1893 LSU football team

The 1893 LSU football team represented Louisiana State University (LSU) during the 1893 college football season. This was the first year that LSU sponsored a football team. The Tigers were coached by university professor Dr Charles E. Coates against in-state school Tulane of New Orleans. The game sparked a rivalry between the Tigers and the Green Wave that has lasted generations. Future Louisiana governor Ruffin G. Pleasant was the quarterback and captain of the LSU team. In the first game against Tulane, LSU football players wore purple and gold ribbons on their uniforms. According to legend, purple and gold were chosen because they were Mardi Gras colors, and the green of Mardi Gras was sold out. An LSU baseball team had also worn purple and gold in its first varsity game against Tulane earlier in 1893, even though LSU's official colors at the time were actually blue and white.[1]

1893 LSU football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–1
Head coach
CaptainRuffin G. Pleasant
Home stadiumState Field
Seasons
1894 →
1893 Southern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Maryland     6 0 0
Texas     4 0 0
Central (KY)     2 0 0
Howard     2 0 0
North Carolina A&M     2 0 0
Vanderbilt     6 1 0
Auburn     3 0 2
Virginia     8 2 0
Ole Miss     4 1 0
Centre     4 1 0
Trinity (NC)     3 1 0
VMI     3 1 0
Kentucky State College     5 2 1
Delaware     2 1 0
Georgia Tech     2 1 0
Guilford     2 1 0
West Virginia     2 1 0
William & Mary     2 1 0
Navy     5 3 0
Richmond     3 2 0
Georgetown     4 4 0
Sewanee     3 3 0
Furman     1 1 0
Georgia     2 2 1
Western Maryland     1 1 0
Johns Hopkins     2 3 2
North Carolina     3 4 0
Tennessee     2 4 0
Tulane     1 2 0
Wake Forest     1 2 0
Hampden–Sydney     0 1 0
LSU     0 1 0
Maryville (TN)     0 1 0
Mercer     0 1 0
Wofford     0 1 0
VAMC     0 2 0
Alabama     0 4 0

The rules of play in 1893 were more like rugby than what might be considered modern football. The rules called for eleven players on a side with a scrimmage line dividing the teams. The team on offense was required to begin a play by kicking the ball either forward or backward to the quarterback. The quarterback couldn't run with the ball, but he could hand it off. In order to keep possession, the offensive team had to either gain five yards in three downs or not lose ten yards. Forward passing was not allowed. Touchdowns counted for 4 points, with 2 points for a goal after a touchdown, 4 points for a field goal, and 2 points for a safety. Players wore an assortment of "football armor" such as "shin guards, rubber noses, head bands, ankle protectors, elbow and hip pads, ear guards, and mouth pieces. The game consisted of two 45-minute halves.[2]

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
November 25at TulaneL 0–342,000[3]

Roster edit

No. Player Position Height Weight Hometown High School
- Charles P. Andrews - - - Mer Rouge, LA -
- William C. Bates Right end - - Baton Rouge, LA -
- James Beard Center - - Lake Providence, LA -
- Wilfred Boudreaux Guard, tackle - - Sunset, LA -
- Alexis "Alex" Brian Left tackle - - Montgomery, LA -
- Ralph A. Broussard Halfback - - Abbeville, LA -
- Samuel P. Brown Guard, tackle - - Carencro, LA -
- F. Joseph Cambon Guard, tackle - - Dulac, LA -
- Eugene Preston Campbell End - - Vidalia, LA -
- Samuel Marmaduke Dinwidie Clark Left end - - DeValls, LA -
- Gordon A. Dennis - - - Shreveport, LA -
- Sam G. Dupree Guard - - Baton Rouge, LA -
- Edwin Franklin Gayle Halfback - 155 Legonier, LA -
- James M. Huey - - - Ruston, LA -
- Frederick G. Lyons Quarterback - - New Orleans, LA -
- Ruffin G. Pleasant Quarterback - - Farmerville, LA -
- Joel M. Pratt End - - Baton Rouge, LA -
- Aaron Prescott - - - Washington, LA -
- Willis B. Prescott Fullback - - Washington,LA -
- James A. Roane - - - Vienna, LA -
- George C. Schoenberger End - - Buras, LA -
- Edward Eugene Scott Center - - Kingston, LA -
- William Crosby Smedes Center - - Vicksburg, MS -
- Charles H. Tisdale Halfback - - New Orleans, LA -
- Walter S. Trichel Fullback - - Natchitoches, LA -
- Charles G. Young Guard, tackle - - Homer, LA -

Roster from Fanbase.com[4] and LSU: The Louisiana Tigers[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Vincent, Herb. "LSU Football Vault, The History of the Fighting Tigers". Whitman Publishing, LLC. Atlanta, GA. 2008. page 7.
  2. ^ "Tiger den Archives – I".
  3. ^ "34 to 0, the Tulane yell is the paean of victory". The Times-Democrat. November 26, 1893. Retrieved April 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "LSU Tigers Football | Fanbase is your source for sports news and athlete information". Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  5. ^ Hardesty, Dan. "LSU: The Louisiana Tigers". The Strode Publishers. Huntsville, Alabama. 1975. P. 334-345.