1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Encyclopedia
The 1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa
in the college football
season of 1922. The team was coached by Howard Jones.
to a 30-14-1 record from 1916 to 1921. In 1919, end Lester Belding was named All-America
, and Belding, quarterback Aubrey Devine
, tackle Duke Slater
and fullback Fred Lohman were named All-Big Ten
. In 1920, Belding, Devine and Slater were named All-Big Ten. In 1921, Iowa went 7-0 and won the Big Ten championship. Devine, Slater and fullback Gordon Locke
were named All-America, and Devine, Slater, Locke, Belding, center John Heldt, guard Chester Mead and end Max Kadesky were named All-Big Ten. Devine, his brother Glenn, Slater and Belding graduated in the spring of 1922. Iowa had a ten-game winning streak going into the 1922 season.
to play Eastern powerhouse Yale
. The Elis had already beaten Bates
, Carnegie Tech
and North Carolina
by a combined score of 79-0. Yale was coached by the younger brother of Iowa coach Howard Jones, Tad Jones
, who had coached the Elis to a 27-5 record from 1916 to 1917 and 1920 to 1922. Yale had an eleven-game home winning streak at the Yale Bowl
. The Elis had never lost to a team from the West in fifty years of varsity football.
In the first game between Eastern and Western teams of the college football season, Iowa dominated Yale. The Hawkeyes used only twelve men to the fourteen used by the Elis. The only scoring drive of the game began late in the first quarter when Yale punted to the Hawkeyes. An Eli foul put Iowa in the territory of the opposition. Iowa quarterback Leland Parkin led the Hawkeyes down the field. On fourth down and goal from the Yale nine, Parkin ran around the right end and dove for the end zone. He came down a foot short and crawled the rest of the way. Iowa missed the extra point, but six points ended up being enough to win the game. The Elis drove inside the Hawkeye twenty twice in the second half, but the drives ended before the Elis could score. Iowa won the game, 6-0.
Yale lost to a Western team for the first time ever. The Elis did not lose to another team from the West until they fell to Michigan
in 1938. The Iowa victory made front page headlines across the nation. The headline of the Chicago Sunday Tribune
ran "IOWA ELEVEN SMASHES YALE". The game was a major turning point in the battle between the East and the West for football supremacy. The use of the huddle by the Hawkeyes, an idea that was growing popular in the West, was one of the reasons Iowa was able to beat the Elis so impressively. Iowa City
was home to a huge celebration on Saturday night. Seven thousand students and citizens paraded up and down the streets, shooting off rockets and dancing around bonfires. The Iowa marching band
led the celebration and the crowds were compared to those who would gather in New York City
on New Year's Eve
.
on October 21. It was the first Big Ten game of the season for both teams. Gordon Locke scored the only Hawkeye touchdown and a safety made the difference in an 8-7 Iowa win. The Hawkeyes had also defeated the Illini
in the 1921 Big Ten opener for both teams. It was the first time Illinois had lost consecutive Big Ten openers since 1908 and 1909.
was the opponent of Iowa on October 28. The Boilermakers
had not scored a point in their previous two games, having lost to Notre Dame
and Chicago
by a combined score of 32-0. The Hawkeyes gave Purdue a third consecutive shutout, beating the Boilermakers 56-0. It is the worst loss in 110 years of varsity football at Purdue. Gordon Locke scored two touchdowns for Iowa.
brought his first Minnesota
team to Iowa City. The Gophers
had suffered their first loss of the season on November 4 to Wisconsin
. The Hawkeyes handed them their second loss of the season, winning 28-14. Gordon Locke scored three touchdowns in the first half for Iowa. Heavy rain soaked Iowa Field and turned the dirt roads that led into Iowa City to mud. Hundreds of cars stalled on the road to Cedar Rapids
and thousands of Hawkeye fans were stranded that night.
was played in Columbus
on November 18. The Buckeyes
became the first team since 1920 to lead the Hawkeyes, but Iowa beat Ohio State 12-9. Gordon Locke rushed for 126 yards and returned three kicks for 91 yards. The Hawkeye victory ensured that the Buckeyes would suffer their first losing season since 1898.
