1920 college football season

Last updated

The 1920 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing California, Georgia, Harvard, Notre Dame, and Princeton as national champions. [1] Only California and Princeton claim national championships for the 1920 season. Andy Smith's Pacific Coast Conference champion California "Wonder Team" was the first national champion from the Pacific Coast. [2] Princeton and Harvard were undefeated and with one tie to each other. Notre Dame was led by its first Walter Camp All-American, George Gipp, who died before the year was over. [3]

Contents

In the south, fans of either side in Georgia were happy. Georgia and Georgia Tech were both undefeated in Southern play. Georgia Tech lost to Pitt, which was undefeated with two ties. No team scored through Georgia's line, and its backfield was known as the "ten second backfield". [4] [a] Jimmy Leech of VMI's "Flying Squadron" led the nation in scoring. One writer claimed "he is one of the greatest broken field runners the country has ever seen." [6]

The Southwest Conference saw an undefeated Texas team with the same 9-0 record as the champions cited above. Texas shut out six of the nine teams they faced and scored 282 points while allowing only 13. [7] The final game of the year for Texas against Texas A&M was cited as the real beginning of the storied rivalry between the two schools, which dates back to 1894 and featured 118 contests, in which Texas won 75 and tied 5. [8] [9]

In the Rose Bowl, Cal defeated Ohio State 28–0. Brick Muller completed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Brodie Stephens after receiving a toss from Pesky Sprott, at the time thought impossible. [10]

Conference and program changes

Conference establishments

Membership changes

School1920 Conference1921 Conference
Indiana State Normal Fightin' Teachers Program Re-EstablishedIndependent
Kent State Normal Silver Foxes Program EstablishedIndependent
Oklahoma Sooners Southwest Missouri Valley
Phillips Haymakers Independent Southwest
UCLA Bruins Independent SCIAC

Bowl games

California defeated Ohio State, 28–0, in the 1921 Rose Bowl. The first and only Fort Worth Classic was held on January 1, 1921, with Centre defeating TCU.

Conference standings

Major conference standings

1920 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Ohio State $ 5 0 07 1 0
Wisconsin 4 1 06 1 0
Indiana 3 1 05 2 0
Illinois 4 2 05 2 0
Iowa 3 2 05 2 0
Michigan 2 2 05 2 0
Northwestern 2 3 03 4 0
Chicago 2 4 03 4 0
Purdue 0 4 02 5 0
Minnesota 0 6 01 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Oklahoma $ 4 0 16 0 1
Missouri 5 1 07 1 0
Kansas 3 2 05 2 1
Iowa State 3 2 04 4 0
Drake 1 3 14 5 1
Washington University 1 4 04 4 0
Grinnell 0 2 13 3 1
Kansas State 0 3 13 3 3
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Washington State $ 3 0 05 1 0
Oregon 1 0 13 2 1
Whitman 2 1 03 2 0
Idaho 2 2 04 2 0
Oregon Agricultural 0 1 12 2 2
Willamette 0 1 03 1 1
Montana 0 3 04 3 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
California $ 3 0 09 0 0
Stanford 2 1 04 3 0
Washington State 1 1 05 1 0
Oregon 1 1 13 2 1
Oregon Agricultural 1 2 12 2 2
Washington 0 3 01 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado Agricultural $ 6 0 16 1 1
Colorado College 4 1 15 1 1
Colorado 3 1 24 1 2
Utah Agricultural 2 1 14 2 1
Denver 2 4 02 4 0
Utah 1 2 11 5 1
Wyoming 2 5 14 5 1
Colorado Mines 0 6 00 6 0
Montana State 0 0 14 1 1
  • $ Conference champion
1920 South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
VMI $ 5 0 09 0 0
Maryland 4 0 07 2 0
Washington and Lee 3 0 05 3 0
Georgetown 3 1 06 4 0
Virginia 3 1 05 2 2
NC State 4 2 07 3 0
Richmond 2 2 06 2 0
Davidson 2 2 05 5 0
VPI 2 4 04 6 0
Catholic University 1 3 03 5 0
George Washington 0 1 01 6 1
St. John's (MD) 0 1 00 1 0
Johns Hopkins 0 2 00 3 0
William & Mary 0 4 04 5 0
North Carolina 0 5 02 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Georgia + 7 0 08 0 1
Tulane + 5 0 06 2 1
Georgia Tech + 4 0 08 1 0
Alabama 6 1 010 1 0
Centre 4 1 08 2 0
Furman 3 1 09 1 0
South Carolina 3 1 05 4 0
Tennessee 5 2 07 2 0
Auburn 4 2 07 2 0
Mississippi A&M 4 2 05 3 0
Sewanee 3 3 14 3 1
Vanderbilt 3 3 04 3 1
Transylvania 2 2 03 4 0
Howard (AL) 2 3 03 5 1
Mississippi College 2 4 03 5 0
Florida 1 2 06 3 0
Clemson 2 6 04 6 1
LSU 1 3 05 3 1
Chattanooga 1 3 03 4 1
The Citadel 1 4 02 6 0
Ole Miss 0 2 04 3 0
Kentucky 0 3 13 4 1
Georgetown (KY) 0 2 00 3 0
Millsaps 0 3 00 3 0
Mercer 0 4 02 6 0
Wofford 0 4 00 8 1
  • + Conference co-champions
1920 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Texas $ 5 0 09 0 0
Texas A&M 5 1 06 1 1
Arkansas 2 0 13 2 2
Rice 2 2 14 2 2
Baylor 1 2 14 4 1
SMU 0 4 13 5 2
Phillips 0 3 04 4 2
Oklahoma A&M 0 3 00 7 1
  • $ Conference champion

