The 1920 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1920 college football season. In their third year under head coach Knute Rockne, the team compiled a 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 250 or 251There is a one-point discrepancy among sources concerning the points scored by Notre Dame against Western State Normal (either 41 or 42). to 44. It was Notre Dame's second consecutive perfect season as the 1919 team also compiled an undefeated and untied record.
There was no contemporaneous system in 1920 for determining a national champion. However, Notre Dame was retroactively named as the national champion by the Billingsley Report and as a co-national champion by Parke H. Davis.
Senior halfback George Gipp was a consensus pick on the 1920 All-America college football team. He died on December 14, 1920, due to a streptococcal throat infection and pneumonia. Other Notre Dame players who received 1920 All-America honors included: ends Eddie Anderson (first-team from United Press) and Roger Kiley (first-team from International News Service); and tackle Frank Coughlin (second-team from International News Service and Walter Eckersall).
The team played its home games at Cartier Field in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Schedule
Personnel Players
Eddie Anderson, end Hunk Anderson Norman Barry Joe Brandy, quarterback Glen Carberry Paul Castner Fod Cotton Danny Coughlin, halfback Frank Coughlin, captain and tackle Edward DeGree James Dooley Art Garvey George Gipp, halfback Chet Grant Daniel Grant Dave Hayes, end Cy Kasper Roger Kiley, end Fred Larson Harry Mehre John Mohardt, halfback Eugene Oberst Bob Phelan Si Seyfrit Buck Shaw Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith, guard Frank Thomas William Voss Earl Walsh Chet A. Wynne, fullback
Coaching staff
Knute Rockne, head coach Walter Halas, assistant coach Maurice Starrett, student manager
References