. Glenn Thistlethwaite
was in his first year as the coach of the Purple
. The Hawkeyes beat Northwestern 37-3 to complete a second consecutive perfect season at 7-0. Gordon Locke scored four touchdowns for Iowa to match his career record. Locke finished first in the Big Ten in scoring. His 72 points in conference games was a Big Ten record.
and tackle George Thompson were named All-Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won their first three games in 1923 to extend their winning streak to twenty games. Illinois broke the streak on October 20 when Iowa fell to the Illini in Champaign
by the score of 9-6. The 1923 Illinois team went 8-0 and won the national championship. They were led by All-American halfback Red Grange
, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. The twenty-game winning streak from 1920 to 1923 is the longest in Iowa history. The home unbeaten streak of the Hawkeyes reached thirty-one games before Iowa fell to Wisconsin on November 7, 1925, by the score of 6-0.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 1922. The team was coached by Howard Jones.
Preseason
Howard Jones was in his seventh year at Iowa in 1922, having coached the HawkeyesIowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
to a 30-14-1 record from 1916 to 1921. In 1919, end Lester Belding was named All-America
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, and Belding, quarterback Aubrey Devine
Aubrey Devine
Aubrey A. Devine was a college football player for the University of Iowa. He is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.-Background:...
, tackle Duke Slater
Duke Slater
Frederick Wayman "Duke" Slater was an American football player and one of the great black players of his era. Slater played for the University of Iowa in college and played professionally for ten years...
and fullback Fred Lohman were named All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. In 1920, Belding, Devine and Slater were named All-Big Ten. In 1921, Iowa went 7-0 and won the Big Ten championship. Devine, Slater and fullback Gordon Locke
Gordon Locke
Gordon C. Locke was an American football player and coach in the United States. He played college football at the University of Iowa, where he was a two-time All-American...
were named All-America, and Devine, Slater, Locke, Belding, center John Heldt, guard Chester Mead and end Max Kadesky were named All-Big Ten. Devine, his brother Glenn, Slater and Belding graduated in the spring of 1922. Iowa had a ten-game winning streak going into the 1922 season.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | City | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7, 1922 | Knox | Iowa City | Win | 61-0 |
| October 14, 1922 | Yale | New Haven | Win | 6-0 |
| October 21, 1922 | Illinois | Champaign | Win | 8-7 |
| October 28, 1922 | Purdue | Iowa City | Win | 56-0 |
| November 11, 1922 | Minnesota | Iowa City | Win | 28-14 |
| November 18, 1922 | Ohio State | Columbus | Win | 12-9 |
| November 25, 1922 | Northwestern | Iowa City | Win | 37-3 |
Knox
Iowa opened the 1922 season on October 7 with a game against Knox College. For the second consecutive year, the Hawkeyes crushed Knox. Final score: 61-0.Yale
On October 14, Iowa made a trip to New HavenNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
to play Eastern powerhouse Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. The Elis had already beaten Bates
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
, Carnegie Tech
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
and North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
by a combined score of 79-0. Yale was coached by the younger brother of Iowa coach Howard Jones, Tad Jones
T. A. Dwight Jones
-External links:...
, who had coached the Elis to a 27-5 record from 1916 to 1917 and 1920 to 1922. Yale had an eleven-game home winning streak at the Yale Bowl
Yale Bowl
The Yale Bowl is a football stadium in New Haven, Connecticut on the border of West Haven, about 1½ miles west of Yale's main campus. Completed in 1914, the stadium seats 61,446, reduced by renovations from the original capacity of 70,869...
. The Elis had never lost to a team from the West in fifty years of varsity football.
