1921 Centre Praying Colonels football team
| 1921 Centre Praying Colonels football | |
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SIAA Co-Champion | |
1921 East-West Classic, W 38-0 vs. Arizona | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| 1921 record | 10–1 (5–0 SIAA) |
| Head coach | Charley Moran |
| Assistant coach | Tiny Thornill |
| Captain | Norris Armstrong |
| Home stadium | Cheek Field and Farris Stadium |
| 1921 SIAA football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Centre + | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech + | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia + | 6 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt + | 5 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 4 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi College | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sewanee | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furman | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transylvania | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Citadel | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 2 | – | 4 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oglethorpe | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercer | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chattanooga | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 0 | – | 4 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Millsaps | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wofford | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1921 Centre Praying Colonels football team represented Centre College of Danville, Kentucky in the 1921 college football season. The Praying Colonels compiled a 10–1 record (5–0 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association play), scoring 334 points while allowing 28 points (282 and 6 in regular season play). The team's victory in its game versus Harvard is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in college football history.[1][2]
Centre played in two bowl games later this season, defeating Arizona 38-0 in the San Diego East-West Christmas Classic before losing to Texas A&M in the 1922 Dixie Classic. The team's captain was "Army" Armstrong.
Several players received postseason recognition. End Red Roberts was a first-team Walter Camp All-America selection; while consensus All-American quarterback Bo McMillin made Camp's second team.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | Clemson | Cheek Field and Farris Stadium • Danville, KY | W 14–0 | ||||||
| October 8 | VPI* | Cheek Field and Farris Stadium • Danville, KY | W 14–0 | ||||||
| October 15 | at Xavier* | Cincinnati, OH | W 28–6 | ||||||
| October 22 | at Transylvania | Lexington, KY | W 98–0 | ||||||
| October 29 | at Harvard* | Harvard Stadium • Cambridge, Massachusetts (C6H0) | W 6–0 | ||||||
| November 5 | Kentucky | Cheek Field and Farris Stadium • Danville, KY | W 55–0 | ||||||
| November 12 | at Auburn | Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL | W 21–0 | ||||||
| November 19 | vs. Washington and Lee* | Louisville, KY | W 25–0 | ||||||
| November 24 | at Tulane | New Orleans, LA | W 21–0 | ||||||
| December 26 | vs. Arizona* | Balboa Stadium • San Diego, CA (East-West Christmas Classic) | W 21–0 | ||||||
| January 2, 1922 | vs. Texas A&M* | Fair Park Stadium • Dallas, TX (Dixie Classic) | L 14–22 | ||||||
| *Non-conference game. | |||||||||
Season summary
Week 1: Clemson
Centre opened the season with a 14-0 victory over Clemson,
Week 2: VPI
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The next week was a 14-0 victory over VPI. Centre scored both touchdowns in the final quarter.[4] They were scored in rapid succession by Tanner and Armstrong.[4]
The starting lineup against VPI: Bradley (left end), Roberts (left tackle), Jones (left guard), Kubale (center), Cregor (right guard), James (right tackle), Gordy (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Bartlett (left halfback), Armstrong (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).[4]
Week 3: at St. Xavier
Next was a 28-6 victory over St. Xavier (now Xavier University); this game marked the only time during the regular season that Centre gave up any points to an opponent.
Week 4: at Transylvania
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In the fourth week of play, Centre easily defeated Transylvania by the score of 98 to 0.[5] According to Spalding's Football Guide, McMillin ran back a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.[6]
Week 5: at Harvard
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On October 29, 1921 Centre met Harvard University, a team that had never lost to a team outside the East and had not lost a game since 1918 and was coming off of a victory in the 1920 Rose Bowl after an undefeated national championship season in 1919 (the school's fourth national championship in the prior ten years). Coming into the Centre game, Harvard was also undefeated and unscored upon in the 1920 season.[7]
After a scoreless half and early in the third quarter, Red Roberts told Bo McMillin "it's time to score, ride my hump" and McMillin ran for a 32-yard touchdown.[8] He dodged three of Harvard's secondary.[9] Bob Fisher said after the game "In Bo McMillin Centre has a man who is probably the hardest in the country to stop."[10]
All around Danville students painted the "impossible formula" of C6H0.[11] In 1950, the Associated Press named C6H0 the greatest sports upset of the first half of the 20th century.[12] In 2005, The New York Times called it "arguably the upset of the century in college football."[13] In 2006, ESPN named it the third-biggest upset in the 138-year history of college football.[14]
The starting lineup against Harvard: James (left end), Moody (left tackle), Shadown (left guard), Kubale (center), Jones (right guard), Cregor (right tackle), Roberts (right end), McMillin (quarterback), Armstrong (left halfback), Snoddy (right halfback), Bartlett (fullback)[10]
Week 6: Kentucky
Centre then defeated Kentucky 65-0.
Week 7: at Auburn
In the seventh week of play, Centre defeated Auburn 21-0.
Week 8: vs. Washington & Lee
Washington & Lee was then defeated 25-0 in Louisville.
Week 9: at Tulane
The season closed with a defeat of Tulane by a 21-0 score. Centre finished the regular season undefeated at 9-0 and almost unscored on, having given up only 6 points all season.[15]
Post season
Centre then played in two bowl games to close the season, defeating Arizona 38-0 in the San Diego East-West Christmas Classic before losing to Texas A&M in the 1922 Dixie Classic.[15]
Players
Line
- Ben Cregor, tackle
- Minos Gordy, tackle
- Bill James, tackle/end
- Buck Jones, guard
- Ed Kubale, center
- Cliff Lemon, end
- Red Roberts, end
- William Shadoan, guard
Backfield
- Army Armstrong, halfback
- Tom Bartlett, fullback
- Herb Covington, back
- Bo McMillin, quarterback
- Terry Snoddy, halfback
- Hump Tanner, wingback
Coaching staff
- Charley Moran, head coach
- Tiny Thornhill, line coach
References
- ↑ "ESPN ranks 1921 Centre-Harvard game among college football's greatest upsets".
- ↑ "C6-H0 plays a prominent part in nation's sports lexicon".
- ↑ "Centre College Football Records (1920-1939)".
- 1 2 3 The Associated Press (October 9, 1921). "Touchdowns Made In Final Quarter". Durham Morning Herald. p. 2. Retrieved February 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Transylvania Is Swamped". Cincinnati Enquirer. October 23, 1921. p. 20. Retrieved August 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Camp, Walter, ed. National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Rules: Official Intercollegiate Football Guide. 45 Rose St, New York: American Sports, 1922. Print. Spalding's Athletic Library.
- ↑ Harvard Historical Scores
- ↑ Goldstein, Richard (1996). Ivy League Autumns. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-14629-0.
- ↑ "How Centre Colonels Defeated the Crimson In Cambridge Stadium". The Courier-Journal. October 30, 1921. p. 49. Retrieved February 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "McMillin's Brillian Sprint Gives Centre Victory Over Harvard". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 30, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved February 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/10/28/centre-harvard-1921/?page=3
- ↑ "Centre College Remembers Day When It Was King of the Gridiron". Retrieved 7 August 2008.
- ↑ "C6-H0 plays a prominent part in nation's sports lexicon". Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
- ↑ "ESPN ranks 1921 Centre-Harvard game among college football's greatest upsets". Retrieved 7 August 2008.
- 1 2 1921 Centre College football scores at the Wayback Machine (archived September 28, 2000)
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