# 1928 Southern Conference football season

The 1928 Southern Conference football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Conference as part of the 1928 college football season. The season began on September 22.
In the annual Rose Bowl game, Georgia Tech defeated the California Golden Bears by a score of 8–7. The game was notable for a play by California All-American Roy Riegels in which he scooped up a Georgia Tech fumble and ran towards his own goal line. The two-point safety on the ensuing punt proved to be the margin of victory. Georgia Tech thus claims a national championship.
The Florida Gators led the nation in scoring with 336 points, but had their undefeated campaign derailed in the final game by the South's biggest upset that season, a controversial loss to Tennessee.
Tulane back Bill Banker led the conference in individual scoring with 128 points, tying a school record set by Peggy Flournoy in 1925 which was unbroken until 2007 by Matt Forte.

## Season overview
### Results and team statistics

| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG |
| 1 | Georgia Tech | William Alexander | 10–0 | 7–0 | 22.1 | 4.7 |
| 2 | Tennessee | Robert Neyland | 9–0–1 | 6–0–1 | 24.9 | 5.1 |
| 3 | Florida | Charlie Bachman | 8–1 | 6–1 | 37.3 | 4.9 |
| 4 | VPI | Andy Gustafson | 7–2 | 4–1 | 22.0 | 10.2 |
| 5 (tie) | Alabama | Wallace Wade | 6–3 | 6–2 | 20.8 | 8.3 |
| 5 (tie) | LSU | Mike Donahue | 6–2–1 | 3–1–1 | 20.0 | 5.0 |
| 7 (tie) | Clemson | Josh Cody | 8–3 | 4–2 | 17.5 | 7.0 |
| 7 (tie) | Vanderbilt | Dan McGugin | 8–2 | 4–2 | 15.2 | 5.7 |
| 9 (tie) | Tulane | Bernie Bierman | 6–3–1 | 3–3–1 | 26.4 | 7.6 |
| 9 (tie) | Ole Miss | Homer Hazel | 5–4 | 3–3 | 17.3 | 13.4 |
| 9 (tie) | North Carolina | Chuck Collins | 5–3–2 | 2–2–2 | 18.6 | 11.5 |
| 9 (tie) | Kentucky | Harry Gamage | 4–3–1 | 2–2–1 | 12.5 | 5.1 |
| 9 (tie) | South Carolina | Billy Laval | 6–2–2 | 2–2–1 | 9.6 | 7.0 |
| 14 (tie) | Maryland | Curley Byrd | 6–3–1 | 2–3–1 | 13.2 | 7.0 |
| 14 (tie) | VMI | W. C. Raftery | 5–3–2 | 2–3–1 | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| 16 | Georgia | Harry Mehre | 4–5 | 2–4 | 13.6 | 12.6 |
| 17 | NC State | Gus Tebell | 4–5–1 | 1–3–1 | 15.7 | 10.0 |
| 18 | Mississippi A&M | John W. Hancock | 2–4–2 | 1–4 | 8.8 | 20.8 |
| 19 (tie) | Virginia | Greasy Neale | 2–6–1 | 1–6 | 13.4 | 15.8 |
| 19 (tie) | Washington and Lee | Pat Herron | 2–8 | 1–6 | 13.9 | 18.4 |
| 21 | Sewanee | M. S. Bennett | 2–7 | 0–5 | 9.9 | 31.9 |
| 22 | Auburn | George Bohler | 1–8 | 0–7 | 4.1 | 17.1 |
Key
PPG = Average of points scored per game
PAG = Average of points allowed per game

### Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Non-conference matchup; SoCon member won
* Non-conference matchup; SoCon member lost
* Non-conference matchup; tie
* Conference matchup
SoCon teams in bold.

