The 1920 Tulane Green Wave football team was an American football team that represented Tulane University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1920 SIAA football season. In its sixth year under head coach Clark Shaughnessy, Tulane compiled a 6–2–1 record (5–0 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for the SIAA championship, shut out seven of nine opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 181 to 28.
The team's two losses came in nonconference games, losing to Michigan (0–21) in Ann Arbor and Detroit (0–7) in New Orleans. The highlight of the season was a 21–0 victory over LSU on Thanksgiving Day. Hundreds of enthusiastic Tulane students and supporters were taken to Baton Rouge on a special train "said to be the longest ever assembled in the state."1931 Jambalaya.
End Dick White was the only Tulane player to receive honors on the 1920 All-Southern team. Right end Johnny Wight was the team captain.
The 1920 team was the first to be called the "Green Wave", named after a song titled "The Rolling Green Wave".
The team played its home games at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.
Before the season In the prior year of 1919, coach Clark Shaughnessy guided Tulane to a then-school record of seven consecutive wins,Tulane Football History , Tulane University, retrieved August 15, 2010. and had transformed Tulane into a competitor among Southern collegiate teams.Leonard Victor Huber, New Orleans: A Pictorial History, p. 258, Pelican Publishing, 1991, .
Though he was famous for later using the T formation, at Tulane Shaughnessy employed the single wing. Shaughnessy also introduced to Tulane the Minnesota shift, an innovation created by his former coach Henry L. Williams.Dawson's Tulane System Designed For Super-Power, The Palm Beach Post, December 17, 1939.
Germany Schulz was hired to take over duties as athletic director."GERMAN" SCHULZ NAMED DIRECTOR TULANE SPORTS , The Atlanta Constitution, July 25, 1920.
Schedule
Game summaries Southwestern Louisiana The season opened with a 79–0 victory over Southwestern Louisiana. One full quarter was played by the substitutes.
Mississippi College The Mississippi College Choctaws and Goat Hale fell to Tulane 29–0.
Rice
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The Rice Owls fought Tulane to a scoreless tie in a game shifted to Heinemann Park.
On Oct. 20, 1920, Earl Sparling, the editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo, wrote a football song which was printed in the newspaper. The song was titled "The Rolling Green Wave." Although the name was not immediately adopted, it began to receive acceptance.
Ole Miss Tulane beat Ole Miss, 32–0. Coach Shaughnessy introduced a new shift in the first half, and the players had trouble implementing it. By the second period, Tulane played conventional football instead.
Michigan The season's first loss was 21–0 to the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, succumbing to the northern foes by the second half.
Florida
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In Tampa, Tulane beat the Florida Gators 14–0. Florida's Tootie Perry played one of the best games seen in Tampa. Dwyer went over right tackle for the first touchdown. After B. Brown cut loose for a 30-yard run, Richcoon scored the last.
The starting lineup was Beaulau (left end), Unsworth (left tackle), Fitz (left guard), Reed (center), Killinger (right guard), Payne (right tackle), Wight (right end), Richeson (quarterback), Dwyer (left halfback), Brown (right halfback), McGraw (fullback).
Mississippi A&M
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In what the yearbook called "the critical game of the season," Tulane won 6–0 over the Mississippi Aggies. Both teams were previously unbeaten. The feature of the contest twas Johnny Wight's punt returns, which set up the game's only score.
The starting lineup was Weigan (left end), Payne (left tackle), Fit (left guard), Reed (Center), Bellieu (left guard), Palermo (right tackle), Wight (right end), Richeson (quarterback), Dwyer (left halfback), Brown (right halfback), Smith (fullback).
LSU Tulane triumphed 21–0 over rival LSU.Jambalaya, 1921 The starting lineup was Wiegand (left end), Payne (left tackle), Fitz (left guard), Reed (center), Unsworth (right guard), Beallieu (right tackle), Wight (right end), Richeson (quarterback), Dwyer (left halfback), Brown (right halfback), Smith (fullback).
Detroit
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On a muddy field, the Detroit Titans beat Tulane 7–0. Detroit opened up with passes early, leading to Lauer's off tackle touchdown. The starting lineup was Smith (left end), Payne (left tackle), Unsworth (left guard), Reed (center), Palermo (right guard), Fitz (right tackle), Wight (right end), Richeson (quarterback), Brown (left halfback), Dwyer (right halfback), Beaullieu (fullback).
Players Line Gaston Beaullieu endFits Fitz guardKillinger guardPalermo tackleVirgil Payne tackleEddie Reed center New Orleans, Louisiana Spring Hill CollegeBennie Smith end and fullbackJohnny Unsworth tackleBob Wiegand endDicky Wight endJohnny Wight right end
Backfield Bennie Brown right halfbackBill Dwyer halfbackPaul Maloney quarter and fullbackForres McGraw fullbackPinkie Nagle halfbackHarold Quinn quarter and fullbackLyle Richeson quarterback
References
Additional sources