1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Encyclopedia
The 1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa
in the college football
season of 1921. The team was coached by Howard Jones.
to a 23-14-1 record from 1916 to 1920. In 1919, end Lester Belding was named All-America
, and Belding, quarterback Aubrey Devine
, tackle Duke Slater
and fullback Fred Lohman were named All-Big Ten
. In 1920, Belding, Devine and Slater and were named All-Big Ten. The Hawkeyes had not won a Big Ten championship since 1900. Iowa had a three-game winning streak going into the 1921 season.
came to Iowa City
. It was the first meeting between the Hawkeyes and the Catholics
. Notre Dame had a twenty-game winning streak, having gone 9-0 in 1919 and 1920. The Catholics had already beaten Kalamazoo
and DePauw
in 1921 by a combined score of 113-10. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne
, widely regarded as the greatest football
coach of all time, made a famous and unprecedented decision before the game. The navy uniforms of his team were too similar in color to the black uniforms of the Hawkeyes, so Rockne decided to use green uniforms instead. Fifty-six years later, Notre Dame coach Dan Devine
decided to use green uniforms for the 1977 game against Southern California
. The Fighting Irish won 49-19 en route to a national championship and the legend of the Notre Dame Green Machines was born.
In 1921, Notre Dame was captained by All-American end Eddie Anderson, who later coached the legendary Iowa Ironmen team of 1939
. The Catholics were also led by Hunk Anderson
, who later coached Notre Dame from 1931 to 1933. In the game, Iowa scored first when future All-American fullback Gordon Locke
ran one yard for a touchdown in the first quarter. Duke Slater blocked three Notre Dame men on the touchdown, but Anderson was able to get by him. Locke ran over the All-American for the first points of the day. Aubrey Devine kicked the extra point and Iowa led 7-0. Devine also kicked a 33-yard field goal later in the first quarter to put the Hawkeyes up 10-0. That field goal ended up deciding the game.
The only points the Catholics scored came in the second quarter. All-American halfback Johnny Mohardt
threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ed Kelley. All-American tackle Buck Shaw
kicked the extra point, but Iowa still led, 10-7. That ended up being the final score. However, both Iowa and Notre Dame came close to scoring again on several occasions. Both teams advanced to the 5-yard line of their respective opponent in the third quarter, but both were kept out of the end zone. Mohardt missed a 40-yard drop kick in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game. Olympian Gus Desch
led Notre Dame to the 7-yard line of Iowa later in the fourth quarter, but the Hawkeyes held again. The game ended at midfield.
Iowa handed Notre Dame their first loss since 1918. The Hawkeyes ended the twenty-game winning streak of the Catholics and extended their own winning streak to five games. Notre Dame won their next eight games to finish 10-1. They did not give up more than seven points in a game for the rest of the season. The Catholics did not lose again until they were beaten by Nebraska
in their final game of 1922. Iowa and Notre Dame did not meet again until 1939, when the Hawkeyes beat the Irish 7-6. Notre Dame was 6-0 and ranked third in the nation when they lost to the Hawkeyes. Iowa beat the Irish for the third consecutive time in 1940 by the score of 7-0, before which Notre Dame was again 6-0 and ranked seventh in the nation. The Irish finally beat the Hawkeyes in 1945 by the score of 56-0.
team of the great Robert Zuppke
was the opponent. The Illini
were two years removed from a national championship in 1919. The 1921 team had already beaten South Dakota
by the score of 52-0. Thousands of Hawkeye alumni, including a man from Panama
and another from Trinidad
, returned to Iowa Field to see Iowa beat Illinois for the first time since 1907 by the score of 14-2. Gordon Locke had his best game of the season, carrying the ball 37 times and rushing for 202 yards, a Hawkeye record.
. Purdue
had lost their first three games of 1921 by a combined score of 51-0. The Boilermakers
scored their first points of the season against the Hawkeyes, but Iowa won the game 13-6 on a field covered with covered with several inches of water. Aubrey Devine scored the first Hawkeye touchdown but missed the extra point. He later scored the touchdown that won the game on a memorable punt return and made the extra point. Devine accounted for all of the points for Iowa.
in Minneapolis
on November 5. Henry L. Williams
, the coach of the Gophers
and Hall of Fame
inductee in the inaugural class in 1951, was in his final year at Minnesota, having coached the Gophers to a 136-31-11 record from 1900 to 1921. The Hawkeyes handed Minnesota their worst loss under Williams and their second-worst loss ever, winning 41-7. It was the most points the Gophers had ever allowed in forty years of varsity football. Aubrey Devine had his best game of the season, scoring twenty-nine points and passing for the other twelve points. Devine rushed for four touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns and kicked five extra points. He had 484 total yards: 162 rushing yards, 122 passing yards and 200 return yards on kicks, punts and interceptions.
lost to Minnesota in their first Big Ten game by the score of 6-0. Likewise, the Hawkeyes shut out Indiana, 41-0. It was the worst loss for Indiana since 1914. Aubrey Devine had another huge game, rushing for four touchdowns and kicking four extra points. He rushed for 183 yards and passed for 102 yards. Devine scored a combined 57 points on November 5 and 12.
