A shocking event occurred in 1897 at the Thanksgiving Day match with Sewanee on the original Dudley Field.

The word "hell" had been used in the line of a popular cheer on campus by Vanderbilt students and spread into events as football.

Throughout this preliminary the students of both colleges gave their respective yells and sung their several songs written for the occasion.

It had become so popular at Vanderbilt that it was in the minds and causes them to be oblivious to the fact that it was not exactly proper to shock refined ladies by such utterances.

Phil Connell and captain Howard Boogher dove to recover the ball after the victory.

Virginia agreed to come to Nashville for a game on December 6 with a guarantee of $600, plus half of the net receipts.

The American also reported that, "The Vanderbilt players were in a jolly humor yesterday with their miniature football pinned upon the labels of their coats.

Joe Goodson, quarterback, was apparently out of training from a large ten-cent cigar he smoked, a gift of Benjamin Childers of Pulaski.