# 1931 Southern Conference football season

The 1931 Southern Conference football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Conference as part of the 1931 college football season. The season began on September 19.
In the annual Rose Bowl game, the SoCon champion Tulane Green Wave lost to the PCC champion USC Trojans 21–12. The Georgia Bulldogs suffered their only two losses to Tulane and USC.
It was Wallace Wade's first year as Duke head coach.

## 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 19 | Western Kentucky State Teachers | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 13–6 |
| September 19 | Jacksonville State | Sewanee | McGee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 18–0 |
| September 19 | Roanoke | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 18–0 |
| September 19 | Hampden–Sydney | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 6–0 |

### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 25 | Birmingham–Southern | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | W 24–6 | |
| September 26 | Howard (AL) | Alabama | Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | W 42–6 | 5,000 |
| September 25 | Presbyterian | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | T 0–0 | |
| September 26 | LSU | TCU | Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX | L 3–0 | |
| September 26 | Washington College | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 13–0 | |
| September 26 | Mississippi A&M | Millsaps | Alumni Field • Jackson, Mississippi | W 10–7 | |
| September 26 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 37–0 | 10,000 |
| September 26 | Davidson | NC State | World War Memorial Stadium • Greensboro, North Carolina | W 18–7 | 7,000 |
| September 26 | Tennessee Tech | Sewanee | McGee Field • Sewanee, Tennessee | W 24–7 | |
| September 26 | Duke | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 7–0 | |
| September 26 | Maryville (TN) | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 33–0 | |
| September 26 | Ole Miss | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 31–0 | 12,000 |
| September 26 | Western Kentucky State Teachers | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 52–0 | |
| September 26 | Randolph–Macon | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | T 7–7 | |
| September 26 | Richmond | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | L 7–0 | |
| September 26 | King (TN) | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 33–0 | |
| September 26 | Hampden–Sydney | Washington & Lee | Stadium Field • Lynchburg, Virginia | W 32–0 | |

### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 3 | Ole Miss | Alabama | Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 55–6 | |
| October 3 | Clemson | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN | TENN 44–0 | |
| October 3 | VMI | Duke | Duke Stadium • Durham, North Carolina | DUKE 13–0 | |
| October 3 | Florida | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | FLA 34–0 | |
| October 3 | VPI | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | UGA 40–0 | |
| October 3 | South Carolina | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 25–13 | |
| October 3 | Maryville (TN) | Kentucky | McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky | W 19–0 | |
| October 3 | Spring Hill | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 35–0 | |
| October 3 | Virginia | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | MD 7–6 | |
| October 3 | Mississippi College | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | L 6–2 | |
| October 3 | Sewanee | Southwestern (TN) | Fargason Field • Memphis, Tennessee | T 0–0 | |
| October 3 | Texas A&M | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 7–0 | |
| October 3 | North Carolina | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 13–6 | 7,000 |
| October 3 | Davidson | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | L 7–0 | |

### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 10 | Alabama | Mississippi A&M | Greer Memorial Field • Meridian, Mississippi | ALA 53–0 | |
| October 10 | Wisconsin | Auburn | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | T 7–7 | |
| October 10 | Clemson | NC State | Central High School Stadium • Charlotte, North Carolina | CLEM 6–0 | |
| October 10 | Villanova | Duke | Duke Stadium • Durham, North Carolina | W 18–0 | |
| October 10 | North Carolina | Florida | Florida Field • Gainesville, FL | T 0–0 | 8,000 |
| October 10 | Georgia | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | W 26–7 | 70,000 |
| October 10 | Carnegie Tech | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | L 13–0 | |
| October 10 | South Carolina | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU 19–12 | |
| October 10 | Navy | Maryland | Griffith Stadium • Washington, D. C. | W 6–0 | 16,000 |
| October 10 | Ole Miss | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 38–0 | |
| October 10 | Spring Hill | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 40–0 | |
| October 10 | Vanderbilt | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio | W 26–21 | 24,920 |
| October 10 | Sewanee | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | SEW 3–0 | |
| October 10 | The Citadel | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | T 13–13 | |
| October 10 | Davidson | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | W 18–6 | |
| October 10 | Washington & Lee | Kentucky | McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky | UK 45–0 | 6,500 |

### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 16 | Clemson | The Citadel | Florence Memorial Stadium • Florence, South Carolina | L 6–0 | |
| October 16 | Wake Forest | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | L 6–0 | |
| October 17 | Alabama | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 25–0 | 23,000 |
| October 17 | Auburn | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | AUB 13–0 | 17,000 |
| October 17 | Davidson | Duke | Richardson Field • Davidson, North Carolina | T 0–0 | 5,000 |
| October 17 | Florida | Syracuse | Archbold Stadium • Syracuse, New York | L 33–12 | 14,000 |
| October 17 | Georgia | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | UGA 32–7 | 18,000 |
| October 17 | Mississippi A&M | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU 31–0 | |
| October 17 | Kentucky | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | T 6–6 | > 10,000 |
| October 17 | Sewanee | Chattanooga | Chamberlain Field • Chattanooga, Tennessee | W 6–0 | |
| October 17 | Tulane | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | TUL 19–0 | |
| October 17 | VMI | Virginia | Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, Virginia | VMI 18–3 | |
| October 17 | William & Mary | VPI | City Stadium • Richmond, Virginia | T 6–6 | |
| October 17 | Washington & Lee | West Virginia | Laidley Field • Charleston, West Virginia | L 19–0 | 12,000 |

### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 22 | Clemson | South Carolina | State Fairgrounds • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 21–0 | |
| October 22 | Wake Forest | Duke | Duke Stadium • Durham, North Carolina | W 28–0 | |
| October 24 | Sewanee | Alabama | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 33–0 | 5,000 |
| October 24 | Auburn | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | FLA 13–12 | 15,000 |
| October 24 | Vanderbilt | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia | UGA 9–0 | |
| October 24 | Georgia Tech | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 33–0 | 17,000 |
| October 24 | VPI | Kentucky | McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky | UK 20–6 | 6,000 |
| October 24 | Arkansas | LSU | State Fair Stadium • Shreveport, Louisiana | W 13–6 | 9,000 |
| October 24 | Maryland | VMI | City Stadium • Richmond, Virginia | MD 41–20 | |
| October 24 | Ole Miss | Southwestern (TN) | Fargason Field • Memphis, Tennessee | T 20–20 | |
| October 24 | Tennessee | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | TENN 7–0 | 12,000 |
| October 24 | Virginia | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W&L18–0 | |

### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 29 | South Carolina | The Citadel | County Fairgrounds • Orangeburg, South Carolina | W 26–7 | |
| October 30 | Ole Miss | Marquette | Marquette Stadium • Milwaukee, Wisconsin | L 13–6 | |
| October 31 | Kentucky | Alabama | Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 9–7 | 10,000 |
| October 31 | Spring Hill | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | W 27–7 | |
| October 31 | Duke | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 25–2 | 12,000 |
| October 31 | Georgia | Florida | Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida | UGA 33–0 | 20,000 |
| October 31 | Maryland | VPI | Miles Stadium • Blacksburg, Virginia | MD 20–0 | |
| October 31 | North Carolina | NC State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | UNC 18–15 | 12,000 |
| October 31 | Mississippi A&M | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 59–7 | 4,000 |
| October 31 | Vanderbilt | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | VAN 49–7 | 10,000 |
| October 31 | VMI | Davidson | Richardson Field • Davidson, North Carolina | L 7–0 | |
| October 31 | Washington & Lee | William & Mary | Bain Field • Norfolk, Virginia | T 0–0 | |

### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 6 | VPI | Washington & Lee | Maher Field • Roanoke, Virginia | W&L 6–0 | |
| November 7 | Florida | Alabama | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ALA 41–0 | 7,000 |
| November 7 | Tulane | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | TUL 27–0 | |
| November 7 | Clemson | VMI | Bain Field • Norfolk, Virginia | VMI 7–6 | |
| November 7 | Georgia | NYU | Yankee Stadium • Bronx, New York | W 7–6 | 65,000 |
| November 7 | Duke | Kentucky | McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky | DUKE 7–0 | 12,000 |
| November 7 | LSU | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | L 20–0 | 15,000 |
| November 7 | Sewanee | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | SEW 7–0 | |
| November 7 | NC State | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | NCST 6–0 | |
| November 7 | North Carolina | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | T 19–19 | |
| November 7 | Furman | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | W 27–0 | |
| November 7 | Carson–Newman | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 31–0 | |
| November 7 | Maryland | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 39–12 | |
| November 7 | Virginia | Columbia | Baker Field • New York City, New York | L 27–0 | |

### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 14 | Clemson | Alabama | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | ALA 74–7 | |
| November 14 | Sewanee | Auburn | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | AUB 12–0 | |
| November 14 | South Carolina | Florida | Plant Field • Tampa, Florida | T 6–6 | |
| November 14 | Georgia Tech | Penn | Franklin Field • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | L 13–12 | |
| November 14 | Kentucky | VMI | Alumni Field • Lexington, Virginia | UK 20–12 | |
| November 14 | LSU | Ole Miss | Municipal Stadium • Jackson, Mississippi | LSU 26–3 | |
| November 14 | Southwestern (TN) | Mississippi A&M | Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi | W 14–0 | |
| November 14 | Davidson | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 20–0 | 7,000 |
| November 14 | NC State | Duke | Duke Stadium • Durham, North Carolina | NCST 14–0 | 5,000 |
| November 14 | Tulane | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia | TUL 20–7 | 35,000 |
| November 14 | Vanderbilt | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 21–7 | 25,000 |
| November 14 | Virginia | VPI | Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, Virginia | T 0–0 | |
| November 14 | Washington & Lee | Princeton | Palmer Stadium • Princeton, New Jersey | L 6–0 | 13,000 |