Independents

1920 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Boston College   8 0 0
Harvard   8 0 1
Princeton   6 0 1
Penn State   7 0 2
Pittsburgh   6 0 2
Army   7 2 0
Dartmouth   7 2 0
Cornell   6 2 0
Syracuse   6 2 1
Geneva   5 2 1
New Hampshire   5 2 1
Brown   6 3 0
Bucknell   6 3 0
Washington & Jefferson   6 3 1
Penn   6 4 0
Carnegie Tech   5 3 0
Lafayette   5 3 0
Holy Cross   5 3 0
Williams   5 3 0
Yale   5 3 0
Fordham   4 3 0
Franklin & Marshall   3 2 2
Boston University   4 3 1
Columbia   4 4 0
Duquesne   3 3 1
Vermont   3 5 0
NYU   2 5 1
Rhode Island State   0 4 4
Tufts   2 6 0
Rutgers   2 7 0
Buffalo   1 4 0
Colgate   1 5 2
Villanova   1 5 1
Drexel   0 6 0
1920 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Notre Dame   9 0 0
Michigan Mines   2 0 0
Butler   7 1 0
St. Xavier   7 1 0
Detroit   8 2 0
Marquette   7 2 0
Haskell   7 2 1
St. Ignatius (OH)   4 2 0
Iowa State Teachers   4 2 1
South Dakota State   4 2 1
Indiana State   3 2 0
Valparaiso   5 3 0
Nebraska   5 3 1
Central Michigan   4 3 1
Akron   4 4 0
Wabash   3 4 0
Western State Normal (MI)   3 4 0
North Dakota Agricultural   2 3 1
Michigan Agricultural   4 6 0
Earlham   2 3 0
Northern Illinois State   3 5 0
Dayton   2 4 0
Kent State   1 2 0
Saint Louis   3 6 0
Bowling Green   1 4 0
Toledo   0 3 0
1920 Southern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Talladega    ? 0 0
Trinity (NC)   4 0 1
Abilene Christian   4 0 1
North Texas State Normal   7 1 0
Presbyterian   5 1 1
Middle Tennessee State Normal   4 1 0
Navy   6 2 0
Spring Hill   6 2 0
Birmingham–Southern   6 3 0
Mississippi Normal   4 2 1
Southwest Texas State   4 2 1
East Tennessee State Normal   3 2 0
West Virginia   5 4 1
Oglethorpe   4 4 1
Delaware   3 5 1
Texas Mines   2 4 0
Marion   2 5 0
Wake Forest   2 7 0
Sam Houston Normal   1 4 2
Western Kentucky State Normal   0 1 0
West Tennessee State Normal   0 5 0
Marshall   0 8 0
1920 Western college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Nevada   7 3 1
USC   6 0 0
Arizona   6 1 0
Hawaii   6 2 0
New Mexico A&M   5 1 1
Santa Clara   5 1 0
Gonzaga   4 3 0
Chico State   3 3 0
New Mexico   3 3 0
University Farm   3 4 0
Pacific (CA)   1 2 1
Saint Mary's   0 3 0

