1931 Purdue Boilermakers football team

1931 Purdue Boilermakers football
Co-national champion (Parke H. Davis) Big Ten co-champion
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	9–1 (5–1 Big Ten)
Head coach	Noble Kizer (2nd season)
Home stadium	Ross–Ade Stadium
Seasons ←  1930 1932  →

1931 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 10 Purdue +	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Michigan +	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	1
No. 4 Northwestern +	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	1	–	1
Ohio State	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Minnesota	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Wisconsin	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	1
Indiana	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	5	–	1
Chicago	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	6	–	1
Iowa	0	–	3	–	1			1	–	6	–	1
Illinois	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1931 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the Big Ten Conference (Big Ten) during the 1931 college football season. In their second season under head coach Noble Kizer, the Boilermakers compiled a 9–1 record (5–1 against Big Ten opponents), shut out six of ten opponents, suffered its sole loss to Wisconsin, tied with Michigan for the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 192 to 39. ^[1] The team was recognized as national co-champion by Parke H. Davis.

End Paul Moss and center Ookie Miller were both recognized as first-team All-Americans. Moss received first-team honors from Liberty magazine, ^[2] and Miller received the same from the United Press and College Humor magazine. ^{[3] [4]} Five Purdue players received honors on the 1931 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Paul Moss from the Associated Press (AP), United Press (UP), and captains' team (CPT); Ookie Miller (AP-2, UP-1); quarterback Paul Pardonner (UP-2); halfback Jim Purvis (CPT); and halfback Fred Hecker (AP-2, UP-2). ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 3	Western Reserve *	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	W 28–0		[8]
October 3	Coe *	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	W 19–0		[9]
October 10	Illinois	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)	W 7–0	15,825	[10]
October 17	at Wisconsin	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	L 14–21	30,000	[11]
October 24	at Carnegie Tech *	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	W 13–6	20,000	[12]
October 31	at Chicago	Stagg Field Chicago, IL (rivalry)	W 14–6	10,000	[13]
November 7	Centenary *	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	W 49–6		[14]
November 14	Iowa	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	W 22–0	18,000	[15]
November 21	at Indiana	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket)	W 19–0	22,000	[16]
November 28	vs. Northwestern	Soldier Field Chicago, IL	W 7–0	40,000	[17]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[18]

Roster

• Dick Bateman, E
• Gene Boswell, T
• Paul Calvert, E
• Hal Chasey, HB
• Richard Chubb, T-C
• Paul Emmons, T-C
• Livy Eward, G
• Don Fassler, G
• Dutch Fehring, T
• J. F. Hecker, HB-FB
• Roy Horstmann, FB
• John Husar, T
• John Letsinger, G
• Ben Merz, E
• Ookie Miller, C
• John Moore, HB
• Paul Moss, E
• John Oehler, C
• Paul Pardonner, QB
• Jim Peele, QB
• Robert Peters, G
• James Purvis, HB
• Eddie Risk, HB
• Ed Ross, QB
• Les Sherbeck, G-C
• Sam Voinoff, G
• John White, QB
• Alex Yunevich, FB

^[19]

References

1. "1931 Purdue Boilermakers". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
2. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1163. ISBN   1401337031.
3. McLemore, Henry (December 4, 1931). "United Press Selects Stellar All-American". The Piqua Daily Call. Ohio.
4. "All-America Selected by Coll. Humor". The Greeley Daily Tribune. Colorado. December 31, 1932.
5. Paul Mickelson (November 24, 1931). "Northwestern Places Five Players on Two All-Western Elevens". The Independent, St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP story). p. 4A.
6. Claire M. Burcky (December 13, 1931). "Captains Pick Outstanding Players". The Sunday Spartanburg Herald-Journal. p. 32.
7. George Kirksey (November 24, 1931). "United Press All Big Ten Selections for 1931". The Indiana Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania). p. 10.
8. "Purdue takes first contest". Dayton Daily News. October 4, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Boilermakers whip Coe, 19–0". The Des Moines Register. October 4, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Purdue unveils new star; Beats Illinois, 7 to 0". The Chicago Tribune. October 11, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Inspired Wisconsin eleven upsets Purdue, 21–14". Star Tribune. October 18, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Purdue trims Carnegie, 13–6". The Muncie Sunday Star. October 25, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Fighting Maroons hold Purdue, 14–6". The Wisconsin State Journal. November 1, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Gold and Black team runs wild against visitors". The Indianapolis Star. November 8, 1931. Retrieved July 26, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Purdue crushes Hawkeyes, 22–0". The South Bend Tribune. November 15, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Purvis shows way in Purdue's 19 to 0 triumph over Hoosiers". The Evansville Journal. November 22, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
17. "Purdue upsets Wildcats to throw Big Ten race into three way tie". The Sioux City Journal. November 29, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
18. "2022 Purdue Football Record Book" (PDF). Purdue University Athletics. p. 83. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
19. "All-Time Letterwinners". Purdue University Athletics. Retrieved January 25, 2025.