1916 Florida Gators football team

1916 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record0–5 (0–4 SIAA)
Head coach
CaptainRex Farrior
Home stadiumUniversity Athletic Field
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
0 – 4 – 0 0 – 5 – 0
Mercer 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Ole Miss 0 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

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.

While the Gators had never had a losing campaign in the program's ten seasons to date, key injuries, a lack of depth, and a challenging slate of opponents saw McCoy's squad post a 0–5 record (0–4 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) while scoring a total of three points, leading to the head coach's dismissal. The disappointing season was notable for Florida's first meetings with future Southeastern Conference rivals Tennessee and Alabama.[1][2]

Before the season

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 abandoned Florida's usual practice of playing against mostly in-state opponents mixed with a few out-of-state foes and instead assembled the most challenging schedule the program had ever faced. The slate included several established football programs, including future conference rivals Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Auburn along with a cross-sectional game at Indiana, with only one of those difficult contests to be played at Florida's on-campus home of Fleming Field.[3]

Season recap

McCoy's grand ambitions were stymied when his team's lack of quality depth was exposed by a series of key injuries and other defections, starting when triple threat quarterback Rammy Ramsdell broke his leg playing for Florida's baseball team and missed the entire football season.[4] The squad lost two starting linemen before the opening game when Ham Dowling transferred and Everett Yon was called to serve in the National Guard, and nagging injuries saw several other key players miss playing time as the season progressed, with team captain and starting center Rex Farrior forced to move to fullback because of a lack of options in the offensive backfield.[5][note 1] Adding to the season's woes, what was potentially the best chance for a Florida win was dashed when Mercer administrators declared that several of their players were "behind in their studies" and cancelled their trip to Gainesville one week before the scheduled game.[7][8]

Between the difficult schedule and the lack of available talent, the 1916 Gators set a remarkable program record for offensive futility by failing to score a single touchdown over the course of the season. His players insisted that McCoy should not be blamed for the winless campaign, but he was not retained as Florida's head football coach.[9]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 14at Georgia
L 0–21[10]
October 21vs. Alabama
L 0–16[11][12]
October 28vs. Tennessee
L 0–24[13][8]
November 5vs. Mercer
  • Fleming Field
  • Gainesville, FL
 cancelledn/a[7][8]
November 11vs. Auburn
L 0–20[14]
November 18at Indiana*
L 3–145,000[15]
  • *Non-conference game

[2]

Game summaries

Georgia

Florida at Georgia
Team 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.[16] Georgia had to send in two stars who were resting with dislocated shoulders.[16] Walter Neville scored the game's first touchdown.[16]

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).[16]

Alabama

Alabama at Florida
Team 1 234Total
• Alabama 0 709 16
Florida 0 000 0

Florida's defense kept the game close into the final period but finally wore down, leading to a 16–0 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first ever meeting between the programs.[17][9] Alabama quarterback Cecil Creen was the star of the game, scoring the Tide's two offensive touchdowns and making key defensive stops of Gator players "with a clear field ahead".[17] Postgame accounts commented on Florida's "rather crude attempts at offensive play" in the loss, which was the program's first setback at five year old Fleming Field.[12] It would also be the only game of the season to be played in Gainesville.[2]

Tennessee

Tennessee at Florida
Team 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.[18]

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).[18]

Auburn

Auburn at Florida
Team 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.[19]

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).[19]

At Indiana

Florida at Indiana
Team 1 234Total
Florida 0 300 3
• Indiana 0 077 14

The Gators closed out their 1916 schedule with a trip to Bloomington for what was their first (and only, as of 2025) gridiron contest with the Indiana Hoosiers. Florida scored its first points of the season with a second quarter field goal by freshman Paul Baker and held a 3–0 halftime lead.[20] However, an on-field altercation early in the third period resulted in the ejection of Gator lineman Orryl Robles, and the team's lack of depth once again became a factor. The Hoosiers scored two unanswered second half touchdowns to take a 14–3 lead, and Florida capped off the ignominious campaign by seeing captain Rex Farrior break his leg in the final two minutes of the contest.[9]

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).[20]

Postseason

Though several players and the school yearbook expressed support for McCoy's program building skills, he was not retained as Florida's head football coach.[9] He finished his three-year tenure at the school with an overall record of 9–10.[2]

Personnel

Line

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

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

Notes

  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

  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 d 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. ^ a b "Game With Florida Cancelled By Mercer". The Atlanta Constitution. October 30, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c "Mercer Cancels Saturday's Game". The Florida Alligator. October 31, 1916.
  9. ^ a b c d McEwen 1974, p. 62
  10. ^ "Georgia beat Florida, 21–0". The Atlanta Journal. October 15, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Alabama too strong for Gator eleven". The Tampa Tribune. October 22, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c "Gators are Defeated by Alabama". The Florida Alligator. October 24, 1916.
  13. ^ "Tennessee eleven clearly outclasses that of Florida". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 29, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Auburn crushes Florida". The Commercial Appeal. November 12, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Indiana is winner over Florida, 14 to 3". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. November 19, 1916. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Florida Eleven Worried Georgia". The Atlanta Constitution. October 15, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b "1916 Recap" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  18. ^ a b c "Tennessee 24, Florida 0". Atlanta Constitution. October 29, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b c "Auburn Is Victor Over Florida Team". The Atlanta Constitution. November 12, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ University of Florida 1917, pp. 94–101

Bibliography

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