### Week Ten

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 21 | Auburn | Georgia | Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Georgia | UGA 12–6 | |
| November 21 | Florida | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | GT 23–0 | 10,000 |
| November 21 | North Carolina | Duke | Duke Stadium • Durham, North Carolina | T 0–0 | 22,000 |
| November 21 | Washington & Lee | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | MD 13–7 | |
| November 21 | NC State | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | SCAR 21–0 | |
| November 21 | Sewanee | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 40–0 | 8,000 |

### Week Eleven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 26 | Alabama | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | ALA 14–6 | |
| November 26 | South Carolina | Auburn | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | AUB 13–6 | |
| November 26 | Clemson | Furman | Manly Field • Greenville, South Carolina | T 0–0 | |
| November 26 | Florida | UCLA | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, California | L 13–0 | 20,000 |
| November 26 | Maryland | Johns Hopkins | Municipal Stadium • Baltimore, Maryland | W 35–14 | 10,000 |
| November 26 | Mississippi A&M | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | MISS 25–14 | |
| November 26 | Tennessee | Kentucky | McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky | T 6–6 | 18,000 |
| November 26 | Virginia | North Carolina | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | UNC 13–6 | |
| November 26 | VMI | VPI | Maher Field • Roanoke, Virginia | VPI 13–6 | |
| November 28 | Duke | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | DUKE 6–0 | 4,000 |
| November 28 | Georgia Tech | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia | UGA 35–6 | |
| November 28 | LSU | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | TUL 34–7 | 30,000 |

### Week Twelve

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| December 5 | Alabama | Chattanooga | Chamberlain Field • Chattanooga, Tennessee | W 39–0 | 3,000 |
| December 5 | Centre | South Carolina | Melton Field • Columbia, South Carolina | L 9–7 | |
| December 5 | Kentucky | Florida | Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida | UK 7–2 | |
| December 5 | Maryland | Western Maryland | Municipal Stadium • Baltimore, Maryland | W 41–6 | 12,000 |
| December 5 | Washington State | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 28–14 | 20,000 |
| December 5 | Tennessee | NYU | Yankee Stadium • Bronx, New York | W 13–0 | 40,684 |

### Week Thirteen

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| December 12 | Georgia | USC | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, California | L 60–0 | 75,000 | |

### Week Fifteen

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| December 26 | California | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia | L 19–6 | | |

## Bowl games

| Date | Bowl Game | Site | SIAA Team | Opponent | Score |
| January 1, 1932 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California | Tulane | USC | USC 21–12 |

## Awards and honors
### All-Americans

* E – Jerry Dalrymple, Tulane (AP–1; UP–1; COL–1; CP–1; NEA–1; INS–1; WCFF; LIB; HSM; CH-1; LP; AAB)
* E – Vernon "Catfish" Smith, Georgia (AP-1; COL–1; NEA–2; INS–2; HSM; CP–1; CH-2; LP)
* T – Ray Saunders, Tennessee (CP-3)
* G – Herman Hickman, Tennessee (AP–3; COL–1; NEA–3; INS-3; CP–1; CH-1)
* G – Milton Leathers, Georgia (INS-2)
* C – Pete Gracey, Vanderbilt (CP-2)
* QB – Austin Downes, Georgia (CP-3)
* HB – Don Zimmerman, Tulane (AP–2; NEA–2; INS-1; CP–1; CH-2)
* HB – Gene McEver, Tennessee (AP–2; NEA–2; INS-2; CP–2)
* FB – Johnny Cain, Alabama (UP–1; NEA–3 [picked as halfback]; INS-3; WCFF; CH-2; AAB)
* FB – Nollie Felts, Tulane (CP-3)

### All-Southern team

The following is the composite All-Southern team of coaches and sports writers compiled by the Associated Press.
| Position | Name | First-team selectors | Team |
| QB | Austin Downes | AP, CP | Georgia |
| HB | Gene McEver | AP, CP | Tennessee |
| HB | Don Zimmerman | AP, CP | Tulane |
| FB | Johnny Cain | AP | Alabama |
| E | Jerry Dalrymple | AP, CP | Tulane |
| T | Tex Leyendecker | AP, CP | Vanderbilt |
| G | Herman Hickman | AP, CP | Tennessee |
| C | Pete Gracey | AP, CP | Vanderbilt |
| G | John Scafide | AP | Tulane |
| T | Ray Saunders | AP, CP | Tennessee |
| E | Vernon "Catfish" Smith | AP, CP | Georgia |