Important Dates and Facts of Citadel Football

1905

  • The Citadel Board of Visitors approves Intercollegiate Football at its June Meeting for the 1905 Season
  • First Manager (Frank G. Gibson) appointed to hire a coach and schedule games
  • All Home Games from 1905 to 1927 are played at College Park Memorial Stadium
  • Sidney (Sid) Smith hired as first Head Coach
  • First game played on October 14 vs. Porter Military Academy – 0 to 0 tie at College Park
  • First win for a Citadel Team on October 21 vs. Porter Military Academy – 17 to 0

1906

  • Ralph Foster hired as second Head Coach
  • Only Citadel Football Team to be undefeated (6-0) and un-scored on (53-0)
  • Blue and White adopted as School Colors for athletic contest

1907

  • Block C Club started for Athletes earning a letter for participation in a sport
  • First Fight Song adopted for Football Games
  • First Mascot used by the Corps in marching to and at Home Games – “the famous blue mule”

1908

  • The Citadel joins the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (S.I.A.A.)

1909

  • Sam Costen hired as the third Head Coach
  • Officially called “Bulldogs”
  • Citadel Greatest Margin of Victory – October 16 vs. Porter Military Academy (99-0) at College Park
  • First “Road Game” since start of Football Program in 1905 – November 06 vs. Davidson 0-0 tie in Orangeburg at State Fair

1911

  • L.S. LeTellier hired as the fourth Head Coach

1913

  • George Rogers hired as the fifth Head Coach and was the first Citadel grad to hold this position

1915

  • South Carolina State Champions

1916

  • Harry O’Brien hired as the sixth Head Coach
  • First Citadel win vs. Clemson (3-0) at Orangeburg State Fair on November 16
  • defeats South Carolina College (20-2) on November 30 in Columbia
  • South Carolina State Champions

1919

  • George Rogers rehired as the seventh Head Coach
  • 100th Game played vs. Furman (6-21) November 01 in Greenville, SC

1920

  • Harry O’Brien rehired as eighth Head Coach
  • Citadel has its 50th Win vs. Newberry (35-10) on November 06 at College Park, Charleston, SC

1922

  • Carl Prause hired as the ninth Head Coach

1923

  • First year all Players wear helmets at The Citadel

1924

  • First Homecoming “Day” vs. Furman (6-0) on October 25 at College Park
  • First year for The Citadel Alma Mater at a Home Game arranged by Carl H. Metz, Citadel Band Director from 1913 to 1943

1926

  • Citadel defeats South Carolina (12-9) on October 28 in Orangeburg and beat Clemson (15-6) on November 13 at Clemson

1927

  • First Johnson Hagood Stadium opens for a game vs. Mercer College (0-6) on October 01 with 10,000 seats in a bowl arrangement and held the distinction of being the largest Stadium in South Carolina.
  • First win vs. Olgethorpe (19-0) with Official Dedication on October 15
  • First year for Cheerleading Squad

1928

  • First year for a live Bulldog Mascot (Mike One)

1929

  • Johnny Floyd hired at tenth Head Coach

The 1920’s

  • The Greatest Decade of Citadel Football (46-41-6) with only three losing seasons

1930

1931

  • 100th Win in Football at Florence, SC vs. Clemson (6-0) on October 16

1932

  • Tatum Gressette hired as the eleventh Head Coach

1936

  • The Citadel joins the Southern Conference in all Sports
  • Ramble Fight Song introduced

1938

  • South Carolina State Champions ( perfect 4-0 against state teams)

1939

1940

  • John Roland hired as twelfth Head Coach
  • 300th Game Played vs. Oglethorpe (25-0) at home on October 26

1942

  • 150th Win in Football vs. Davidson (21-9) at home on November 04

1943 through 1945

  • The Citadel did not play football due to WW II

1946

  • Quinn Decker hired as thirteenth head coach
  • Ground broken for “second” Johnson Hagood Stadium

1948

  • 2nd Johnson Hagood Stadium dedicated on December 04 vs. Clemson (0-20) with a seating capacity of 22,343 (stadium faces East to West instead of North to South as 1st Johnson Hagood Stadium).

1949

  • First win in Johnson Hagood Stadium (II) vs. Newberry (14-12) on October 01

1950

  • Citadel plays Univ. of Florida (3-7) in Gainesville, FL. in first night game played in their stadium
  • Beat South Carolina 19-7 in Charleston, SC

1953

  • John McMillan hire as the fourteenth Head Coach

1954

  • First year “all” Home and Away Football Games are broadcast over radio
  • 400th Game Played vs. VMI (0-42) in Lexington VA. on November 06

1955

  • John Sauer hired as the fifteenth Head Coach

1956

  • The tradition of firing cannon shots to celebrate a touchdown began in Johnson Hagood Stadium against Davidson College on Sept. 29. “Boomer”

1957

  • Eddie Teague hired as the sixteenth Head Coach

1958

1959

  • First 8 Wins in a Season (8-2)
  • 200th Win in Football vs. West Virginia (20-14) at Morgantown, WV. on November 21
  • Football Team goes undefeated at Johnson Hagood Stadium (5-0)

1960

  • Played Florida State to a 0-0 tie in Charleston on September 08
  • Tangerine Bowl Champions – December 30 vs Tennessee Tech (27-0) in Orlando, FL.

