Wikipedia

1920 Florida Gators football team

The 1920 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1920 college football season. The season was law professor William G. Kline's first of three as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Kline's 1920 Florida Gators compiled a marginally better 6–3 overall record than the 1919 Gators,[1] but a lesser 1–2 conference record against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) competition.

1920 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record6–3 (1–2 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainPaul Baker
Home stadiumFleming Field
Seasons
← 1919
1921 →
1920 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia + 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 1
Tulane + 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Georgia Tech + 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Alabama 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Centre 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Furman 3 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
South Carolina 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Tennessee 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Auburn 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Mississippi A&M 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Sewanee 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Vanderbilt 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 3 – 1
Transylvania 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 4 – 0
Howard (AL) 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Mississippi College 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Florida 1 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Clemson 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 1
LSU 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Chattanooga 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 4 – 1
The Citadel 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Ole Miss 0 – 2 – 0 4 – 3 – 0
Kentucky 0 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Georgetown (KY) 0 – 2 – 0 0 – 3 – 0
Millsaps 0 – 3 – 0 0 – 3 – 0
Mercer 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Wofford 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 8 – 1
  • + – Conference co-champions

While the Gators improved their series records against traditional in-state opponents like Florida Southern and Stetson, they also suffered a shutout defeat by Tulane and lost their fourth consecutive game to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Before the season

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Kline was a former halfback for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and had previously coached the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[2]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 9Newberry*
W 21–0
October 16Florida Southern*
  • Fleming Field
  • Gainesville, FL
W 13–0
October 23Rollins*W 1–0 (forfeit)
October 29vs. MercerValdosta, GAW 30–0[3]
November 6vs. Tulane
L 0–14
November 11vs. Stetson*Palatka, FLW 26–03,000+
November 13at Georgia
L 0–56
November 20Stetson*
  • Fleming Field
  • Gainesville, FL
W 21–0
November 25at Oglethorpe*
L 0–21
  • *Non-conference game

[1]

Game summaries

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Newberry

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In the season's opening week, the Gators beat Newberry, 21 to 0. The substitutes were sent in by the end.[4]

Florida Southern

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Week 2: Florida Southern at Florida
1 234Total
Southern 0 000 0
• Florida 0 076 13

The Gators got revenge on Florida Southern for the previous year's loss with a 13–0 win. C. Anderson scored first, in the third quarter. Tully Hoyt Carlton scored the second after a series of forward passes from C. Anderson to Carlton.[4] After the second score, Carlton failed to make the extra point for the only time all season.[4]

Rollins

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Florida defeated Rollins by forfeit, who did not show up for the game.[5]

Mercer

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Florida easily defeated Mercer. "Carlton was the outstanding hero of the game. He ran through the entire Mercer aggregation several times for long gains and scored three of Florida's touchdowns.[6]

Florida's starting lineup against Mercer: Swanson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Norton (left guard), Perry (center), Meisch (right guard), Vandergrift (right tackle) Driggers (right end), B. Anderson (quarterback), C. Anderson (left halfback), Carlton (right halfback), Stanley (fullback).[6]

Tulane

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Week 5: Tulane at Florida
1 234Total
• Tulane 0 0014 14
Florida 0 000 0

Sources[7]

The Gators were beaten 14 to 0 by Tulane after the Gators had outplayed them for two periods.[7] Despite the loss, Tootie Perry played one of the best games seen in Tampa.[8]

The starting lineup was Swanson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Meisch (left guard), Wilsky (center), Perry (right guard), Vandergrif (right tackle), Briggers (right end), B. Anderson (quarterback), C. Anderson (left halfback), C. (right halfback), Merren (fullback).[7]

Stetson

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Florida beat Stetson, 26 to 0, in a game played in Palatka, Florida. The first team played lightly through the first quarter, and then substitutes were used. The field was soggy and hard to play on. The only thrill of the game came when Crom Anderson ran 90 yards for a touchdown.[9]

Georgia

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Week 7: Florida at Georgia
1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Georgia 7 28147 56
  • Date: November 13
  • Location: Sanford Field
    Athens, GA
  • Referee: W. R. Tichenor

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) champion Georgia's "ten second backfield"[a] and powerful line rolled up a large, 56–0, score on the Gators. Florida put up a hard fight until Georgia got its first touchdown across, pouring it on from there. Georgia running back Sheldon Fitts was the star of the contest.[11][12]

Wilsky and Carlton were recovering from injuries suffered in the Tulane game, and during the game Meisch and Vandegrift were carried off. Jim Merrin played best for the Gators.

