# 1923 Southern Conference football season

The 1923 Southern Conference football season was the college football games played by the member schools of the Southern Conference as part of the 1923 college football season. The season began on September 29. Conference play began with Auburn hosting Clemson. The game was fought to a scoreless tie.
Vanderbilt and Washington & Lee finished the season as conference co-champions. A poll of sportswriters elected Vanderbilt as best team in the south, awarding it the Champ Pickens Trophy.
Vanderbilt end Lynn Bomar was the last of the few southern players selected a first-team All-American by Walter Camp.
Florida's upset of Alabama under new head coach Wallace Wade in the rain opened the door for Vanderbilt's claim to the SoCon title.

## Season overview
### Results and team statistics

| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record | PPG | PAG |
| 1 (tie) | Washington and Lee | James DeHart | 6–3–1 | 4–0–1 | 11.7 | 12.7 |
| 1 (tie) | Vanderbilt | Dan McGugin | 5–2–1 | 3–0–1 | 17.1 | 4.1 |
| 3 | Florida | James Van Fleet | 6–1–2 | 1–0–2 | 19.9 | 6.7 |
| 4 | VPI | Ben Cubbage | 6–3 | 4–1 | 12.9 | 6.1 |
| 5 | Alabama | Wallace Wade | 7–2–1 | 5–1–1 | 22.2 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Tennessee | M. B. Banks | 5–4–1 | 4–3 | 8.2 | 16.7 |
| 7 | Maryland | Curley Byrd | 7–2–1 | 2–1 | 21.4 | 5.6 |
| 8 | Mississippi A&M | Earl Abell | 5–2–2 | 2–1–2 | 9.2 | 7.3 |
| 9 | North Carolina | Bob Fetzer/Bill Fetzer | 5–3–1 | 2–1–1 | 8.6 | 9.4 |
| 10 | Georgia | Kid Woodruff | 5–3–1 | 3–2 | 8.2 | 13.3 |
| 11 | Tulane | Clark Shaughnessy | 6–3–1 | 2–2–1 | 11.7 | 8.9 |
| 12 | Clemson | Bud Saunders | 5–2–1 | 1–1–1 | 11.4 | 8.1 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | William Alexander | 3–2–4 | 0–0–4 | 8.3 | 9.1 |
| 14 | NC State | Harry Hartsell | 3–7 | 1–4 | 5.6 | 13.4 |
| 15 | Auburn | Boozer Pitts | 3–3–3 | 0–1–3 | 10.7 | 6.4 |
| 16 | Kentucky | J. J. Winn | 4–3–2 | 0–2–2 | 15.0 | 5.9 |
| 17 | Virginia | Greasy Neale | 3–5–1 | 0–3–1 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| 18 | LSU | Mike Donahue | 3–5–1 | 0–3 | 11.4 | 13.4 |
| 19 (tie) | Ole Miss | Roland Cowell | 4–6 | 0–4 | 8.1 | 14.5 |
| 19 (tie) | South Carolina | Sol Metzger | 4–6 | 0–4 | 10.4 | 7.7 |
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 29 | Union (TN) | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | W 12–0 |
| September 29 | Auburn | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | T 0–0 |
| September 29 | Mercer | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | W 7–0 |
| September 29 | Oglethorpe | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | W 28–13 |
| September 29 | Marshall | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 41–0 |
| September 29 | Northwestern State | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 40–0 |
| September 29 | Randolph-Macon | Maryland | College Park, Maryland | W 53–0 |
| September 29 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | W 22–0 |
| September 29 | Roanoke | North Carolina State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | W 6–0 |
| September 29 | Bethel | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 14–6 |
| September 29 | Erskine | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | W 35–0 |
| September 29 | Army | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | L 41–0 |
| September 29 | Louisiana-Lafayette | Tulane | New Orleans, Louisiana | W 20–2 |
| September 29 | Furman | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | L 13–0 |
| September 29 | Hampden-Sydney | VPI | Blacksburg, Virginia | W 29–0 |
| September 29 | McDaniel | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 19–7 |

#### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| October 6 | Ole Miss | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 56–0 |
| October 6 | Birmingham–Southern | Auburn | Montgomery, Alabama | W 20–0 |
| October 6 | Newberry | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 32–0 |
| October 6 | Florida | Army | West Point, New York | L 20–0 |
| October 6 | Oglethorpe | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | W 20–6 |
| October 6 | VMI | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | W 10–7 |
| October 6 | Kentucky | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | W 14–0 |
| October 6 | Louisiana-Lafayette | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | L 7–3 |
| October 6 | Maryland | Penn | Franklin Field • Philadelphia | W 3–0 |
| October 6 | Millsaps | Mississippi A&M | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi | W 28–6 |
| October 6 | North Carolina State | Penn State | New Beaver Field • University Park, Pennsylvania | L 16–0 |
| October 6 | Presbyterian | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | L 7–3 |
| October 6 | Maryvile | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | T 14–14 |
| October 6 | Mississippi College | Tulane | Second Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 18–3 |
| October 6 | Howard | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 27–0 |
| October 6 | Richmond | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 9–0 |
| October 6 | Davidson | VPI | Blacksburg, Virginia | W 7–0 |

#### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 12 | North Carolina | Duke | Durham, North Carolina | W 14–6 | |
| October 13 | Alabama | Syracuse | Archbold Stadium • Syracuse, New York | L 23–0 | |
| October 13 | Howard | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | W 30–0 | |
| October 13 | Clemson | Centre | Danville, Kentucky | L 28–7 | |
| October 13 | Florida | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | T 7–7 | |
| October 13 | Georgia | Yale | Yale Bowl • New Haven, Connecticut | L 40–0 | |
| October 13 | Spring Hill | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, Louisiana | W 33–0 | |
| October 13 | Richmond | Maryland | Washington, D. C. | W 23–0 | |
| October 13 | Rhodes | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 33–0 | |
| October 13 | Ouachita | Mississippi A&M | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi | W 6–0 | |
| October 13 | South Carolina | North Carolina State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | NCST 7–0 | |
| October 13 | Georgetown (KY) | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | W 13–6 | |
| October 13 | Tulane | Texas | Beaumont, Texas | L 33–0 | |
| October 13 | Vanderbilt | Michigan | Ferry Field • Ann Arbor, Michigan | L 3–0 | 30,000 |
| October 13 | St. John's | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 32–7 | |
| October 13 | Washington & Lee | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | T 6–6 | |

#### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| October 18 | North Carolina | North Carolina State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | UNC 14–0 |
| October 19 | Newberry | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | W 24–0 |
| October 20 | Sewanee | Alabama | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | W 7–0 |
| October 20 | Auburn | Army | Parade Ground • West Point, New York | L 28–6 |
| October 20 | Rollins | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | W 28–0 |
| October 20 | Georgia | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | UGA 17–0 |
| October 20 | Georgetown | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | W 20–10 |
| October 20 | Maryville | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 28–0 |
| October 20 | VPI | Maryland | Washington, D. C. | VPI 16–7 |
| October 20 | Ole Miss | Mississippi A&M | Jackson, Mississippi | MSA&M 13–6 |
| October 20 | Louisiana Tech | Tulane | Second Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 13–7 |
| October 20 | Vanderbilt | Texas | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas | L 16–0 |
| October 20 | VMI | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | L 35–0 |
| October 20 | St. John's | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W 28–0 |

#### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 25 | Clemson | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | CLEM 7–6 | |
| October 27 | Alabama | Spring Hill | Murphy High School Stadium • Mobile, Alabama | W 59–0 | |
| October 27 | Fort Benning | Auburn | Drake Field • Auburn, Alabama | W 34–0 | |
| October 27 | Wake Forest | Florida | Tampa, Florida | W 16–7 | |
| October 27 | Georgia Tech | Notre Dame | South Bend, Indiana | L 35–7 | |
| October 27 | Georgetown (KY) | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | W 35–0 | |
| October 27 | Arkansas | LSU | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | L 26–13 | |
| October 27 | Maryland | North Carolina | Emerson Field • Chapel Hill, North Carolina | MD 14–0 | |
| October 27 | Saint Louis | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | L 28–3 | |
| October 27 | Mississippi A&M | Tennessee | Memphis, Tennessee | TENN 7–3 | |
| October 27 | Tulane | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 17–0 | 10,000 |
| October 27 | Duke | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | W 33–0 | |
| October 27 | North Carolina State | VMI | | L 22–7 | |
| October 27 | VPI | Washington & Lee | Lynchburg, Virginia | W&L 12–0 | |

#### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 2 | LSU | Mississippi College | Vicksburg, Mississippi | T 0–0 |
| November 3 | Alabama | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | T 0–0 |
| November 3 | Auburn | Georgia | Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Georgia | UGA 7–0 |
| November 3 | Mercer | Florida | Fleming Field • Gainesville, Florida | W 19–7 |
| November 3 | Kentucky | Centre | Danville, Kentucky | L 10–0 |
| November 3 | St. John's | Maryland | College Park, Maryland | W 28–0 |
| November 3 | Birmingham–Southern | Ole Miss | Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi | W 6–0 |
| November 3 | North Carolina | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | UNC 13–0 |
| November 3 | Tulane | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 13–2 |
| November 3 | Mississippi A&M | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | T 0–0 |
| November 3 | Clemson | VPI | Blacksburg, Virginia | VPI 25–0 |
| November 3 | Virginia | Washington & Lee | Wilson Field • Lexington, Virginia | W&L 7–0 |

#### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 9 | Davidson | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 12–0 |
| November 10 | Kentucky | Alabama | Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, Alabama | ALA 16–8 |
| November 10 | Tulane | Auburn | Montgomery, Alabama | T 6–6 |
| November 10 | Florida | Stetson | | W 27–0 |
| November 10 | Virginia | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | UGA 13–0 |
| November 10 | Georgia Tech | Penn State | New Beaver Field • University Park, Pennsylvania | L 7–0 |
| November 10 | Maryland | Yale | New Haven, Connecticut | L 16–14 |
| November 10 | Ole Miss | Mississippi College | Meridian, Mississippi | L 6–0 |
| November 10 | Union (TN) | Mississippi A&M | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi | W 6–0 |
| November 10 | North Carolina | VMI | Richmond, Virginia | L 9–0 |
| November 10 | North Carolina State | VPI | Norfolk, Virginia | VPI 16–0 |
| November 10 | South Carolina | Furman | Manly Field • Greenville, South Carolina | L 23–3 |
| November 10 | Tennessee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 51–7 |
| November 10 | Washington & Lee | West Virginia | Charleston, West Virginia | L 63–0 |

#### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 15 | The Citadel | South Carolina | County Fairgrounds • Orangeburg, South Carolina | W 12–0 | |
| November 16 | LSU | Alabama | Montgomery, Alabama | ALA 30–3 | |
| November 17 | Centre | Auburn | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | L 17–0 | |
| November 17 | Presbyterian | Clemson | Riggs Field • Calhoun, South Carolina | W 20–0 | |
| November 17 | Florida | Florida-Southern | Lakeland, Florida | W 53–0 | |
| November 17 | Georgia Tech | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | T 3–3 | |
| November 17 | Maryland | North Carolina State | Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina | MD 26–12 | |
| November 17 | Davidson | North Carolina | Charlotte, North Carolina | W 14–3 | |
| November 17 | Ole Miss | Tulane | Second Tulane Stadium • New Orleans | TUL 19–0 | |
| November 17 | VMI | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | L 33–0 | |
| November 17 | Georgia | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | VAN 35–7 | 15,000 |
| November 17 | VPI | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | VPI 6–3 | |
| November 17 | Washington & Lee | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | W&L 13–7 | |

#### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 24 | Georgia | Alabama | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama | ALA 36–0 | |
| November 24 | Catholic | Maryland | Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland | W 40–6 | |
| November 24 | Mississippi A&M | Florida | Barrs Field • Jacksonville, Florida | T 13–13 | |
| November 24 | Ole Miss | Tennessee | Shields–Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee | TENN 10–0 | |
| November 24 | North Carolina State | Wake Forest | Wake Forest, North Carolina | L 14–0 | |
| November 24 | LSU | Tulane | Second Tulane Stadium • New Orleans | TUL 20–0 | |
| November 24 | Sewanee | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee | W 7–0 | 15,000 |
| November 24 | Washington & Lee | Centre | Louisville, Kentucky | L 19–0 | |

#### Week Ten

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 29 | Florida | Alabama | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, Alabama | FLA 16–6 | |
| November 29 | Auburn | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta | T 0–0 | |
| November 29 | Clemson | Furman | Manly Field • Greenville, South Carolina | W 7–6 | |
| November 29 | Maryland | Johns Hopkins | Baltimore, Maryland | T 6–6 | |
| November 29 | North Carolina | Virginia | Lambeth Field • Charlottesville, Virginia | T 0–0 | |
| November 29 | Tennessee | Kentucky | Stoll Field • Lexington, Kentucky | TENN 18–0 | |
| November 29 | Wake Forest | South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | W 14–7 | |
| November 29 | Washington (MO) | Tulane | Second Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana | W 19–8 | |
| November 29 | VMI | VPI | Roanoke, Virginia | L 6–0 | 14,000 |
| November 29 | North Carolina State | Washington & Lee | Norfolk, Virginia | W&L 20–12 | |
| December 1 | Centre | Georgia | Sanford Field • Athens, Georgia | T 3–3 | |
| December 1 | Ole Miss | Fort Benning | Columbus, Georgia | W 19–7 | |
| December 1 | LSU | Mississippi A&M | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi | MSA&M 14–7 | |

## Awards and honors
### All-Americans

* E – Lynn Bomar, Vanderbilt (AW-2; WC-1; FW)
* E – Hek Wakefield, Vanderbilt (NB-2; DW-1, BE)
* T – Joe Bennett, Georgia (BE)
* T – Robbie Robinson, Florida (BE)
* G – Goldy Goldstein, Florida (BE)
* G – Tuck Kelly, Vanderbilt (BE)
* C – Clyde Propst, Alabama (BE)
* C – Claire Frye, Georgia Tech (BE)
* HB – Gil Reese, Vanderbilt (DW-3, BE)
* FB – Doug Wycoff, Georgia Tech (BE)

### All-Southern team

The following were the selections for the composite All-Southern team put out by the Atlanta Journal, all of whom received gold medals.
| Position | Name | First-team selectors | Team |
| QB | Grant Gillis | AJ | Alabama |
| HB | Gil Reese | AJ | Vanderbilt |
| HB | Ark Newton | AJ | Florida |
| FB | Doug Wycoff | AJ | Georgia Tech |
| E | Lynn Bomar | AJ | Vanderbilt |
| T | Joe Bennett | AJ | Georgia |
| G | Goldy Goldstein | AJ | Florida |
| C | Clyde Propst | AJ | Alabama |
| G | Tuck Kelly | AJ | Vanderbilt |
| T | Robbie Robinson | AJ | Florida |
| E | Hek Wakefield | AJ | Vanderbilt |