#### Week One

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| September 22 | Newberry | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 30–0 |
| September 22 | Erskine | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 19–0 |
| September 22 | Hampden–Sydney | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 14–7 |

#### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 28 | Birmingham–Southern | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | L 6–0 | |
| September 29 | Davidson | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 6–0 | |
| September 29 | Washington College | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 31–0 | |
| September 29 | Arkansas | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 25–0 | |
| September 29 | Ouachita Baptist | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | W 20–6 | |
| September 29 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 65–0 | 15,000 |
| September 29 | Elon | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 57–0 | |
| September 29 | Bryson College | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 14–0 | |
| September 29 | South Carolina | Chicago | Stagg Field • Chicago, Illinois | W 6–0 | 35,000 |
| September 29 | Maryville (TN) | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 41–0 | |
| September 29 | Tulane | Louisiana Normal | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 65–0 | |
| September 29 | Vanderbilt | Chattanooga | Chamberlain Field • Chattanooga, Tennessee | W 20–0 | |
| September 29 | Randolph–Macon | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 66–0 | |
| September 29 | Richmond | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | T 6–6 | |
| September 29 | Roanoke | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 34–7 | |
| September 29 | Lynchburg | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 56–0 | |

#### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 6 | Ole Miss | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 27–0 | 6,000 |
| October 6 | Clemson | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | CLEM 33–6 | |
| October 6 | Florida Southern | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | W 26–0 | 4,000 |
| October 6 | Mercer | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | W 52–0 | |
| October 6 | VMI | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 13–0 | 18,000 |
| October 6 | Carson–Newman | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 61–0 | |
| October 6 | Southwestern Louisiana | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 46–0 | |
| October 6 | North Carolina | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | UNC 26–19 | |
| October 6 | Tulane | Mississippi A&M | Municipal Stadium • Jackson, Mississippi | TUL 51–6 | |
| October 6 | Sewanee | Texas A&M | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas, Texas | L 69–0 | |
| October 6 | Centre | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 41–7 | |
| October 6 | Colgate | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 12–7 | |
| October 6 | South Carolina | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | SCAR 24–13 | 7,500 |
| October 6 | Hampden–Sydney | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 32–7 | |
| October 6 | NC State | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W&L 38–6 | |

#### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 12 | NC State | Clemson | Pee Dee Fairgrounds • Florence, South Carolina | CLEM 7–0 | 4,000 |
| October 13 | Alabama | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | ALA 46–0 | 8,000 |
| October 13 | Auburn | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | FLA 27–0 | 6,000 |
| October 13 | Georgia Tech | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | GT 12–0 | |
| October 13 | Georgia | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | L 21–6 | |
| October 13 | Maryland | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 21–7 | |
| October 13 | Louisiana College | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 41–0 | |
| October 13 | Ole Miss | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 13–12 | |
| October 13 | North Carolina | Harvard | Harvard Stadium • Boston, Massachusetts | L 20–0 | |
| October 13 | Transylvania | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | L 14–13 | |
| October 13 | Vanderbilt | Texas | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas, Texas | W 13–12 | |
| October 13 | Virginia | Princeton | Palmer Stadium • Princeton, New Jersey | T 0–0 | |
| October 13 | Roanoke | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 31–13 | |
| October 13 | VPI | Colgate | Whitnall Field • Hamilton, New York | L 35–14 | |
| October 13 | Washington & Lee | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | UK 6–0 | |

#### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 18 | Wake Forest | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 37–0 | |
| October 19 | Erskine | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 52–0 | |
| October 19 | Presbyterian | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 13–0 | |
| October 20 | Tennessee | Alabama | Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | TENN 15–13 | |
| October 20 | Ole Miss | Auburn | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | MISS 19–0 | |
| October 20 | Mercer | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | W 73–0 | 8,000 |
| October 20 | Furman | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | W 7–0 | |
| October 20 | Notre Dame | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | W 13–0 | 35,000 |
| October 20 | Kentucky | Northwestern | Dyche Stadium • Evanston, IL | L 7–0 | |
| October 20 | Mississippi A&M | LSU | Municipal Stadium • Jackson, Mississippi | LSU 31–0 | |
| October 20 | Western Maryland | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 13–6 | |
| October 20 | VPI | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | VPI 16–14 | 9,000 |
| October 20 | Cumberland (TN) | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 38–0 | 5,000 |
| October 20 | Vanderbilt | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | VAN 13–6 | |
| October 20 | Virginia | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | VMI 9–0 | |
| October 20 | Washington & Lee | West Virginia | Laidley Field • Charleston, West Virginia | L 22–0 | |

#### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 25 | Clemson | South Carolina | State Fairgrounds • Columbia, South Carolina | CLEM 32–0 | 14,000 |
| October 27 | Sewanee | Alabama | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 42–12 | 11,743 |
| October 27 | Howard (AL) | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | W 25–6 | |
| October 27 | NC State | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | FLA 14–7 | 13,000 |
| October 27 | Tulane | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | UGA 20–14 | |
| October 27 | Georgia Tech | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | GT 20–7 | 20,000 |
| October 27 | Centre | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 8–0 | |
| October 27 | Spring Hill | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 30–7 | |
| October 27 | Maryland | VMI | Tate Field • Richmond, Virginia | T 0–0 | |
| October 27 | Ole Miss | Loyola (LA) | Loyola University Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | L 34–14 | |
| October 27 | Virginia | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 34–0 | |
| October 27 | King | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 54–0 | |
| October 27 | Washington & Lee | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 26–7 | |

#### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 1 | South Carolina | The Citadel | County Fairgrounds • Orangeburg, South Carolina | T 0–0 | 2,000 |
| November 3 | Alabama | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin | L 15–0 | 25,000 |
| November 3 | Auburn | Georgia | Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Georgia | UGA 13–0 | |
| November 3 | Clemson | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | MISS 26–7 | |
| November 3 | Sewanee | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | FLA 71–6 | 6,500 |
| November 3 | Oglethorpe | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | W 32–7 | 8,000 |
| November 3 | Arkansas | LSU | State Fair Stadium • Shreveport, Louisiana | L 7–0 | |
| November 3 | Maryland | VPI | League Park • Norfolk, Virginia | VPI 9–6 | 9,000 |
| November 3 | Mississippi A&M | Michigan State | College Field • East Lansing, Michigan | T 6–6 | |
| November 3 | North Carolina | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | T 6–6 | |
| November 3 | Carson–Newman | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 57–0 | |
| November 3 | Kentucky | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 14–7 | |
| November 3 | Washington & Lee | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | UVA 20–13 | |

#### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 10 | Kentucky | Alabama | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | ALA 14–0 | 7,500 |
| November 10 | Auburn | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 13–12 | |
| November 10 | Clemson | VMI | Lynchburg, Virginia | CLEM 12–0 | |
| November 10 | Florida | Georgia | Municipal Stadium • Savannah, Georgia | FLA 26–6 | 16,000 |
| November 10 | Vanderbilt | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 19–7 | 30,000 |
| November 10 | Ole Miss | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU 19–6 | |
| November 10 | Maryland | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | W 6–0 | |
| November 10 | Centenary | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | T 6–6 | |
| November 10 | Davidson | NC State | World War Memorial Stadium • Greensboro, North Carolina | W 14–7 | |
| November 10 | South Carolina | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | T 0–0 | 6,000 |
| November 10 | Sewanee | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 37–0 | |
| November 10 | Virginia | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | VPI 20–0 | 5,000–7,000 |
| November 10 | Washington & Lee | Princeton | Palmer Stadium • Princeton, New Jersey | L 25–12 | |

#### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 17 | Alabama | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 33–13 | 26,000 |
| November 17 | Mississippi A&M | Auburn | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | MSA&M 13–0 | |
| November 17 | Clemson | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | FLA 27–6 | 15,000 |
| November 17 | LSU | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | LSU 13–12 | |
| November 17 | Virginia | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | MD 18–2 | |
| November 17 | Ole Miss | Southwestern (TN) | Fargason Field • Memphis, Tennessee | W 34–2 | |
| November 17 | North Carolina | Davidson | Richardson Field • Davidson, North Carolina | W 30–7 | 7,000 |
| November 17 | Furman | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 6–0 | |
| November 17 | Sewanee | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 41–6 | 12,000 |
| November 17 | Tennessee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | TENN 6–0 | |
| November 17 | VMI | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | UK 23–12 | |
| November 17 | VPI | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | VPI 13–7 | |