. Northwestern
had already beaten DePaul
but the Purple
had lost their other five games by a combined score of 106-0. The Hawkeyes handed Northwestern their sixth shutout loss of the season, winning 14-0. The victory gave Iowa its first perfect season and outright Big Ten championship. The Hawkeyes never trailed in 1921. Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke finished first and second in the Big Ten in scoring, respectively.
in the 1922 Rose Bowl
, but the Big Ten forced Iowa to turn down the invitation. Aubrey Devine, Duke Slater and Gordon Locke were named All-America, and Devine, Slater, Locke, Lester Belding, center John Heldt, guard Chester Mead and end Max Kadesky were named All-Big Ten. Iowa was named the 1921 national champion by Parke H. Davis
, a selector who is recognized by the NCAA
.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 1921. The team was coached by Howard Jones.
Preseason
Howard Jones was in his sixth year at Iowa in 1921, having coached the HawkeyesIowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
to a 23-14-1 record from 1916 to 1920. In 1919, end Lester Belding was named All-America
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, and Belding, quarterback Aubrey Devine
Aubrey Devine
Aubrey A. Devine was a college football player for the University of Iowa. He is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.-Background:...
, tackle Duke Slater
Duke Slater
Frederick Wayman "Duke" Slater was an American football player and one of the great black players of his era. Slater played for the University of Iowa in college and played professionally for ten years...
and fullback Fred Lohman were named All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. In 1920, Belding, Devine and Slater and were named All-Big Ten. The Hawkeyes had not won a Big Ten championship since 1900. Iowa had a three-game winning streak going into the 1921 season.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | City | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1, 1921 | Knox | Iowa City | Win | 52-14 |
| October 8, 1921 | Notre Dame | Iowa City | Win | 10-7 |
| October 15, 1921 | Illinois | Iowa City | Win | 14-2 |
| October 29, 1921 | Purdue | West Lafayette | Win | 13-6 |
| November 5, 1921 | Minnesota | Minneapolis | Win | 41-7 |
| November 12, 1921 | Indiana | Iowa City | Win | 41-0 |
| November 19, 1921 | Northwestern | Evanston | Win | 14-0 |
Knox
Iowa opened the 1921 season on October 1 with a game against Knox College. The Hawkeyes crushed the opposition 52-14. Knox did not make a single first down.Notre Dame
On October 8, Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
came to Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. It was the first meeting between the Hawkeyes and the Catholics
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. Notre Dame had a twenty-game winning streak, having gone 9-0 in 1919 and 1920. The Catholics had already beaten Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
and DePauw
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in 1921 by a combined score of 113-10. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, widely regarded as the greatest football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach of all time, made a famous and unprecedented decision before the game. The navy uniforms of his team were too similar in color to the black uniforms of the Hawkeyes, so Rockne decided to use green uniforms instead. Fifty-six years later, Notre Dame coach Dan Devine
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
decided to use green uniforms for the 1977 game against Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. The Fighting Irish won 49-19 en route to a national championship and the legend of the Notre Dame Green Machines was born.
In 1921, Notre Dame was captained by All-American end Eddie Anderson, who later coached the legendary Iowa Ironmen team of 1939
1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the college football season of 1939. The team, nicknamed the Ironmen, was coached by Dr. Eddie Anderson and was led on the field by halfback Nile Kinnick.-Preseason:...
. The Catholics were also led by Hunk Anderson
Heartley Anderson
-External links:* *...
, who later coached Notre Dame from 1931 to 1933. In the game, Iowa scored first when future All-American fullback Gordon Locke
Gordon Locke
Gordon C. Locke was an American football player and coach in the United States. He played college football at the University of Iowa, where he was a two-time All-American...
ran one yard for a touchdown in the first quarter. Duke Slater blocked three Notre Dame men on the touchdown, but Anderson was able to get by him. Locke ran over the All-American for the first points of the day. Aubrey Devine kicked the extra point and Iowa led 7-0. Devine also kicked a 33-yard field goal later in the first quarter to put the Hawkeyes up 10-0. That field goal ended up deciding the game.
The only points the Catholics scored came in the second quarter. All-American halfback Johnny Mohardt
John Mohardt
John Henry Mohardt is a former professional football and baseball player who was a teammate of three of the most notable athletes in American sports history....
threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ed Kelley. All-American tackle Buck Shaw
Buck Shaw
Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach for Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco 49ers, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
kicked the extra point, but Iowa still led, 10-7. That ended up being the final score. However, both Iowa and Notre Dame came close to scoring again on several occasions. Both teams advanced to the 5-yard line of their respective opponent in the third quarter, but both were kept out of the end zone. Mohardt missed a 40-yard drop kick in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game. Olympian Gus Desch
August Desch
August "Gus" George Desch was an American track and field athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and died in Evanston, Illinois....
led Notre Dame to the 7-yard line of Iowa later in the fourth quarter, but the Hawkeyes held again. The game ended at midfield.