Florida's starting lineup against Georgia: Swanson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Otto (left guard), Perry (center), Hodges (right guard), Vandergrift (right tackle) Coleman (right end), B. Anderson (quarterback), Pomeroy (left halfback), C. Anderson (right halfback), Merrin (fullback).[11]

Stetson

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Florida defeated the Stetson Hatters by three touchdowns using mostly straight football. "The only spectacular play of the game was when C. Anderson ran 80 yards for a touchdown, but unfortunately Florida was offside."[13]

Florida's starting lineup against Stetson: Coleman (left end), Baker (left tackle), Meisch (left guard), Wilsky (center), Perry (right guard), Dimberline (right tackle) Hughes (right end), B. Anderson (quarterback), C. Anderson (left halfback), Carlton (right halfback), Robinson (fullback).[13]

Oglethorpe

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Week 9: Florida at Oglethorpe
1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Oglethorpe 7 770 21
  • Date: November 25
  • Location: Memorial Stadium
    Columbus, GA

The Gators made thirteen first downs to Oglethorpe's three, yet lost 21 to 0. Oglethorpe made its first two touchdowns off fumbles.[14]

Florida's starting lineup against Oglethorpe: Swanson (left end), Baker (left tackle), Perry (left guard), Wilsky (center), Norton (right guard), Hodges (right tackle) Hughes (right end), Carlton (quarterback), Pomeroy (left halfback), C. Anderson (right halfback), Robinson (fullback).[14]

Players

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Line

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Player Position Games
started 		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Paul Baker tackle
Roy Driggers end
Herbie Ford tackle
Lanky Hodges tackle
Ed Meisch guard
Snowball Norton guard
Conch Otto guard
Tootie Perry guard
Bob Swanson end
Vandy Vandegrift tackle
Count Wilsky center

Backfield

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Player Position Games
started 		Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
B. Anderson quarterback
Crom A. Anderson halfback
Tully Hoyt Carlton halfback
Jim Merrin fullback

Notes

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  1. ^ The term "ten second backfield" generally refers to players capable (or thought to be capable) of running a 100-yard dash in 10 seconds—that is, fast runners.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 107–108 (2015). Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  2. ^ Scott 1918, p. 255
  3. ^ "Mercer unable to halt Gators". The Tampa Daily Times. October 30, 1920. Retrieved March 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c University of Florida 1921, p. 119
  5. ^ McCarthy 2000, p. 19
  6. ^ a b "Mercer Bows In Defeat Before Florida 'Gators". The Florida Alligator. Vol. 9, no. 6. November 5, 1920.
  7. ^ a b c "'Gators Trimmed By Tulane". The Atlanta Constitution. November 7, 1920. p. 2. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "'Gators Put Up Strong Fight Against Tulane". The Florida Alligator. Vol. 19, no. 17. November 12, 1920.
  9. ^ "Place Stetson on Shelf with Second Squad". The Florida Alligator. Vol. 9. November 19, 1920.
  10. ^ "Advent has ten-second backfield". The Cincinnati Post. November 11, 1913. p. 6. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "'Gators Lose To Georgia In One-Sided Bout". The Florida Alligator. Vol. 9. November 19, 1920.
  12. ^ "'Gators Are Beaten By Red and Black In One-Sided Game". The Red and Black. November 19, 1920. p. 8.
  13. ^ a b "Florida Wins East Victory Over Hatters". Florida Alligator. November 26, 1920.
  14. ^ a b c "Petrels Defeat 'Gators". The Atlanta Constitution. November 26, 1920. p. 15. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  

Bibliography

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