1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football 231124-Illinois-OhioState-program.jpg 240 Big Ten Conference Big Ten 8–0 5–0 Robert Zuppke 11th Single-wing Jim McMillen Illinois FieldMemorial Stadium National champion (Boand, CFRA, Helms, Davis)Co-national champion (QPRS, NCF, Sagarin-ELO)Big Ten co-champion 20silliniuniform.png The 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football squad representing the University of Illinois in the 1923 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 11th season under head coach Robert Zuppke, the Fighting Illini compiled an 8–0 record (5–0 against Big Ten Conference opponents), tied with Michigan for the Big Ten championship, shut out five of eight opponents, and outscored their opponents by a total of 136 to 20.https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/illinois/1923-schedule.html 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC S/R College Football March 27, 2022 There was no contemporaneous system in 1923 for determining a national champion. However, Illinois was retroactively named as the national champion by the Boand System, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, and Parke H. Davis, and as a co-national champion by the Berryman QPRS system, National Championship Foundation, and Jeff Sagarin (using the ELO-Chess methodology).http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records The National Collegiate Athletic Association 112–114 July 2020 Indianapolis January 12, 2021 November 1, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201101032438/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf live Sophomore left halfback Red Grange put up 196 yards on 21 carries in the season opener, launching his legendary collegiate career with a flourish. For the year Grange "The Galloping Ghost" tallied 723 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns in seven games. In 2008, Grange was named by ESPN as the best college football player of all time. He was also a charter member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Grange and Guard Jim McMillen were consensus first-team picks on the 1923 All-America college football team.Football Award Winners National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 2016 October 21, 2017 6 http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf McMillen was also the team captain.Fighting Illini Football Record Book University of Illinois 2015 December 28, 2016 156 http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/fightingillini.com/documents/2015/8/3/3_History_7_30.pdf November 29, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201129040612/http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/fightingillini.com/documents/2015/8/3/3_History_7_30.pdf dead This was the first season for the Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium, where the team plays their home games to this day. Schedule October 6 w y Nebraska Illinois Field Champaign, IL 24–7 Illini Routs Nebraska, 24-7: Harold Grange Leads Triumph of 'Zup's' Men; Brilliant Halfback Scores 3 Touchdowns and Makes Longest Run Decatur Herald October 7, 1923 25 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549060/illini-routs-nebraska-24-7-harold/ Newspapers.comJoe Attor, "Green Illini Score 24–7 Victory Over Huskers in Opener: Grange, McIlwain Run Ball Down Field; Britton's Kicks Feature," Illinois Daily Illini, Oct. 7, 1923, pp. 1–2. October 13 w y 1923 Butler Bulldogs Butler Illinois Field Champaign, IL 21–7 Illini Trim Butler: Orange Comes From Behind for 21-7 Win Decatur Herald October 14, 1923 9 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549232/illini-trim-butler-orange-comes-from/ Newspapers.com October 20 w y Iowa Iowa Field Iowa City, IA 9–6 25,000 Illinois Beats Iowa, 9 to 6: Grange Plays Havoc During Final Period The Des Moines Register October 21, 1923 Sports 1, 4 Sec Taylor https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549426/illinois-beats-iowa-9-to-6-grange/ Newspapers.com October 27 w y Northwestern Cubs Park Chicago, IL rivalry 29–0 32,000 Illini and Maroons Gridiron Victors: Zuppke's Eleven Smashes Purple by 29-0 Margin Chicago Sunday Tribune Walter Eckersall October 28, 1923 Sports 1–2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549628/illini-and-maroons-gridiron-victors/ Newspapers.com November 3 w Chicago Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 7–0 61,000 Illinois Conquers Chicago, 7-0: Grange Speed, Line Punches Daze Maroons Chicago Sunday Tribune Irving Vaughan November 4, 1923 Sports 1, 2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549799/illinois-conquers-chicago-7-0-grange/ Newspapers.com November 10 w Wisconsin Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 10–0 30,000 Illinois Continues Its Triumphal Championship March by Defeating Wisconsin, 10-0 Badgers Helpless The Eau Claire (WI) Leader November 11, 1923 2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98549995/illinois-continues-its-triumphal/ Newspapers.com November 17 w y Mississippi A&M Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 27–0 25,000 Illini Trounce Mississippi by Topheavy Score: Grange Sits on Sidelines and Watches Mates Win, 27 to 0 Decatur Herald November 18, 1923 10 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98550197/illini-trounce-mississippi-by-topheavy/ Newspapers.com November 24 w y Ohio State Ohio Stadium Columbus, Ohio rivalry 9–0 42,000 Illini and Michigan Title Tie: Zupmen Down Ohio for Clean Record, 9 to 0; Grange's Dashes in Final Quarter Win Chicago Sunday Tribune November 25, 1923 Sports 1–2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98550565/illini-and-michigan-title-tie-zupmen/ Newspapers.comOhio State Loses 9 to 0 in Plucky Fight with Ill.; Grange and Workman Star The Coshocton Tribune November 25, 1923 4 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98550339/ohio-state-loses-9-to-0-in-plucky-fight/ Newspapers.com Roster thumb|center|600px|The 1923 Illinois squad, official team picture. PlayerPositionClassHometownSteve CoutchieQuarterbackSeniorHarvey, IllinoisHarry 'Swede' HallQuarterbackSeniorChicago, IllinoisRed GrangeHalfbackSeniorWheaton, IllinoisWally McIlwainWingback/HalfbackSophomoreEvanston, IllinoisEarl BrittonFullback/Placekicker/PunterSophomoreElgin, IllinoisBill HansenFullbackJunior Brookston, Indiana Heinie SchultzEndJuniorGeneseo, IllinoisTed RichardsEndJuniorGlencoe, IllinoisFrank Edward RokusekEndSeniorOmaha, NebraskaClarence Arthur MuhlEndSeniorOskaloosa, IowaGilbert Jay RobertsCenterSeniorOskaloosa, IowaVee GreenCenterSeniorWaukegan, IllinoisRoy Andrew MillerTackleSophomoreUrbana, IllinoisChuck Addison BrownTackleSophomoreCissna Park, IllinoisRichard 'Dick' HallTackleSeniorLogansport, IndianaJohn MauerTackleSophomoreBatavia, IllinoisBunny OakesTackleSeniorMaywood, IllinoisMush CrawfordTackleSophomoreWaukegan, IllinoisJim McMillenRight GuardSenior Grayslake, IllinoisLouis Frederick SlimmerGuardSeniorMillville, New JerseyLeonard J. UmnusGuardJuniorMenominee, Michigan Head coach: Robert Zuppke (11th year at Illinois) Awards and honors The following Illinois players received honors on the 1923 All-America college football team and/or the 1923 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Halfback Red Grange Consensus first-team All-American First-team All-Big Ten selection by Norman E. Brown and Walter Eckersall Guard Jim McMillen Consensus first-team All-American First-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and Eckersall End Frank Rokusek Second-team All-American selected by Lawrence PerryLawrence Perry Cornell and Michigan Get Two Places on Perry Eleven, One for Syracuse: Famed Gridiron Expert Rates Pfann, Sundstrom and MacRae Among Best Syracuse Herald 1923-12-16 Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and Eckersall Quarterback Harry A. Hall Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Eckersall Fullback Earl Britton Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and third-team selection by Eckersall References Illinois Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football seasons Category:College football national champions Category:Big Ten Conference football champion seasons 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football