1920 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

1920 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1920 record	4–3–1 (3–3 SIAA)
Head coach	Dan McGugin (16th year)
Assistant coach	Owsley Manier
Assistant coach	Enoch Brown
Offensive scheme	Short-punt
Captain	Red Floyd
Home stadium	Dudley Field
Uniform
Seasons ← 1919 1921 →

1920 SIAA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Georgia +	8	–	0	–	0			8	–	0	–	1
Georgia Tech +	5	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Tulane +	4	–	0	–	0			6	–	2	–	1
Alabama	6	–	1	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
Furman	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Auburn	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Tennessee	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Mississippi A&M	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Vanderbilt	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	3	–	1
Sewanee	2	–	3	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Transylvania	1	–	2	–	0			1	–	2	–	0
Chattanooga	1	–	3	–	1			3	–	4	–	1
Florida	1	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
LSU	1	–	3	–	0			5	–	3	–	1
Clemson	2	–	6	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Mississippi College	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	5	–	0
Howard	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	5	–	1
The Citadel	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Kentucky	0	–	3	–	1			3	–	4	–	1
Millsaps	0	–	2	–	0			0	–	2	–	0
Ole Miss	0	–	2	–	0			4	–	3	–	0
Georgetown	0	–	2	–	0			0	–	3	–	0
Mercer	0	–	4	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Wofford	0	–	5	–	0			0	–	8	–	1
+ – Conference co-champions

Week 1: Birmingham-Southern @ Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total B'ham Southern 0 0 0 0 0 • Vanderbilt 21 26 0 7 54 Date: October 2 Location: Curry Field Nashville, TN Referee: Dick Hager Sources:

Week 2: Vanderbilt @ Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 7 0 0 13 20 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 0 Date: October 9 Location: Waite Field Knoxville, TN Game attendance: 5,000 Referee: Ed Finlay Sources:

Week 3: Georgia Tech @ Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total • Georgia Tech 14 9 7 14 44 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Date: October 16 Location: Curry Field Nashville, TN Referee: Ed Finlay

Week 4: Vanderbilt @ Auburn

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 6 0 0 6 • Auburn 7 14 14 21 56 Date: October 23 Location: Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL Game attendance: 8,000 Referee: Bradley Walker Sources:

Week 5: Kentucky State @ Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky St. 0 0 0 0 0 • Vanderbilt 7 13 0 0 20 Date: October 30 Location: Curry Field Nashville, TN Referee: Bradley Walker Sources:

Week 6: Vanderbilt @ Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 7 0 0 7 • Alabama 0 14 0 0 14 Date: November 6 Location: Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL Referee: Ed Finlay Sources:

Week 7: Virginia @ Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total Virginia 0 7 0 0 7 Vanderbilt 7 0 0 0 7 Date: November 13 Location: Curry Field Nashville, TN Referee: Paul Magoffin Sources:

Week 8: Sewanee @ Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total Sewanee 3 0 0 0 3 • Vanderbilt 0 0 7 14 21 Date: November 25 Location: Curry Field Nashville, TN Referee: Horatio B. Hackett Sources:

The 1920 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1920 college football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his 16th season in that capacity. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Commodores played five home games in Nashville, Tennessee, and finished the season with a record 4–3–1 and 3–3 in the SIAA. The Commodores outscored their opponents, 134–124. Fred Russell's Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football gives the year of 1920 the title "One of Most Difficult Schedules."

On September 14, 1920, candidates for the Commodores' football team reported to Curry Field. There were expected to be some fifty men in uniform by week's end, though the university did not open until the 27th. The tackling dummy would be sent out by the end of the week. Former All-Southern end and captain of the 1913 Vanderbilt team Enoch Brown assisted Coach McGugin.

Practice indicated Vanderbilt should have a decent backfield in the upcoming season. However, the line was expected to take a significant downturn, given the loss of All-Southern tackles Josh Cody and Tom Lipscomb. Cody coached Mercer in 1920. Ends Alfred T. Adams and Tom Zerfoss also ranked among the best in the South and had played their last football at Vandy. In all, Vanderbilt expected to lose seven players to graduation following the 1919 season, and therefore to have a 1920 squad built of many new faces. However, Vanderbilt still returned seventeen lettermen.

The season opened at Curry Field on October 2 with a 54–0 victory over the Birmingham-Southern Panthers. The Panthers were coached by former Vanderbilt letterman Charles H. Brown, The Panthers entered the game without veteran lineman Bob Rowe due to a broken collarbone. Center Dave Evans was also likely to sit out.

...
Wikipedia