1907 Florida football team

1907 Florida Gators football
State co-champion
Conference Independent
1907 record 4–1–1
Head coach Jack Forsythe (2nd season)
Offensive scheme Minnesota shift
Captain Roy W. Corbett
1907 college football independents records
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Oregon Agricultural   –       6 – 0 – 0
Washington State   –       7 – 1 – 0
North Carolina A&M   –       6 – 0 – 1
Oregon   –       5 – 1 – 0
USC   –       5 – 1 – 0
Florida   –       4 – 1 – 1
Montana   –       4 – 1 – 1
Utah   –       4 – 2 – 0
Virginia   –       6 – 3 – 1
North Carolina   –       4 – 4 – 1
Washington   –       4 – 4 – 2
Maryland   –       3 – 5 – 0

The 1907 Florida football team represented the University of Florida during the 1907 college football season. The season was Jack Forsythe's second as the head coach of the University of Florida football team.[1] The Orange and Blue lost to the Mercer Bears for the second season in a row, beat the Rollins College Tars in Gainesville, Florida, and tied the Tars on their home field in Winter Park, Florida. Forsythe's 1907 Florida football team posted an overall record of 4–1–1 in their second varsity season.[2]

Before the season

Roy Corbett

Only four men from the 1906 team returned.[3] Captain Roy Corbett was also the athletics editor of the Florida Pennant.[4] The team featured newcomer William A. Shands, future state senator and namesake of Shands Hospital.[5][6]

Schedule

Date Opponent Site Result
October 12 at Mercer Macon, GA L 6–0  
October 26 at Columbia Agricultural College Savannah, GA W 6–0  
November 9? Rollins The Baseball Park • Gainesville, FL W 9–4  
November 16 at Riverside Athletic Club Jacksonville, FL W 21–0  
November 28 Riverside Athletic Club The Baseball Park • Gainesville, FL W 17–0  
November 30? at Rollins Winter Park, FL T 0–0  

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.[2]

Season summary

Mercer

The season opened with the Mercer Baptists beating Florida 6–0. Sam Jameson, son of Mercer president S. Y. Jameson, sustained a broken collarbone while tackling a Florida player.[7] Mercer scored on a blocked kick.[8]

Columbia

1 2Total
• Florida 0 6 6
Columbia 0 0 0

Next, Florida gained a 6–0 upset win over Columbia Agricultural College of Savannah.[6][note 1] After a scoreless first half, Roy Corbett ran 65 yards to set up a touchdown run by coach Forsythe.[9] Forsythe also averaged 45 yards per punt.[10] The win led to a parade in the streets.[11]

Rollins

1 2Total
Rollins 4 0 4
• Florida 0 9 9

Against the Rollins Tars, Florida won 9–4. Merchants in Gainesville closed the stores from 3 to 4:30 p. m. to allow their workers to attend a State Championship game.[12] "Grit" Gibbs played with a fever which turned out to be malaria.[13]

Clarence Boyer made a placekick in the first half for Rollins. In the second, Florida got a touchdown on an 8-yard run by Jim Shands and a 35-yard drop kick from Mal Haughton.[13][14][15]

Riverside A. C.

Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club 21–0 in Jacksonville. Forsythe repeatedly ran for gains.[16]

Riverside A. C.

In a rematch, Florida beat the Riverside Athletic Club 17–0 in Gainesville.[17]

Rollins

In a rematch, Florida fought Rollins to a scoreless tie in Winter Park.[14]

Postseason

Both Florida and Stetson claimed state titles.[18][note 2]

Notes

  1. ↑ A team photo is captioned "We licked Savannah 6 - 0. Hallelujah!!!"
  2. ↑ Another Florida team picture is captioned "Champions of Florida '07".

References

  1. ↑ Norm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 7–11 (2007).
  2. 1 2 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, p. 40
  4. ↑ Couch, Ernie (30 July 2001). "SEC Football Trivia". Thomas Nelson Inc – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ McCarthy, p. 13
  6. 1 2 McEwen, p. 41
  7. ↑ "Broke His Collarbone But Saved Mercer Team". The Atlanta Constitution. October 13, 1907. p. 8. Retrieved July 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Mercer Defeats University Boys". Gainesville Daily Sun. October 13, 1907. p. 2. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Carlson, p. 11
  10. ↑ Carlson, p. 8
  11. ↑ "University Boys Were The Winners". Gainesville Daily Sun. October 28, 1907. p. 4. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Carlson, p. 12
  13. 1 2 Carlson, p. 9
  14. 1 2 "Football, 1907 :: Student Lives at Rollins".
  15. ↑ https://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/CFM/id/20041/rec/1
  16. ↑ "University Boys Won Easy Victory". Gainesville Daily Sun. November 17, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "University Boys Won Easy Victory". Gainesville Daily Sun. November 29, 1907. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "A History of Stetson Football" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.

Bibliography

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