1961

  • Southern Conference Champions

1962

  • Beat Vanderbuilt in Nashville, TIN 21-6 on Oct. 13

1963

  • The Citadel purchases Johnson Hagood Stadium from the City of Charleston

1964

  • 500th Game played vs. VMI (17-0) on October 12 at Johnson Hagood Stadium

1966

  • Red Parker hired as the seventeenth Head Coach

1969

  • 250th Win in Football vs. Maine (40-28) on November 08 at Johnson Hagood Stadium

1972

  • First Time on TV – ABC Regional Broadcast – October 14 vs. East Carolina (21-27) at Greenville, NC

1973

  • Bobby Ross hired as the eighteenth Head Coach

1974

  • First Year for Athletic Cadre for Football (all fall sports were added through the following Years)
  • 600th Game played vs. VMI (9-20) on October 12 at Johnson Hagood Stadium

1976

  • First win against a Division 1 opponent – Air Force (26-7) on October 23 at Colorado Springs, CO
  • The first “Military Classic of the South” game between the Citadel and VMI

1978

  • Art Baker hired as the nineteenth Head Coach
  • Football Team goes undefeated at Johnson Hagood Stadium (5-0)

1979

  • Second win against a Division 1 opponent – Vanderbilt (27-14) on September 29 at Nashville, TN
  • 300th win in Football vs. Appalachian State (24-23) on September 29 at Johnson Hagood Stadium

1980

  • Football Team goes undefeated at Johnson Hagood Stadium (6-0)

1981

  • Football Team goes undefeated at Johnson Hagood Stadium (7-0)

1983

  • Tom Moore hired as the twelfth Head Coach
  • 700th Game played on October 15 vs. Chattanooga (9-30) at Chattanooga, TN
  • Johnson Hagood Stadium is site of Division 1-AA National Championship Game

1984

  • Johnson Hagood Stadium is site of Division 1-AA National Championship Game

1985

  • New stadium lighting installed

1987

  • Charlie Taaffe hired as the twenty first Head Coach

1988

  • Third win against a Division 1 opponent – Navy (42-35) on September 24 at Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • 350th win in Football on October 22 vs. Boston University (24-13) at Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • First time to defeat a Number One Rank Team (Marshall 20-3 / Nov. 05)
  • Football Team goes undefeated at Johnson Hagood Stadium (6-0)
  • First Team to go to Division 1-AA Play-Offs – Georgia Southern at Statesboro, GA. (20-38)

1989

  • Fourth win against a Division 1 opponent – Navy 42-35 Annapolis, MD on Sept. 23

1990

  • Fourth win against a Division 1 opponent – South Carolina (38-35) on October 15 at Columbia, SC
  • Second Team to go to Division 1-AA Play-Offs – Georgia Southern at Statesboro, GA. (0-31)

1991

  • Fifth win against a Division 1 opponent – Army (20-14) on October 12 at West Point, NY

1991

  • Sixth Win against a Division 1 opponent – Army (20-14) on October 12 at West Point, NY

1992

  • First 11 Wins in a Season (11-2)
  • Ranked Number 1 in 1-AA at end of Regular Season Pole with a 11-1 Record
  • Seventh win against a Divison 1 opponent – Army (15-14) at West Point, NY
  • Eighth win against a Division 1 opponent – Arkansas (10-3) on September 05 at Fayetteville, AR
  • 800th Game played in Football on October 03 vs. Appalachian State (25-0) at Boone, NC
  • Largest Crowd (23,025) to see a game in Johnson Hagood Stadium – October 17 vs. Marshall (13-34)
  • Southern Conference Champions
  • Third Team to go to Division 1-AA Play-Offs – 1st Round against North Carolina A&T (44-0) and 2nd Round against Youngstown State (17-42) both games at Johnson Hagood Stadium

1996

  • Don Powers hired as the twenty second Head Coach
  • 400th win in Football on November 09 vs. Chattanooga (16-13) at Johnson Hagood Stadium

2001

  • Ellis Johnson hired as the twenty third Head Coach
  • The Altman Athletic Center opens in South end of Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • 900th Game played in Football on October 04 vs. East Tennessee (21-23) State at Johnson City, TN.

2004

  • John Zernhelt hired as the twenty fourth Head Coach

2005

  • Kevin Higgins hired as the twenty fifth Head Coach

2006

  • New West Stands re-opened

2007

2008

  • New Home side of Johnson Hagood Stadium opens and dedicated on August 30 vs. Webber (54-7)
  • 400th win in Football on November 15 vs. Chattanooga ( )at Johnson Hagood Stadium
  • Largest Crowd to watch a Citadel Game – November 22 vs. Univ. of Florida in Gainesville, FL.- 90,374

2010

  • 1000th Game played in Football – October 02 vs. Western Carolina(13-24) in Charleston, SC

2011

  • Biggest come behind victory in Citadel Football History (down 0-27 in 3rd Qt.) – October 01 vs. Chattanooga (28-27) at Chattanooga, TN., also the 450th win in football for The Citadel.

2013

  • Most points scored in a loss. 58-59 vs. Old Dominion University on September 21 at ODU.

2014

  • Mike Houston hired as the twenty-sixth Head Coach
  • First Citadel Team to play against a Division 1 Number One Ranked Team (FL. State 12-37)
  • Most points scored by teams (63-56/2 OT) in a Citadel win (UNC-Charlotte).

2015

  • Seventh win against a Division 1 opponent -Univ. South Carolina 23-21 (Nov. 21) in Columbia, SC
  • Southern Conference Champions for third time in school history
  • Fourth Team to go to 1-AA Play-Offs
  • First Team to win a Play-Off game on the road (vs. Coastal Carolina 41-38) on last play FG
  • Final Yearly Ranking of 13th in STATS National Pole and 15th in the Coaches Poll

2016

  • Brent Thompson hired as the twenty-seventh Head Coach
  • Southern Conference Champions for the fourth time in school history

2019

  • Tenth win against a Division 1 opponent – Georgia Tech on Sept. 14 in Atlanta, GA

2022

2023