#### Week Ten

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 24 | Washington & Lee | Maryland | Griffith Stadium • Washington, DC | MD 6–0 | |
| November 24 | NC State | Michigan State | College Field • East Lansing, Michigan | L 7–0 | |
| November 24 | Louisiana College | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 47–7 | 8,000 |
| November 24 | Centre | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 26–0 | |

#### Week Eleven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 29 | Georgia | Alabama | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 19–0 | 20,184 |
| November 29 | Clemson | Furman | Manly Field • Greenville, South Carolina | W 27–12 | 12,500 |
| November 29 | Washington & Lee | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | FLA 60–6 | 14,000 |
| November 29 | Auburn | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 51–0 | 20,000 |
| November 29 | Kentucky | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | T 0–0 | |
| November 29 | LSU | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | T 0–0 | |
| November 29 | Maryland | Johns Hopkins | Baltimore Stadium • Baltimore, Maryland | W 26–6 | |
| November 29 | Ole Miss | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | MISS 20–19 | |
| November 29 | North Carolina | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | UNC 24–20 | 18,000-20,000 |
| November 29 | South Carolina | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | NCST 18–7 | |
| November 29 | VMI | VPI | Maher Field • Roanoke, Virginia | VMI 16–6 | |
| December 1 | Sewanee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 13–0 | 10,000 |

#### Week Twelve

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| December 8 | LSU | Alabama | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 13–0 | |
| December 8 | Clemson | The Citadel | Johnson Hagood Stadium • Charleston, South Carolina | L 12–7 | |
| December 8 | Georgia | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 20–6 | 40,000 |
| December 8 | Duke | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 14–7 | 10,000 |
| December 8 | Florida | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 13–12 | 13,000 |

## Bowl games

| Date | Bowl Game | Site | SIAA Team | Opponent | Score |
| January 1, 1929 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California | Georgia Tech | California | GT 8–7 |

## Awards and honors
### All-Americans

* E - Dale Van Sickel, Florida (AP-1, NEA-1, CO-Utility, UP-HM)
* E – Dick Abernathy, Vanderbilt (CP-1, UP-3)
* T – Frank Speer, Georgia Tech (AP-1)
* T – Jimmy Steele, Florida (NEA-2)
* G – Bull Brown, Vanderbilt (UP-2)
* G – Bill McRae, Florida (UP-2)
* C – Peter Pund, Georgia Tech (CO-1, INS, NEA-1, UP-1, WC-1, CP-2, AP-3, AAB)
* HB – Warner Mizell, Georgia Tech (AP-2, CP-2, INS, NANA, NEA-2, UP-2)
* HB – Clyde Crabtree, Florida (AP-3, NEA-3, UP-3 [fb])
* HB – Bill Banker, Tulane (UP-2)
* FB – Gerald Snyder, Maryland (AP-3)

### All-Southern team

The followers players were picked for the composite first All-Southern team of more than one hundred sports writers and coaches compiled by the Associated Press (AP). The United Press (UP) also selected a team:
| Position | Name | First-team selectors | Team |
| QB | Clyde Crabtree | AP, UP | Florida |
| HB | Warner Mizell | AP, UP | Georgia Tech |
| HB | Bill Banker | AP, UP | Tulane |
| FB | Gerald Snyder | AP | Maryland |
| E | Dale Van Sickel | AP, UP | Florida |
| T | Frank Speer | AP, UP | Georgia Tech |
| G | Fred Vaughan | AP | NC State |
| C | Peter Pund | AP, UP | Georgia Tech |
| G | Raleigh Drennon | AP | Georgia Tech |
| T | Jess Tinsley | AP | LSU |
| E | Dick Abernathy | AP | Vanderbilt |