The 1903 Clemson Tigers football team represented the Clemson Tigers of Clemson Agricultural College during the 1903 college football season. The team was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) and played all its games on the road, compiling a 4–1–1 record.
Schedule
Season summary
Week 1: at Georgia
The season opened with a defeat of the Georgia Bulldogs 29 to 0.
Week 2: at Georgia Tech
The Bulldogs offered Clemson a bushel of apples for every point over 29 it scored against rival Georgia Tech. Clemson would win 73 to 0, leading to Heisman's later job at Tech. Clemson as a team rushed for 615 yards, and fullback Jock Hanvey rushed for 104 yards in the first half.[1][2]
Week 4: at North Carolina
The North Carolina Tar Heels handed Clemson its only loss of the season, 11–6. Carolina' Newton scored first, with a bloody nose.[3] He also scored the second touchdown. Clemson had one touchdown by Johnny Maxwell called back due to an offside penalty.[3]
The starting lineup was Sitton (left end), Cogburn (left tackle), Derrick (left guard), Garrison (center), Forsythe (right guard), McKeown (right tackle), Sadler (right end), Maxwell (quarterback), Wood (left halfback), Furtick (right halfback), Hanvey (fullback).[3]
Postseason
"SIAA championship game"
Clemson vs. Cumberland
| |
1 |
2 | Total |
|---|
| Clemson |
0 |
11 |
11 |
| Cumberland |
11 |
0 |
11 |
|
Cumberland rushed out to an early 11 to 0 lead. Wiley Lee Umphlett in Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football writes, "During the first half, Clemson was never really in the game due mainly to formidable line play of the Bridges brothers–giants in their day at 6 feet 4 inches–and a big center named "Red" Smith, was all over the field backing up the Cumberland line on defense. Clemson had been outweighed before, but certainly not like this."[4] A contemporary account reads "The Clemson players seemed mere dwarfs as they lined up for the kickoff. To the crowd on the sidelines it didn't seem that Heisman's charges could possibly do more than give a gallant account of themselves in a losing battle."[4] A touchdown was scored by fullback E. L. Minton (touchdowns were worth 5 points).[5] Guard M. O. Bridges kicked the extra point. Halfback J. A. Head made another touchdown, but Bridges missed the try. After halftime, Clemson quarterback John Maxwell raced 100 yards for a touchdown. Clemson missed the try. Cumberland fumbled a punt and Clemson recovered. Cumberland expected a trick play when Fritz Furtick simply ran up the middle and scored.[6] One account of the play reads "Heisman saw his chance to exploit a weakness in the Cumberland defense: run the ball where the ubiquitous Red Smith wasn't. So the next time Sitton started out on one of his slashing end runs, at the last second he tossed he ball back to the fullback who charges straight over center (where Smith would have been except that he was zeroing in on the elusive Sitton) and went all the way for he tying touchdown."[4] Jock Hanvey kicked the extra point and the game ended in an 11–11 tie. The winning team was to be awarded the ball. Captain W. W. Suddarth of Cumberland wanted captain Hope Sadler of Clemson to get the ball, and Sadler insisted Suddarth should have it. Some ten minutes of bickering was resolved when the ball was given to patrolman Patrick J. Sweeney, for warning the media and fans to stay down in front and allow spectators to see the game.[6] Heisman pushed for Cumberland to be named SIAA champions at year's end[7] and the school claims a share of the title.[8][9] It was Heisman's last game as Clemson head coach.[10]
Marvin Bridges and Clemson players Jock Hanvey and Jack Forsythe all coached at Florida colleges the next season. Bridges coached at the University of Florida at Lake City, and Forsythe was the head coach of the Florida State College with Hanvey as his assistant. Forsythe went on in 1906 to be the first coach of the Florida Gators.
Personnel
Depth chart
Line
- H. L. Cogburn, left tackle
- Puss Derrick, Chapin, South Carolina - left guard
- Jack Forsythe, Brevard, North Carolina - right tackle
- W. D. Garrison, center
- J. A. McKeown, right guard
- Hope Sadler, York Co., South Carolina - right end
- Carl Sitton, Pendleton, South Carolina - left end
Backfield
References
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| National championship seasons in bold |
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| National championships in bold |
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