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
Southern champion
Conference	Independent
1903 record	7–1
Head coach	R. R. Sheffield (1st season)

1903 Southern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Kentucky University			–					7	–	1	–	0
West Virginia			–					7	–	1	–	0
VPI			–					5	–	1	–	0
South Carolina			–					8	–	2	–	0
East Florida Seminary			–					4	–	1	–	0
Stetson			–					1	–	0	–	1
Virginia			–					7	–	2	–	1
Georgetown			–					7	–	3	–	0
Richmond			–					6	–	3	–	1
VMI			–					2	–	1	–	0
Texas A&M			–					7	–	3	–	1
North Carolina			–					6	–	3	–	0
Maryland			–					7	–	4	–	0
Florida State			–					3	–	2	–	1
Oklahoma			–					5	–	4	–	3
Delaware			–					4	–	4	–	0
North Carolina A&M			–					4	–	4	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial			–					1	–	1	–	0
Arkansas			–					3	–	4	–	0
Navy			–					4	–	7	–	1
Florida			–					1	–	2	–	0
Oklahoma A&M			–					0	–	2	–	2
William & Mary			–					1	–	3	–	0
Davidson			–					1	–	4	–	0
Howard (AL)			–					1	–	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

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 24	Kentucky Military Institute	Lexington, KY	W 11–2
October 1	St. Xavier	Lexington, KY	W 24–0
October 17	at Virginia	Charlottesville, VA	L 0–6
October 31	at North Carolina	Greensboro, NC	W 6–5
November 7	at North Carolina A&M	Raleigh, NC	W 18–0
November 14	Williamsburg Academy	Lexington, KY	W 52–0
November 19	Indiana	Lexington, KY	W 18–5
November 26	vs. Kentucky State College	Lexington, KY (rivalry)	W 17–0	3,000

[6][7]

Season summary

Week 7: Indiana

Indiana at Kentucky University

1 2 Total Indiana 0 5 5 • Kentucky U 0 18 18 Date: November 19, 1903 Location: Lexington, KY

Kentucky University defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 18 to 5. Zora Clevenger scored Indiana's lone touchdown.[8]

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)[8]

Week 8: vs. Kentucky State

Kentucky University vs. Kentucky State

1 2 Total 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.[9][10]

Awards and honors

• All-Southern: Lois Thompson

References

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.
4. Spalding's Football Guide
5. Gregory Kent Stanley. Before Big Blue. p. 46.
6. http://sportshoss.com/cfbteamseason/schedule?team_id=568&season_id=35&code=FULL%5B%5D
7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "Indiana Meets A Waterloo". The Inter Ocean. November 20, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved August 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Riot". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 24, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved August 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Kentucky 17, State College 0". The Galveston Daily News. November 27, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved August 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.