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1923 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
American college football season
August 2023
February 2026
1923 Minnesota Golden Gophers football Big Ten Conference Big Ten 5–1–1 3–1–1 William H. Spaulding 2nd Earl Martineau Northrop Field
The 1923 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1923 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach William H. Spaulding, the Golden Gophers compiled a 5–1–1 record and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 114 to 60.1923 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football November 1, 2017 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/minnesota/1923-schedule.html It was Minnesota's final season playing on Northrop Field. Keiser Jeff 2007 Media Guide 161 2007 http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 March 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes
End Ray Eklund was a consensus first-team All-American,2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 2014 August 16, 2014 5 http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf November 26, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181126094941/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/awards.pdf dead and halfback Earl Martineau also received first-team All-American honors from Walter Camp.Walter Camp's All-American Team Alton Evening Telegraph 1923-12-19
Three Minnesota players were selected as first-team players on the 1923 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Eklund and Martineau both received first-team honors from the Big Ten coaches and from Norman E. Brown. Guard George Abramson received first-team honors from Brown.Coaches Select All-Conference Football Team for Evans Billy Evans The New Castle Herald December 4, 1923 9 https://www.newspapers.com/image/76335691/?terms=workman%2Bgrange%2Bkipke
Schedule
October 6 w y Iowa State Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 20–17 12,000 October 13 w y Haskell Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 13–12 15,000 October 20 w y North Dakota Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 27–0 14,000 Gopher Machine Rolls Over North Dakota for 27 to 0 Victory The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune George A. Barton October 21, 1923 Sports 1, 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/181547225/?terms=dakota%20gophers&match=1&clipping_id=116995264 Newspapers.com October 27 t y Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI rivalry 0–0 40,000 November 3 w Northwestern Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN 34–14 18,000 November 17 w y Iowa Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN rivalry 20–7 26,000 November 24 l y Michigan Ferry Field Ann Arbor, MI Little Brown Jug 0–10 42,000–45,000
Game summaries
Michigan
Week 8: Minnesota at Michigan Minnesota Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 0 November 24, 1923 Ferry Field Ann Arbor, MI 42,000 James Masker (Northwestern)
Minnesota concluded its season on November 24, 1923, with a 10–0 loss to Michigan. The game was played at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in front of a crowd of close to 42,000 spectators. The game was the final college football appearance for two All-American halfbacks, Harry Kipke of Michigan, and Earl Martineau of Minnesota. Both teams came into the game unbeaten.Big Ten Stars to End Careers In Michigan-Minnesota Battle The New York Times November 20, 1923 https://www.nytimes.com/1923/11/20/archives/big-ten-stars-to-end-careers-in-michiganminnesota-battle.html?sq=michigan&scp=1&st=p
Six of Michigan's 11 starters were injured and unavailable to play in the game. Accordingly, Michigan played five starters and six substitutes against the Golden Gophers. Minnesota also suffered a setback when its starting quarterback, Graham, was injured in the first quarter.Minnesota Loses To Wolverines, 10 to 0: 42,000 See Yost Men Fight Way to Tie For Big Ten Grid Honors Decatur Sunday Review (AP story) November 25, 1923 11
Michigan scored the only touchdown of the game in the second quarter on a 51-yard drive that featured a ten-yard run by Harry Kipke and a 12-yard gain on a pass to Steger. With the ball at the Minnesota 31-yard line, fullback Richard Vick passed to quarterback Tod Rockwell. Rockwell caught the pass at the 20-yard line and ran for the touchdown. Rockwell also kicked the extra point to give Michigan a 7–0 lead. In the third quarter, Edliff Slaughter blocked a punt by Martineau, and Dick Babcock recovered the ball at Minnesota's 27-yard line. When Michigan was unable to score, Kipke drop-kicked for a field goal from the 37-yard line. Minnesota's final drive was stopped on an interception by Kipke.Rockwell Star in Wolverine Victory, 10–0: Michigan Forward Wall Stops Martineau and His Running Mates; Kipke Boots Drop; Puts Game on Ice by Pretty Kick Between the Uprights The Davenport Democrat and Leader (AP story) November 25, 1923 27
On defense, Michigan shut out a Minnesota offense that had scored 34 points against Northwestern and 20 against Iowa. The Golden Gophers threw eight passes for zero completions and two interceptions. Left tackle Stanley Muirhead, playing his final game for Michigan, was credited with the success of the defense:In his last game against Minnesota, November 24, Muirhead was everywhere. He made three-fourths of the tackles under punts, and was always on the ball. A check was made during the game of Muirheads's tackles. No less than twenty-two times did this stalwart tackle bring down his man. He was a veritable demon on the field. He could not be stopped. If there is a greater tackle in the country than Stan Muirhead of Michigan he has not yet been seen.Michigan To Lose Seven Regulars by Graduation in June Iowa City Press-Citizen December 1, 1923
Princeton coach Bill Roper watched the Michigan-Minnesota game as a guest of Fielding Yost. After the game, Roper had high praise for Kipke: "Kipke is the greatest punter I have ever seen ... I have never seen such deadly accuracy ... It was impossible for the Minnesota quarterback to handle Kipke's kicks. Most of them went out of bounds some fifty yards from the line of scrimmage."1924 Michiganensian, "Michigan Football," page 224.
References
Minnesota
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football seasons
Minnesota Golden Gophers football