1917 Auburn Tigers football
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record6–2–1 (5–1 SIAA)
Head coach
Base defense7–2–2
CaptainCarey Robinson
Home stadiumDrake Field
Rickwood Field
Seasons
← 1916
1918 →
1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Georgia Tech $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Auburn 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Clemson 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Centre 1 – 0 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Mississippi A&M 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Alabama 3 – 1 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Sewanee 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Tulane 2 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Vanderbilt 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
LSU 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Wofford 1 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Furman 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Florida 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 4 – 0
Ole Miss 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 4 – 1
Howard (AL) 0 – 2 – 1 3 – 3 – 1
The Citadel 0 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 0
Mississippi College 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • There were several SIAA schools that did not field a team due to World War I.

The 1917 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. It was the Tigers' 26th season and they competed as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Mike Donahue, in his 13th year, and played their home games at Drake Field in Auburn, Alabama. They finished with a record of six wins, two losses and one tie (6–2–1 overall, 5–1 in the SIAA).

Led by Walter Camp All-America Honorable Mention Moon Ducote, Auburn lost its two games to Davidson and Georgia Tech, widely regarded as the two best teams in the south.[1] Georgia Tech was the south's first national champion. Auburn held undefeated Big Ten champion Ohio State to a scoreless tie.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 68th Ohio Infantry*
W 13–02,500[2]
October 13Howard (AL)
W 53–0[3]
October 19at Clemson
W 7–0[4]
October 27Mississippi A&M
W 13–6[5]
November 3Florida
W 68–0[6]
November 10vs. Davidson*
L 7–21[7]
November 17at Vanderbilt
W 31–7[8]
November 24Ohio State*
  • Soldiers Field
  • Montgomery, AL
T 0–010,000[9]
November 29at Georgia Tech
L 7–68[10]
  • *Non-conference game

Game summaries

8th Ohio Infantry

The season opened with a 13–0 victory over the 8th Ohio Infantry at Montgomery.

Howard (AL)

In the second week of play, the Tigers defeated the Howard Baptists, 53–0.

Clemson

Auburn at Clemson
1 234Total
• Auburn 7 000 7
Clemson 0 000 0

Auburn beat Clemson on Riggs Field 7–0, in a close game. Ducote starred for Auburn and Stumpy Banks starred for Clemson.[11]

Auburn's starting lineup was Ducote (left end), Caton (left tackle), Samford (left guard), Rogers (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Styles (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Creel (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[11]

Mississippi A&M

Mississippi A&M at Auburn
1 234Total
Miss. A&M 6 000 6
• Auburn 0 760 13

Auburn won a tough game with the Mississippi Aggies, winning 13–6. The Aggies score when their tackle, Horton, picked up a fumble and ran 95 yards for a touchdown.[12]

Auburn's starting lineup was Styles (left end), Caton (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Rogers (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Gibson (right end), Ducote (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Trapp (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[12]

Florida

Florida at Auburn
1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Auburn 14 192114 68

Auburn's biggest win was 68–0 over Florida.[13]

Auburn's starting lineup was Creel (left end), Styles (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Gibson (right end), Ducote (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Trapp (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[13]

Davidson

Davidson vs. Auburn
1 234Total
• Davidson 0 777 21
Auburn 0 070 7
  • Date: November 10
  • Location: Atlanta
  • Game start: 2:30 p.m.
  • Referee: Lewis (Virginia)

Davidson, led by Buck Flowers, beat the Tigers 21–7 in an upset, one of the greatest in Southern history.[15][16] Flowers returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown, caught a pass for a second touchdown, set up a third touchdown with an 85-yard return to Auburn's two-yard line, and kicked all three extra points for the Wildcats. He also prevented Auburn from scoring with a tackle at the goal line.[17]

Auburn's starting lineup was Esslinger (left end), Styles (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Gibson (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Ducote (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[15]

Vanderbilt

Auburn at Vanderbilt
1 234Total
• Auburn 6 6136 31
Vanderbilt 0 007 7

The Tigers defeated Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores 31–7.[18]

Auburn's starting lineup was Gibson (left end), Styles (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Creel (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Ducote (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[18]

Ohio State

Ohio State at Auburn
1 234Total
Ohio St. 0 000 0
Auburn 0 000 0

Auburn held undefeated Big Ten champion Ohio State to a scoreless tie less than a week before the Tech game.[20] Ohio State, led by Chic Harley, had been favored 4 or 5 to 1.[21] Coach John Heisman (who previously coached at Auburn) and his players were at the game, rooting for the Tigers.[22] Auburn stopped Ohio State inside its 10-yard line five times.[23]

Auburn's starting lineup was Creel (left end), Styles (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Gibson (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Ducote (right halfback), Revington (fullback).[19]

Georgia Tech

Auburn at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Auburn 0 007 7
• Ga. Tech 20 132114 68

