The 1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois in the Big Ten Conference during the 1919 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Robert Zuppke, the Fighting Illini compiled a 6–1 record (6–1 against Big Ten opponents) and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 91 to 48.[2]
| 1919 Illinois Fighting Illini football | |
|---|---|
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National champion (Billingsley, Boand) Co-national champion (CFRA, Davis, Sagarin-ELO) Big Ten champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 6–1 (6–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | T formation[1] |
| Captain | William Kopp |
| Home stadium | Illinois Field |
Uniform | |
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois $ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There was no contemporaneous system in 1919 for determining a national champion. However, Illinois was retroactively named as the national champion for 1919 by the Billingsley Report and Boand System, and as a co-national champion by the College Football Researchers Association, Parke H. Davis, and Jeff Sagarin (using his alternate ELO-Chess methodology).[3]
Fullback William Kopp was the team captain.[4] Three Illinois players received mention on the 1919 All-America college football team: end Dick Reichle (first-team choice by the Reno Evening Gazette);[5] tackle Burt Ingwersen (second-team choice by Walter Camp); and guard Jack Depler (second-team choice by Camp).[6]
Seven Illini players were included on the 1919 All-Big Ten Conference football team: quarterback Robert H. Fletcher; halfback Laurie Walquist; fullback Jack Crangle; end Chuck Carney; tackle Burt Ingerwesen; and guards Jack Depler and Clarence Applegran.[7][8]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 11 | at Purdue | W 14–7 | 4,000 | [9] | ||
| October 18 | Iowa | W 9–7 | 6,470 | [10] | ||
| October 25 | Wisconsin |
| L 10–14 | 7,260 | [11] | |
| November 1 | Chicago |
| W 10–0 | 16,000–17,000 | [12] | |
| November 8 | 3:30 p.m. | at Minnesota | W 10–6 | 20,000 | [13] | |
| November 15 | Michigan |
| W 29–7 | 9,622–14,000 | [14] | |
| November 22 | at Ohio State | W 9–7 | 14,925 | [15] | ||
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Roster
| Player | Position |
| William Kopp (Captain) | Fullback |
| Burt Ingwersen | Tackle |
| John C. Depler | Halfback |
| Clarence Applegran | Right guard |
| Robert Fletcher | Quarterback |
| Ralph Fletcher | Kicker |
| Chuck Carney | End, receiver, punter |
| Lawrence Walquist | Halfback, quarterback |
| Albert Mohr | Guard |
| Richard W. Reichle | Left end, kicker |
| Milton Olander | Guard, tackle |
| R. A. "Lief" Lifvendahl | Tackle |
| George Koch | Tackle |
| Otis Petty | Right tackle |
| Harry Shlaudeman | Center |
| Jack Crangle | Fullback |
| C. Ernest Lovejoy | Quarterback |
| Stuyvesant Smith | End |
- Head coach: Robert Zuppke (7th year at Illinois)
Awards and honors
- Dick Reichle, end
- First-team selection of Reno Evening Gazette, selected by "W.P. Hahn, football expert of national note who is now located in Reno", for the 1919 College Football All-America Team[16]
- Burt Ingwersen, tackle
- Second-team selection by Walter Camp for the 1919 All-America team[17]
- Jack Depler, guard
- Second-team selection by Walter Camp for the 1919 All-America team[17]