Minor conferences

ConferenceChampion(s)Record
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association No champion
Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin Oshkosh Normal 4–0–1
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Friends (KS)
Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Unknown
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Albion 4–0
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hamline 2–1–1
Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference Unknown
Ohio Athletic Conference Wooster 7–0
Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference Tulsa 6–0–1
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pomona 5–0
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Morehouse

Minor conference standings

1920 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Howard 5 0 07 0 0
Virginia Union 1 1 06 2 0
Shaw 2 2 02 2 1
Hampton 2 3 04 3 1
Lincoln (PA) 1 2 03 2 0
Virginia Normal 0 3 03 4 0
1920 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Carthage 0 4 11 5 1
1920 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Washburn + 4 0 24 2 3
Friends + 7 1 07 1 0
College of Emporia 6 1 16 1 1
St. Mary's (KS) 4 2 06 2 0
Baker 4 3 05 4 0
Bethany (KS) 4 3 14 3 1
Fairmount 4 3 24 3 2
Pittsburg Normal 3 3 05 4 1
Kansas State Normal 2 3 12 4 2
Hays Normal 2 3 12 5 1
Southwestern (KS) 2 5 12 5 2
Ottawa 1 6 01 6 0
Kansas Wesleyan 0 3 20 5 3
Sterling 0 7 10 7 1
  • + Conference co-champions
1920 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Albion $ 4 0 14 2 2
Kalamazoo 3 1 05 3 1
Hillsdale 2 1 16 1 1
Michigan State Normal 1 2 06 2 0
Olivet 1 2 01 5 0
Alma 0 5 00 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Carleton 3 1 04 1 2
Hamline $ 2 1 14 3 1
Macalester 2 1 13 2 2
St. Olaf 3 2 05 2 0
St. Thomas (MN) 1 3 02 5 1
Gustavus Adolphus 0 3 01 3 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Kirksville + 6 0 08 0 0
William Jewell + 5 0 25 1 2
Missouri Mines + 4 0 04 4 0
Missouri Wesleyan * 3 1 24 2 2
Warrensburg 4 3 05 3 1
Springfield (MO) 2 4 02 6 0
Tarkio 1 2 13 3 1
Missouri Valley 2 4 03 4 0
Drury1 3 01 5 0
Westminster (MO) 1 4 11 4 2
Central (MO) 1 5 01 6 0
Maryville (MO) 0 2 00 3 0
Cape Girardeau 0 2 00 5 0
  • + Conference co-champions
  • * – Missouri Wesleyan forfeited a win over Kirksville
    † – Drury forfeited wins over William Jewell and Missouri Mines
1920 Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Grand Island 6 0 16 0 2
Doane 5 0 15 1 1
Nebraska Wesleyan 4 0 16 2 2
Omaha 5 0 07 1 0
Hastings 5 2 15 2 1
Peru Normal 5 4 05 4 0
Midland 3 6 03 6 0
York (NE) 2 5 02 5 0
Wayne Normal 1 3 01 4 1
Cotner 1 6 01 6 0
Kearney Normal 1 7 01 7 0
Nebraska Central 0 6 00 6 0
Championship: Grand Island 0, Nebraska Wesleyan 0
1920 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Wooster $ 7 0 09 0 0
Wittenberg 5 0 08 0 0
Ohio State 2 0 07 1 0
Denison 5 1 16 1 1
Oberlin 5 2 05 2 0
Heidelberg 3 2 07 2 0
Cincinnati 3 2 04 5 0
Miami (OH) 3 2 15 2 1
Mount Union 3 3 06 3 0
Ohio Wesleyan 3 3 04 3 0
Ohio Northern 2 3 03 4 0
Akron 2 4 04 4 0
Case 2 5 12 8 1
Ohio 1 3 04 3 0
Kenyon 1 6 12 5 1
Western Reserve 1 6 02 8 0
Hiram 0 6 00 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Yankton $ 4 0 15 1 2
Dakota Wesleyan 3 1 04 3 0
Huron 2 1 12 2 1
Northern Normal 1 1 03 2 0
Sioux Falls 1 2 01 3 0
South Dakota Mines 0 1 05 1 0
Columbus (SD) 0 5 01 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Southern California Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pomona $ 5 0 06 1 0
Occidental 3 2 04 3 0
Whittier 3 2 03 2 0
Caltech 2 2 13 3 1
Redlands 1 3 12 4 1
Southern Branch 0 5 00 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Spokane Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Spokane University $ 6 1 0 ?  ?  ?
Cheney Normal 5 2 05 2 0
Spokane College 2 4 0 ?  ?  ?
Whitworth 0 6 0 ?  ?  ?
  • $ Conference champion
1920 Wisconsin Normal Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Oshkosh Normal $ 4 0 16 1 1
Eau Claire Normal 2 0 04 0 0
River Falls Normal 2 1 13 1 3
La Crosse Normal 3 2 04 2 1
Milwaukee Normal 2 2 03 4 1
Stevens Point Normal 1 1 13 2 1
Whitewater Normal 1 3 02 4 0
Platteville Normal 0 3 13 4 2
Superior Normal 0 3 01 3 0
Stout Institute 0 0 02 2 0
  • $ Conference champion

