1937 Florida Gators football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1937
| team = Florida Gators
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Southeastern Conference
| short_conf = SEC
| record = 4–7
| conf_record = 3–4
| head_coach = Josh Cody
| hc_year = 2nd
| captain = Walter Mayberry
| stadium = Florida Field
| uniform = 30sGatoruniform3.png
}}
{{1937 Southeastern Conference football standings}}
The 1937 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1937 college football season. The season was the second for Josh Cody as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlight of the season was the Gators' only 1930s win over the Georgia (6–0) in Jacksonville, Florida, but the season was mostly remembered for its disappointments—three one-point losses to Temple (7–6), Mississippi State (14–13), and Clemson (10–9). Cody's 1937 Florida Gators finished 4–7 overall and 3–4 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing eighth of thirteen SEC teams in the conference standings.[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2015/media_guide.pdf 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208143532/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2015/media_guide.pdf |date=2015-12-08 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 25
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = LSU
| site_stadium = Tiger Stadium
| site_cityst = Baton Rouge, LA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 0–19
| attend = 15,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-lsu-trims-gator/132645854/|work=The Huntsville Times|title=L.S.U. trims 'Gators, 19–0|date=September 26, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 2
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1937|team=Stetson Hatters|title=Stetson}}
| site_stadium = Florida Field
| site_cityst = Gainesville, FL
| score = 18–0
| attend = 4,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-florida-reserves-do/132653430/|work=The Orlando Sentinel-Sun|title=Florida reserves down stubborn Stetson outfit, 18–0|date=October 3, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 9
| w/l = l
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Temple
| site_stadium = Beury Stadium
| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA
| score = 6–7
| attend = 10,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bradenton-herald-temple-shades-gator/132653585/|work=The Bradenton Herald|title=Temple shades Gators, 7 to 6|date=October 10, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 16
| w/l = w
| opponent = Sewanee
| site_stadium = Florida Field
| site_cityst = Gainesville, FL
| score = 21–0
| attend = 5,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83576353/florida-romps-to-21-to-0-victory-over-se/|work=The Orlando Sentinel-Star|title=Florida romps to 21 to 0 victory over Sewanee|date=October 17, 1937|accessdate=August 16, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 23
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Mississippi State
| site_stadium = Scott Field
| site_cityst = Starkville, MS
| score = 13–14
| attend = 7,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-florida-falls-short-in/132651560/|work=The Miami Herald|title=Florida falls short in late rally and Mississippi State wins, 14–13|date=October 24, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 30
| w/l = l
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Maryland
| site_stadium = Byrd Stadium
| site_cityst = College Park, MD
| score = 7–13
| attend = 10,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pensacola-news-journal-marylands-aerial/132653808/|work=Pensacola News Journal|title=Maryland's aerial attack defeats Florida by 13 to 7|date=October 31, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 6
| w/l = w
| neutral = y
| opponent = Georgia
| site_stadium = Fairfield Stadium
| site_cityst = Jacksonville, FL
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 6–0
| attend = 20,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-news-gators-finally-defea/132653906/|work=The Birmingham News|title=Gators finally defeat Georgia|date=November 7, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 13
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Clemson
| site_stadium = Florida Field
| site_cityst = Gainesville, FL
| score = 9–10
| attend = 6,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-macon-telegraph-clemson-noses-out-fl/132653998/|work=The Macon Telegraph and News|title=Clemson noses out Florida, 10–9|date=November 14, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 20
| w/l = l
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Georgia Tech
| site_stadium = Florida Field
| site_cityst = Gainesville, FL
| score = 0–12
| attend = 16,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-lucie-news-tribune-gators-lose-to-ge/132653004/|work=News-Tribune|title=Gators lose to Georgia Tech, 12–0|date=November 21, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 27
| w/l = l
| neutral = y
| opponent = Auburn
| site_stadium = Fairfield Stadium
| site_cityst = Jacksonville, FL
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 0–14
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-lucie-news-tribune-florida-gators-lo/132648011/|work=News-Tribune|title=Florida Gators lose to Auburn, 14–0|date=November 28, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 4
| w/l = w
| opponent = Kentucky
| gamename = rivalry
| site_stadium = Florida Field
| site_cityst = Gainesville, FL
| score = 6–0
| attend =
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-ed-mannings-5/132654266/|work=The Montgomery Advertiser|title=Ed Manning's 59-yard jaunt supplies punch as Gators whip Wildcats|date=December 5, 1937|accessdate=September 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
Game summaries
=Temple=
Mayberry starred in a close loss to coach Pop Warner's Temple Owls,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3bby5c16bkC&q=mayberry+gators+football|title=Gator Tales|author=Marty Cohen|year=1995|page=31|isbn=9781880652459}} keeping the 10,000 spectators "in an uproar for nearly three periods."{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2509982/the_evening_news/|work=The Evening News|title=Florida Beaten By Temple Club On Extra Point|page=13|date=October 9, 1937|access-date=May 29, 2015|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
=Georgia=
The 1937 team defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the two teams' annual rivalry game for the first time in eight years.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1787&dat=19371107&id=LYUcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1484,2604781&hl=en|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=November 7, 1937|title=Old Supremacy of Bulldogs Is Brought To End|author=John Wilds}}{{cite web| url = http://jacksonville.com/content/6-walter-mayberry-hb-de| title = Reference at jacksonville.com}}
Postseason
Tiger Mayberry ranked second in the country with 818 rushing yards; only Byron White exceeded Mayberry's rushing total that year.ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, p. 1172 (White led the country with 1,121 rushing yards, and Mayberry was second with 818 yards.
Mayberry also intercepted six passes when the Gators' opponents only threw 57 balls,{{cite web|url=http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7485|title=Norm Carlson Looks Back|access-date=2016-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924050247/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7485|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1787&dat=19371019&id=HIUcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2538,1357555&hl=en|title=Writers, Coaches Praise Mayberry, Gator Captain, As All-American Material|author=Frank S. Wright|date=October 19, 1937|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}} and was a first-team All-SEC selection by the conference coaches and sportswriters on behalf of the Associated Press.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2485732/the_monroe_newsstar/|page=10|date=December 3, 1937|title=Versatility, Great Power Represented|work=The Monroe News-Star|access-date=May 26, 2015|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}