ "Auburn Downs Mountain Men", Montgomery Advertiser, October 25, 1908.
  5. ↑ "Auburn Goes Down Before Louisiana", Montgomery Advertiser, November 1, 1908.

External links