1920 Tulane Green Wave football team
American college football season
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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 6â2â1 record (5â0 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.[2]
| 1920 Tulane Green Wave football | |
|---|---|
| |
SIAA co-champion | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Record | 6â2â1 (5â0 SIAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive scheme | Single wing |
| Captain | Johnny Wight |
| Home stadium | Second Tulane Stadium[1] |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia + | 7 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 8 | â | 0 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane + | 5 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 6 | â | 2 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech + | 4 | â | 0 | â | 0 | 8 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 6 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 10 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Centre | 4 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 8 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furman | 3 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 9 | â | 1 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 3 | â | 1 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 5 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 7 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 4 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 7 | â | 2 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 4 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sewanee | 3 | â | 3 | â | 1 | 4 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 3 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transylvania | 2 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 4 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard (AL) | 2 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 5 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi College | 2 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 5 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 1 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 6 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 2 | â | 6 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 6 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 1 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 5 | â | 3 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chattanooga | 1 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 3 | â | 4 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Citadel | 1 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 4 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | â | 3 | â | 1 | 3 | â | 4 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown (KY) | 0 | â | 2 | â | 0 | 0 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Millsaps | 0 | â | 3 | â | 0 | 0 | â | 3 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercer | 0 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 2 | â | 6 | â | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wofford | 0 | â | 4 | â | 0 | 0 | â | 8 | â | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's two losses came in nonconference games, losing to Michigan (0â21) in Ann Arbor and Detroit (0â7) in New Orleans. The highlight of the season was a 21â0 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."[3]
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".[4]
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,[5] and had transformed Tulane into a competitor among Southern collegiate teams.[6]
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.[7]
Germany Schulz was hired to take over duties as athletic director.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2 | Southwestern Louisiana* |
| W 79â0 | [9] | |
| October 9 | Mississippi College |
| W 29â0 | [10] | |
| October 16 | Rice* |
| T 0â0 | [11] | |
| October 23 | Ole Miss |
| W 32â0 | [12] | |
| October 30 | at Michigan* | L 21â0 | 13,000 | [13] | |
| November 6 | vs. Florida | W 14â0 | [14] | ||
| November 13 | Mississippi A&M |
| W 6â0 | [15] | |
| November 25 | at LSU | W 21â0 | [16] | ||
| December 4 | Detroit* |
| L 7â0 | [17] | |
| |||||
Game summaries
Southwestern Louisiana
The season opened with a 79â0 victory over Southwestern Louisiana. One full quarter was played by the substitutes.[18]
Mississippi College
The Mississippi College Choctaws and Goat Hale fell to Tulane 29â0.[18]
Rice
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tulane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: October 16
- Location: Heinemann Park
New Orleans, LA
Sources:[18]
The Rice Owls fought Tulane to a scoreless tie in a game shifted to Heinemann Park.[18]
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.[19]
Ole Miss
Tulane beat Ole Miss, 32â0. Coach Shaughnessy introduced a new shift in the first half, and the players had trouble implementing it.[18] By the second period, Tulane played conventional football instead.[18]
Michigan
The season's first loss was 21â0 to the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor,[20] succumbing to the northern foes by the second half.[18][21]
Florida
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⢠Tulane | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Florida | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: November 6
- Location: Plant Field
Tampa, FL - Referee: Ham Dowling
Sources:[22]
In Tampa, Tulane beat the Florida Gators 14â0.[18] Florida's Tootie Perry played one of the best games seen in Tampa.[22] Dwyer went over right tackle for the first touchdown. After B. Brown cut loose for a 30-yard run, Richcoon scored the last.[22]
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).[23]
Mississippi A&M
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss. A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ⢠Tulane | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
- Date: November 13
- Location: Tulane Stadium
New Orleans, LA - Referee: C. W. Streit
Sources:[24]
In what the yearbook called "the critical game of the season,"[18] Tulane won 6â0 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.[24]
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).[24]
LSU
Tulane triumphed 21â0 over rival LSU.[18] 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).[25]
Detroit
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⢠Detroit | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Tulane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: December 4
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Referee: Walter Eckersall
Sources:[26]
On a muddy field, the Detroit Titans beat Tulane 7â0. Detroit opened up with passes early, leading to Lauer's off tackle touchdown.[26] 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).[26]
Players
Line
| Player | Position | Games started |
Hometown | Prep school | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston Beaullieu | end | ||||||
| Fits Fitz | guard | ||||||
| Killinger | guard | ||||||
| Palermo | tackle | ||||||
| Virgil Payne | tackle | ||||||
| Eddie Reed | center | New Orleans, Louisiana | Spring Hill College | ||||
| Bennie Smith | end and fullback | ||||||
| Johnny Unsworth | tackle | ||||||
| Bob Wiegand | end | ||||||
| Dicky Wight | end | ||||||
| Johnny Wight | right end | ||||||
Backfield
| Player | Position | Games started |
Hometown | Prep school | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennie Brown | right halfback | ||||||
| Bill Dwyer | halfback | ||||||
| Paul Maloney | quarter and fullback | ||||||
| Forres McGraw | fullback | ||||||
| Pinkie Nagle | halfback | ||||||
| Harold Quinn | quarter and fullback | ||||||
| Lyle Richeson | quarterback | ||||||
