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1908 - LSU’s First Great Team
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:04 pm
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:04 pm
Got this newspaper in today and figured I’d share. Love reading the old editorials on games/teams.
Lsu played, and defeated, the Haskell Indians, for their 8th win of the year. Lsu would go on to have an undefeated season, finishing 10-0, under legendary quarterback Doc Fenton. This was considered LSU’s first great team, and the greatest until the 1958 season.
Bits from the article:
The Golden Band traveled with the team, 24 strong.
The game was played at Pelican park in front of 3,000 people.
Final score: 32-0, LSU
Several fights leading to multiple ejections
Starting center, Stovall, weighed 150lbs.
During half, the band, and 500 Lsu fans stormed the field.
MLB HOF Ty Cobb was in attendance and didn’t care for the antics during half.
Lsu played, and defeated, the Haskell Indians, for their 8th win of the year. Lsu would go on to have an undefeated season, finishing 10-0, under legendary quarterback Doc Fenton. This was considered LSU’s first great team, and the greatest until the 1958 season.
Bits from the article:
The Golden Band traveled with the team, 24 strong.
The game was played at Pelican park in front of 3,000 people.
Final score: 32-0, LSU
Several fights leading to multiple ejections
Starting center, Stovall, weighed 150lbs.
During half, the band, and 500 Lsu fans stormed the field.
MLB HOF Ty Cobb was in attendance and didn’t care for the antics during half.
19
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:17 pm to olegreg
The NCAA recognizes us as champions that year. I have never understood the university's refusal to claim it. Hell, Doc Fenton was even retroactively given the Heisman for that year.
This post was edited on 12/13/19 at 9:21 pm
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:21 pm to olegreg
Any of you clowns like me ever been stopped for speeding in the little village about 10 miles north of Winnfield called Dodson? Well this is where the Stovalls played football. The school now can barely field a basketball team.
Robert and Rawson Stovall (Big and Little) played on this 1908 team. Later on either their sons or nephews (2 of them) played for LSU. Still later, another nephew or cousin, Jerry Stovall played and I think was runner up in the Heisman.
Why on earth we don't claim this championship I don't know.
Robert and Rawson Stovall (Big and Little) played on this 1908 team. Later on either their sons or nephews (2 of them) played for LSU. Still later, another nephew or cousin, Jerry Stovall played and I think was runner up in the Heisman.
Why on earth we don't claim this championship I don't know.
This post was edited on 12/13/19 at 9:27 pm
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:23 pm to olegreg
I'd be interested to know more about the Haskell Indians team. I read they were going play Bama after this and then headed back to Kansas afterwards.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:25 pm to Tiger in Gatorland
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:26 pm to olegreg
Print the banner.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:26 pm to olegreg
Haskells lost heart due to favoritism of officials.
Over 100 years ago, folks were complaining about the refs!
Over 100 years ago, folks were complaining about the refs!
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:29 pm to FreeState
quote:
Haskell football info:
Very cool. I surfed around on the university website too. Wonder if they adopted their colors (purple and gold) from us. They played all the big boys back in the early 1900s.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:31 pm to olegreg
Forward this to Scott W. Maybe we can win 2 NCs!
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:37 pm to olegreg
We beat A&M 26-0 that year. Been kicking Aggie arse for over 100 years!
Posted on 12/13/19 at 9:57 pm to FreeState
The Stovall’s and Kinchens have stretched many a decade in Lsu history.
“ LSU finished the year 10-0 overall and 2-0 in the SIAA and seven players were named to various all-star teams as the Tigers were named the best team in the south by the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
A doubt was cast on this team because of accusations of recruiting violations from Tulane that were enough for some publications to list Auburn as the champions of the south prior to the SIAA's clearance of any wrongdoing by LSU. But clearly the LSU Tigers were the best in the south and the first truly great team in LSU football annals. Many years later, in awarding retroactive national titles to colleges, the 1908 Tigers were named co-national champions with Pennsylvania by the National Championship Foundation”
quote:
Why on earth we don't claim this championship I don't know
“ LSU finished the year 10-0 overall and 2-0 in the SIAA and seven players were named to various all-star teams as the Tigers were named the best team in the south by the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
A doubt was cast on this team because of accusations of recruiting violations from Tulane that were enough for some publications to list Auburn as the champions of the south prior to the SIAA's clearance of any wrongdoing by LSU. But clearly the LSU Tigers were the best in the south and the first truly great team in LSU football annals. Many years later, in awarding retroactive national titles to colleges, the 1908 Tigers were named co-national champions with Pennsylvania by the National Championship Foundation”
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:20 pm to FreeState
quote:
Why on earth we don't claim this championship I don't know.
