1931 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record2–6–2 (2–4–2 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive schemeNotre Dame Box
CaptainEd N. Parnell
Home stadiumFlorida Field
Uniform
Seasons
← 1930
1932 →
1931 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Tulane $ 8 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
No. 3 Tennessee 6 – 0 – 1 9 – 0 – 1
Alabama 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 6 Georgia 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Maryland 4 – 1 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Kentucky 4 – 2 – 2 5 – 2 – 2
LSU 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
South Carolina 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Duke 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 2
Auburn 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Sewanee 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 1
Vanderbilt 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
North Carolina 2 – 3 – 3 4 – 3 – 3
Washington and Lee 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Florida 2 – 4 – 2 2 – 6 – 2
Georgia Tech 2 – 4 – 1 2 – 7 – 1
VMI 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 1
NC State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
VPI 1 – 4 – 1 3 – 4 – 2
Clemson 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 6 – 2
Ole Miss 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 1
Virginia 0 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Mississippi A&M 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1931 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1931 college football season. The season was the fourth of Charlie Bachman as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Bachman's 1931 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 2–6–2[1] and a Southern Conference record of 2–4–2, placing fifteenth of twenty-three teams in the conference standings—Bachman's second worst conference record in five seasons.[2]

The season's highlights included the Gators' only victories over the NC State (31–0) in Raleigh, North Carolina and the Auburn Tigers (13–12) in Jacksonville, Florida, both of which were fellow SoCon members. Tom McEwen relays "The handwriting was on the wall during that dismal 1931 season. The Gators lost five of their last six games, tying the other. During that streak the Florida offense – three years earlier the best in the country—managed only two touchdowns and a safety."[3]

Before the season

Captain-elect Monk Dorsett did not return.[4] The next captain-elect Carlos Proctor was expelled.[5] The team's captain was then end Ed Parnell.[6]

The Gators lost both Ben Clemons and Frank Clark.[7] "Scabby" Pheil was one promising newcomer.[8] Florida was to have a tough schedule.[9]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 3at NC State
W 31–0[10]
October 10North Carolina
T 0–08,000[11]
October 17at Syracuse*
L 12–3314,000[12]
October 24vs. Auburn
W 13–1215,000[13]
October 31Georgia
  • Florida Field
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
L 6–3320,000[14]
November 7at Alabama
L 0–417,000[15]
November 14vs. South Carolina
T 6–6[16]
November 21at Georgia Tech
L 0–2310,000[17]
November 28at UCLA*
L 0–1320,000[18]
December 5vs. Kentucky
  • Fairfield Stadium
  • Jacksonville, FL (rivalry)
L 2–7[19]
  • *Non-conference game

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.[1]

Game summaries

NC State

The season opened with a 31–0 win over the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh. The team surprised coach Bachman.[20]

North Carolina

1 234Total
UNC 0 000 0
Florida 0 000 0
  • Date: October 10
  • Location: Florida Field
    Gainesville, Florida
  • Game attendance: 8,000
  • Source:

In the second week of play, the Gators played the North Carolina Tar Heels to a scoreless tie.[21] The Tar Heels were twice at the 1-yard line.[22]

Syracuse

Florida traveled to Syracuse[23] and lost 33–12.

Auburn

1 234Total
Auburn 0 606 12
• Florida 6 007 13
  • Date: October 24
  • Location: Fairfield Stadium
    Jacksonville, Florida
  • Game attendance: 15,000

The season's lone highlight after opening week, Florida defeated Auburn by a point, 13–12. Jimmy Hitchcock missed the tying extra point.[24]

Georgia

The rival Georgia Bulldogs beat coach Bachman for the first time, 33–6. Both Florida governor Doyle E. Carlton and Georgia governor Richard B. Russell attended the game.[25] Florida scored when Scabby Phiel blocked a punt.[25]

Alabama

1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Alabama 0 141413 41
  • Date: November 7
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 7,000

Alabama and new head coach Frank Thomas shut out the Gators with a 41–0 victory.[26] After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored a pair of second-quarter touchdowns on short runs by Johnny Cain and Leon Long to take a 14–0 halftime lead.[26] The Crimson Tide then scored four second half touchdowns on runs by Long and Hillman Holley in the third and on runs by Howard Chappell and Erskine Walker in the fourth to make the final score 41–0.[26]

