1903 Kentucky University Pioneers football team

The 1903 Kentucky University Pioneers football team represented Kentucky University, today known as Transylvania University, during the 1903 college football season. The team claimed a championship of the south.[1] Nash Buckingham rated Kentucky University and Vanderbilt as best in the south.[2]

1903 Kentucky University Pioneers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–1
Head coach
Seasons
← 1902
1904 →
1903 Southern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Livingstone     3 0 0
Kentucky University     7 1 0
West Virginia     7 1 0
VPI     5 1 0
South Carolina     8 2 0
Stetson     2 1 1
Virginia     7 2 1
Georgetown     7 3 0
VMI     2 1 0
Texas A&M     7 3 1
North Carolina     6 3 0
Maryland     7 4 0
East Florida Seminary     3 2 1
Florida State College     3 2 1
Oklahoma     5 4 3
Kendall     3 3 0
Louisiana Industrial     1 1 0
North Carolina A&M     4 4 0
Oklahoma A&M     0 0 2
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial     1 1 0
Tusculum     1 1 0
Arkansas     3 4 0
Navy     4 7 1
Howard (AL)     2 3 0
Columbian     2 5 0
Florida     1 3 0
Goldey College     0 1 1
Davidson     1 4 0
Tennessee Docs     0 4 0
TCU     0 7 0

A game with Purdue was scheduled; derailed by the Purdue Wreck.[3]

Former Yale quarterback John de Saulles credited end Lois Thompson as playing "a better end than any man in the South."[4] Later Lexington mayor Hogan Yancey was a star fullback on the team.[5]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 24Kentucky Military InstituteLexington, KYW 11–2
October 1St. XavierLexington, KYW 21–0[6]
October 17at VirginiaCharlottesville, VAL 0–6[7]
October 31at North CarolinaGreensboro, NCW 6–5
November 2at North Carolina A&MRaleigh, NCW 18–0[8]
November 14Williamsburg AcademyLexington, KYW 52–0
November 19IndianaLexington, KYW 18–5
November 26vs. Kentucky State CollegeLexington, KY (rivalry)W 17–03,000

[9]

Game summaries

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Week 7: Indiana

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Indiana at Kentucky University
1 2Total
Indiana 0 5 5
Kentucky U 0 18 18

Kentucky University defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 18 to 5. Zora Clevenger scored Indiana's lone touchdown.[10]

The starting lineup for Kentucky University against Indiana: Simpson (left end), Woodard (left tackle), Ware (left guard), Miller (center), Kelly (right guard), Wallace (right tackle), Thompson (right end), Pyle (quarterback), Cantrill (left halfback), H. Yancey (right halfback), Knight (fullback)[10]

Week 8: vs. Kentucky State College

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Kentucky University vs. Kentucky State College
1 2Total
Kentucky State 0 0 0
Kentucky U 11 6 17
  • Date: November 26, 1903
  • Location: Lexington, KY
  • Game attendance: 3,000

A fear of riots plagued this contest ever since their second-team played Kentucky State College.[11][12]

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ "Kentucky University Won". The Evening Bulletin. November 27, 1903. Retrieved August 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ "The Best in the South". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 30, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved August 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ Ray Schmidt. "The 1903 Purdue Tragedy" (PDF). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  4. ^ Spalding's Football Guide
  5. ^ Gregory Kent Stanley (October 17, 2014). Before Big Blue. p. 46. ISBN 9780813158617.
  6. ^ "Kentucky University Wins". The Courier-Journal. October 2, 1903. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "University The Winner". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. October 18, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com  .
  8. ^ "Kentucky wins from A.&M". The News and Observer. November 3, 1903. Retrieved July 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ a b "Indiana Meets A Waterloo". The Inter Ocean. November 20, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved August 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ "Riot". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 24, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved August 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "Kentucky 17, State College 0". The Galveston Daily News. November 27, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved August 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.