In the season's final game, Georgia Tech, for year's considered the South's greatest, Auburn 68–7. Tech piled up 472 yards on the ground in 84 rushes and 145 yards in the air.[25] Joe Guyon scored four touchdowns,[25] and Everett Strupper had a 65-yard touchdown run. According to the Atlanta Journal,

It was not the length of the run that featured it was the brilliance of it. After getting through the first line, Stroop was tackled squarely by two secondary men, and yet he squirmed and jerked loosed from them, only to face the safety man and another Tiger, coming at him from different angles. Without checking his speed Everett knifed the two men completely, running between them and dashing on to a touchdown.[25]

In the second quarter, Moon Ducote broke through the line toward the goal with blocking by Pete Bonner and William Donahue. After Guyon dove at Ducote and missed, Guyon gave chase and tackled him at the 26-yard line.[24] For Auburn's only score Ducote circled around end for 17 yards and lateraled to Donahue, who ran down the sideline for a six-yard touchdown.[22] Guyon was the star of the game,[26] accounting for four touchdowns and having his best day passing.[25] Strupper had touchdown runs of 62 and 50 yards.[25] Auburn's starting lineup was Gibson (left end), Martin (left tackle), Sizemore (left guard), Caton (center), Warren (right guard), Bonner (right tackle), Styles (right end), Robinson (quarterback), Donahue (left halfback), Ducote (right halfback), Revington (fullback)[24]

Postseason

Despite the lopsided loss to Tech, Auburn was considered a strong team. Ducote and Bonner were the only non-Tech, unanimous All-Southern selections.[27] Coach Donahue later said that Ducote was "undoubtedly the best ever."[28]

References

  1. ^ Bernie McCarty (February 1988). "Georgia Tech's 1917 backfield, better than Four Horsemen" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. 1 (3). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
  2. ^ "Auburn downs fast team of Ohioans by score of 13 to 0". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 7, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Auburn Tigers run wild over Howard Baptists". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 14, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Auburn defeats Clemson Tigers". The Columbia Record. October 20, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "The Plainsmen have tough game". The Atlanta Constitution. October 28, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Florida downed by Auburn Tigers by score of 68 to 0". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 4, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Davidson defeats Auburn". The Journal and Tribune. November 11, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Auburn triumphs over Vanderbilt Commodores in annual tilt". The Birmingham News. November 18, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Auburn Tigers play Ohio State to scoreless tie". The Atlanta Constitution. November 25, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Passes prove Georgia Techs biggest asset". The News and Observer. November 30, 1917. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c "Clemson Tigers Lose To Auburn Plainsmen". The Atlanta Constitution. October 20, 1917. p. 14. Retrieved May 24, 2016. Open access icon
  12. ^ a b c "The Plainsmen Have Tough Game". The Atlanta Constitution. October 28, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved May 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ a b c "Auburn Had Little Trouble Defeating The Light Gator Eleven". The Florida Alligator. November 7, 1917.
  14. ^ Jemison, Dick (November 10, 1917). "Plainsmen Twelve Pounds Heavier Than Davidson". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 14. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  15. ^ a b c Dick Jemison (November 11, 1917). "Ralph Flowers, Demon Halfback, Defeats Auburn". Atlanta Constitution – via Newspapers.com. Part 1 Part 2 Open access icon
  16. ^ "Wildcat Origin". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "Renowned Athlete Buck Flowers Dies". Sumter Daily Item. April 11, 1983. p. 3A.
  18. ^ a b c "Vady Beaten By Plainsmen; Count 31 to 7". The Atlanta Constitution. November 18, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved May 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. ^ a b "Auburn Tigers Play Ohio State To Scoreless Tie". The Atlanta Constitution. November 25, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved July 12, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  20. ^ "1917 Auburn Tigers". Archived from the original on December 10, 2015.
  21. ^ Heisman & Schlabach 2012, p. 160
  22. ^ a b Heisman, John M.; Schlabach, Mark (2012). Heisman: The Man Behind The Trophy. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-4516-8291-5.
  23. ^ Phillip Marshall (2005). Stadium Stories: Auburn Tigers. p. 12. ISBN 9780762723119.
  24. ^ a b c "Golden Tornado Wins Great Victory" (PDF). The Technique. December 4, 1917. p. 4.
  25. ^ a b c d e McCarty, Bernie (May 1988). "Georgia Tech's 1917 backfield, better than the Four Horsemen: Part 2" (PDF). College Football Historical Society Newsletter. 1 (4): 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
  26. ^ "Georgia Tech Defeats Auburn Eleven 68 to 7". Greensboro Daily News. November 30, 1917. p. 13. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  27. ^ Spalding Football Guide. Shawnee Mission, Kansas, NCAA Publishing Service. 1918.
  28. ^ see Gridiron Gasps, The Tuscaloosa News, January 10, 1933.
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