Awards and honors

All-Americans

The consensus All-America team included:

PositionNameHeightWeight (lbs.)ClassHometownTeam
QB Donold Lourie 5'11"164Sr. Peru, Illinois Princeton
HB Gaylord Stinchcomb 5'8"157Sr. Sycamore, Ohio Ohio State
HB Charley Way 5'8"144Sr. Embreeville, Pennsylvania Penn State
FB George Gipp 6'1"180Sr. Laurium, Michigan Notre Dame
E Chuck Carney 6'1"190Jr. Chicago, Illinois Illinois
E Bill Fincher 6'0"182Sr. Atlanta, Georgia Georgia Tech
T Stan Keck 5'11"206Jr. Greensburg, Pennsylvania Princeton
G Tim Callahan Sr. Lawrence, Massachusetts Yale
G Tom Woods Sr. Boston, Massachusetts Harvard
C Herb Stein 6'1"186Jr. Warren, Ohio Pittsburgh
G Iolas Huffman 5'11"228Jr. Chandlersville, Ohio Ohio State
T Ralph Scott 6'2"235Sr. Dewey, Wisconsin Wisconsin
E Luke Urban 5'8"165Sr. Fall River, Massachusetts Boston College

Statistical leaders

Notes

  1. The term "ten second backfield" generally refers to players capable (or thought to be capable) of running a 100-yard dash in 10 seconds—that is, fast runners. [5]

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References

  1. Official 2013 Football Bowl Subdivision Records Book (PDF). The National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 76–77. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  2. "Football Championship History". NCAA. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  3. "Notre Dame Archives: George Gipp". Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  4. Garbin, Patrick (2008). About Them Dawgs!. ISBN   9780810860407.
  5. "Advent has ten-second backfield". The Cincinnati Post . November 11, 1913. p. 6. Retrieved September 9, 2024 via newspapers.com.
  6. "A Matter of Geography". The Washington Herald. December 14, 1920. p. 11. Retrieved March 2, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. "1920 Texas Longhorns Schedule and Results".
  8. "Great Games and Moments: Pre-1940s".
  9. "Winsipedia - Texas Longhorns vs. Texas A&M Aggies football series history games list".
  10. "Athlete, Officer in Law Enforcement and Administration, Governor of the Virgin Islands: Walter Gordon". www.oac.cdlib.org. p. 75. Retrieved November 4, 2015.