If we don't claim it, Bama will!
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:24 pm to olegreg
Interestingly they evidently didn’t have eligibility issues back in 2008. Doc Henton played football from 2004-2009 (6 years) after he started out as a rugby player in Canada. He played 3 years football at Mansfield Normal School in Pennsylvania followed by his 3 years at LSU. Even he was a transfer athlete.
Also of note is the 2007 LSU team was the first American college team to play a football game on foreign soil. We played a game in Cuba defeating Havana University 56-0.
Also of note is the 2007 LSU team was the first American college team to play a football game on foreign soil. We played a game in Cuba defeating Havana University 56-0.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:27 pm to olegreg
what is the reason why we dont claim that title?
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:29 pm to FreeState
quote:
Dodson
Around the time the Stovalls were growing up, Dodson had a bank, a couple of hotels, several restaurants and 2000-3000 residents. If you notice, the incorporated limits stretch out about a mile in either direction from the crossroads that is all that's left. As recently as the nineties there were a few hundred residents. Now less than a hundred. Quite a few people still live in outlying areas around there though. Some really nice homes scattered here and there along the back roads.
"Big" Stovall married a daughter of LSU president James Nicholson, for whom Nicholson Drive and Nicholson Hall are named.
This post was edited on 12/14/19 at 1:02 am
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:33 pm to BeatBamaBad
Holy cow you got every year wrong in that post
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:34 pm to CBandits82
quote:
what is the reason why we dont claim that title?
We went undefeated but played a much weaker schedule than Penn and Harvard, who were also undefeated, but each with a tie.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 10:39 pm to CBandits82
quote:
what is the reason why we dont claim that title?
I’ve read a couple of things saying we were accused of “professionalism” that year. The articles didn’t get into much detail after that.
Posted on 12/13/19 at 11:31 pm to olegreg
quote:
Lsu played, and defeated, the Haskell Indians, for their 8th win of the year
Yep. Beat them 32-0. We really gave them the business...
Posted on 12/14/19 at 12:58 am to olegreg
I've posted this before. It will get downvoted but it is the truth.
LSU 1908 was similar to Boise State 2009. Sure, they went undefeated, but they weren't the best team in the country. Not by a mile. Alabama was the best team in 2009, and Harvard (or maybe Penn) was the best team in 1908. Those teams would have beaten LSU handily. LSU probably wouldn't have even scored on them.
But TxTiger82, that CAN"T BE TRUE. LSU IS AWESOME AND I DON"T BELIEVE IT.
Times were different back then. Football power resided in the East. In the Ivy League and some Pennsylvania teams like Carlisle (Jim Thorpe, anyone?). The SIAA was the Mountain West of its day. Worse even. It was a complete backwater conference, and the teams played nobody. Sure, LSU had one great player in Doc Fenton. Harvard and Penn had entire teams full of Doc Fentons.
Here's a good read on the subject of 1908:
LINK
In short, WE DO NOT CLAIM 1908 BECAUSE NOBODY ALIVE AT THE TIME THOUGHT LSU WAS THE CHAMPION. Saying that is like saying Boise State was the best team in 2009. Or maybe that UCF deserved a share in 2017. You would have been laughed at.
LSU 1908 was similar to Boise State 2009. Sure, they went undefeated, but they weren't the best team in the country. Not by a mile. Alabama was the best team in 2009, and Harvard (or maybe Penn) was the best team in 1908. Those teams would have beaten LSU handily. LSU probably wouldn't have even scored on them.
But TxTiger82, that CAN"T BE TRUE. LSU IS AWESOME AND I DON"T BELIEVE IT.
Times were different back then. Football power resided in the East. In the Ivy League and some Pennsylvania teams like Carlisle (Jim Thorpe, anyone?). The SIAA was the Mountain West of its day. Worse even. It was a complete backwater conference, and the teams played nobody. Sure, LSU had one great player in Doc Fenton. Harvard and Penn had entire teams full of Doc Fentons.
Here's a good read on the subject of 1908:
LINK
In short, WE DO NOT CLAIM 1908 BECAUSE NOBODY ALIVE AT THE TIME THOUGHT LSU WAS THE CHAMPION. Saying that is like saying Boise State was the best team in 2009. Or maybe that UCF deserved a share in 2017. You would have been laughed at.
This post was edited on 12/14/19 at 1:05 am
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