Iowa handed Notre Dame their first loss since 1918. The Hawkeyes ended the twenty-game winning streak of the Catholics and extended their own winning streak to five games. Notre Dame won their next eight games to finish 10-1. They did not give up more than seven points in a game for the rest of the season. The Catholics did not lose again until they were beaten by Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
in their final game of 1922. Iowa and Notre Dame did not meet again until 1939, when the Hawkeyes beat the Irish 7-6. Notre Dame was 6-0 and ranked third in the nation when they lost to the Hawkeyes. Iowa beat the Irish for the third consecutive time in 1940 by the score of 7-0, before which Notre Dame was again 6-0 and ranked seventh in the nation. The Irish finally beat the Hawkeyes in 1945 by the score of 56-0.
Illinois
Iowa played their homecoming game on October 15. An IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
team of the great Robert Zuppke
Robert Zuppke
Robert Carl Zuppke was an American football coach. He served the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81–12. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, Zuppke coached his...
was the opponent. The Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
were two years removed from a national championship in 1919. The 1921 team had already beaten South Dakota
University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
by the score of 52-0. Thousands of Hawkeye alumni, including a man from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and another from Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, returned to Iowa Field to see Iowa beat Illinois for the first time since 1907 by the score of 14-2. Gordon Locke had his best game of the season, carrying the ball 37 times and rushing for 202 yards, a Hawkeye record.
Purdue
On October 29, Iowa made their first road trip of the season, traveling to West LafayetteWest Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
. Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
had lost their first three games of 1921 by a combined score of 51-0. The Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
scored their first points of the season against the Hawkeyes, but Iowa won the game 13-6 on a field covered with covered with several inches of water. Aubrey Devine scored the first Hawkeye touchdown but missed the extra point. He later scored the touchdown that won the game on a memorable punt return and made the extra point. Devine accounted for all of the points for Iowa.
Minnesota
Iowa played MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
on November 5. Henry L. Williams
Henry L. Williams
Dr. Henry Lane Williams was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Military Academy in 1891 and the University of Minnesota from 1900 to 1921, compiling a career college football record of 141–34–12...
, the coach of the Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
and Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee in the inaugural class in 1951, was in his final year at Minnesota, having coached the Gophers to a 136-31-11 record from 1900 to 1921. The Hawkeyes handed Minnesota their worst loss under Williams and their second-worst loss ever, winning 41-7. It was the most points the Gophers had ever allowed in forty years of varsity football. Aubrey Devine had his best game of the season, scoring twenty-nine points and passing for the other twelve points. Devine rushed for four touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns and kicked five extra points. He had 484 total yards: 162 rushing yards, 122 passing yards and 200 return yards on kicks, punts and interceptions.
Indiana
The final Iowa home game of the season was played on November 12 against Indiana. The HoosiersIndiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
lost to Minnesota in their first Big Ten game by the score of 6-0. Likewise, the Hawkeyes shut out Indiana, 41-0. It was the worst loss for Indiana since 1914. Aubrey Devine had another huge game, rushing for four touchdowns and kicking four extra points. He rushed for 183 yards and passed for 102 yards. Devine scored a combined 57 points on November 5 and 12.
Northwestern
Iowa played their final game of the season on November 19 in EvanstonEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. Northwestern
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
had already beaten DePaul
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
but the Purple
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
had lost their other five games by a combined score of 106-0. The Hawkeyes handed Northwestern their sixth shutout loss of the season, winning 14-0. The victory gave Iowa its first perfect season and outright Big Ten championship. The Hawkeyes never trailed in 1921. Aubrey Devine and Gordon Locke finished first and second in the Big Ten in scoring, respectively.
Postseason
Iowa went 7-0 and won the Big Ten championship. The Hawkeyes were invited to play California Golden Bears footballCalifornia Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
in the 1922 Rose Bowl
1922 Rose Bowl
The 1922 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 1922, between Washington & Jefferson College and the University of California, Berkeley...
, but the Big Ten forced Iowa to turn down the invitation. Aubrey Devine, Duke Slater and Gordon Locke were named All-America, and Devine, Slater, Locke, Lester Belding, center John Heldt, guard Chester Mead and end Max Kadesky were named All-Big Ten. Iowa was named the 1921 national champion by Parke H. Davis
Parke H. Davis
Parke Hill Davis was an American football player, coach and historian who retroactively named the national championship teams in American college football from the 1869 through the 1932 seasons. He also named co-national champions at the conclusion of the 1933 season...
, a selector who is recognized by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
.