South Carolina

1 234Total
S. Carolina 0 006 6
Florida 0 600 6

In Tampa, the South Carolina Gamecocks were tied, 6–6.[27]

The starting lineup was Williamson (left end), McClellan (left tackle), Bernhart (left guard), Spiers (Center), Osgood (right guard), Simpson (right tackle), Goodyear (right end), Culler (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), Emmelhainz (right halfback), Silsby (fullback).[27]

Georgia Tech

1 234Total
Florida 0 000 0
• Ga. Tech 2 0147 23

Coach Bill Alexander's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat Florida 23–0. The second half opened with an 86-yard kickoff return by Pat Barron, and a subsequent goal line stand.[28]

The starting lineup was Parnell (left end), Phiel (left tackle), Bernhard (left guard), Perrazzi (Center), Osgood (right guard), Jenkins (right tackle), Ball (right end), Culler (quarterback), Davis (left halfback), McClellan (right halfback), Silsby (fullback).[28]

UCLA

The Gators traveled to Los Angeles and lost to the UCLA Bruins 13–0. The Gators stopped in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the way back.[29]

Kentucky

A frustrating season ended with a 7–2 loss to Kentucky.[30]

Postseason

The Gators traveled 6,586 miles.[31] Former Gator end Dutch Stanley was hired to coach the ends next season.

References

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ 2009 Southern Conference Football Media Guide, Year-by-Year Standings, Southern Conference, Spartanburg, South Carolina, p. 74 (2009). Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  3. ^ McEwen 1974, pp. 104–105
  4. ^ "Florida Football Captain May Quit State University". The Evening Independent. June 9, 1931.
  5. ^ "Tampa Youth Let Out For Exam Frauds". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. March 13, 1931.
  6. ^ "Galloping Parnell Given Praise As Greatest End". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 19, 1931.
  7. ^ Frank S. Wright (August 28, 1931). "Gator Center Line Weakest For Grid Year". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  8. ^ Frank S. Wright (August 21, 1931). "'Scabby' Pheil Looks Good To Gators' Coach". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  9. ^ "Syracuse Game Only One of Several Hard Spots On Gator Card". The Evening Independent. July 29, 1931.
  10. ^ "Gators slash Wolfpack up to win, 34–0". Pensacola News Journal. October 4, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Gators and Tarheels battle to scoreless tie". Miami Daily News. October 11, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Syracuse in easy win". The Buffalo Times. October 18, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Gators halt Auburn comeback, 13–12". Tampa Sunday Tribune. October 25, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Georgia thumps Florida Gators". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. November 1, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Powerful Alabama eleven crushes Gators, 41–0". St. Petersburg Times. November 8, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Semi-tropical sun slows up close affair". Florence Morning News. November 15, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Golden Tornado routs Gators". The State. November 22, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Bruins rally to win over Florida 13–0". The Los Angeles Times. November 27, 1931.
  19. ^ "Kelly leads Kentucky to close victory over Florida". Asheville Citizen-Times. December 6, 1931. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Photobucket".
  21. ^ "Florida Game Brings Out Need of A Scoring Punch". The Daily Tar Heel. October 13, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  22. ^ "Florida Battles N. C. To 0-0 Tie". The Anniston Star. October 11, 1931. p. 12. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  23. ^ Frank S. Wright (October 14, 1931). "Gators Start Trek To East For Big Game". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  24. ^ a b "Auburn Loses To 'Gators By Single Point". The Anniston Star. October 25, 1931. p. 14. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  25. ^ a b "Georgia Thumps Florida Gators". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. November 1, 1931. p. 11. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  26. ^ a b c d "Tide routes Gators, 41 to 0". The Tuscaloosa News. November 8, 1931. p. 9. Retrieved March 28, 2012 – via Google News Archives.
  27. ^ a b c "Semi-Sropical Sun Slows Up Close Affair". Florence Morning News. November 15, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  28. ^ a b c "Tech Employs Line-Smashing Attack To Win". Florence Morning News. November 22, 1931. p. 6. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  29. ^ "Florida Football Team Stops Here". Albuquerque Journal. November 30, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  30. ^ "Dutch Stanley Ready To Take Coaching Job". St. Petersburg Times. July 23, 1933.
  31. ^ "Sports Briefs". Reading Eagle. November 28, 1931.

Bibliography

External links

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