In the first game between Eastern and Western teams of the college football season, Iowa dominated Yale. The Hawkeyes used only twelve men to the fourteen used by the Elis. The only scoring drive of the game began late in the first quarter when Yale punted to the Hawkeyes. An Eli foul put Iowa in the territory of the opposition. Iowa quarterback Leland Parkin led the Hawkeyes down the field. On fourth down and goal from the Yale nine, Parkin ran around the right end and dove for the end zone. He came down a foot short and crawled the rest of the way. Iowa missed the extra point, but six points ended up being enough to win the game. The Elis drove inside the Hawkeye twenty twice in the second half, but the drives ended before the Elis could score. Iowa won the game, 6-0.
Yale lost to a Western team for the first time ever. The Elis did not lose to another team from the West until they fell to Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1938. The Iowa victory made front page headlines across the nation. The headline of the Chicago Sunday Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
ran "IOWA ELEVEN SMASHES YALE". The game was a major turning point in the battle between the East and the West for football supremacy. The use of the huddle by the Hawkeyes, an idea that was growing popular in the West, was one of the reasons Iowa was able to beat the Elis so impressively. Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
was home to a huge celebration on Saturday night. Seven thousand students and citizens paraded up and down the streets, shooting off rockets and dancing around bonfires. The Iowa marching band
Hawkeye Marching Band
The Hawkeye Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Iowa. 255 members strong, it performs at all home Hawkeye football games inside historic Kinnick Stadium. It is the largest and most visible musical ensemble at the university and was awarded the Louis Sudler Intercollegiate...
led the celebration and the crowds were compared to those who would gather in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
.
Illinois
Iowa returned to Iowa City for a game with IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
on October 21. It was the first Big Ten game of the season for both teams. Gordon Locke scored the only Hawkeye touchdown and a safety made the difference in an 8-7 Iowa win. The Hawkeyes had also defeated the Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in the 1921 Big Ten opener for both teams. It was the first time Illinois had lost consecutive Big Ten openers since 1908 and 1909.
Purdue
PurduePurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
was the opponent of Iowa on October 28. The Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
had not scored a point in their previous two games, having lost to Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
by a combined score of 32-0. The Hawkeyes gave Purdue a third consecutive shutout, beating the Boilermakers 56-0. It is the worst loss in 110 years of varsity football at Purdue. Gordon Locke scored two touchdowns for Iowa.
Minnesota
Iowa played their homecoming game on November 11. William SpauldingWilliam H. Spaulding
William H. Spaulding was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. Spaulding coached at UCLA from 1925 to 1938. He had a successful tenure, compiling a 72–51–8 record. He also served as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota from 1922 to 1924....
brought his first Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
team to Iowa City. The Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
had suffered their first loss of the season on November 4 to Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. The Hawkeyes handed them their second loss of the season, winning 28-14. Gordon Locke scored three touchdowns in the first half for Iowa. Heavy rain soaked Iowa Field and turned the dirt roads that led into Iowa City to mud. Hundreds of cars stalled on the road to Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
and thousands of Hawkeye fans were stranded that night.
Ohio State
The first game between Iowa and Ohio StateOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
was played in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
on November 18. The Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
became the first team since 1920 to lead the Hawkeyes, but Iowa beat Ohio State 12-9. Gordon Locke rushed for 126 yards and returned three kicks for 91 yards. The Hawkeye victory ensured that the Buckeyes would suffer their first losing season since 1898.
Northwestern
Iowa played their final game of the season on November 25 against NorthwesternNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. Glenn Thistlethwaite
Glenn Thistlethwaite
Glenn F. Thistlethwaite was an American football coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Earlham College , Northwestern University , the University of Wisconsin–Madison , Carroll College in Wisconsin , and the University of Richmond ,...
was in his first year as the coach of the Purple
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
. The Hawkeyes beat Northwestern 37-3 to complete a second consecutive perfect season at 7-0. Gordon Locke scored four touchdowns for Iowa to match his career record. Locke finished first in the Big Ten in scoring. His 72 points in conference games was a Big Ten record.
Postseason
Iowa went 7-0 and won a second consecutive Big Ten championship. Gordon Locke was named All-America, and Locke, guard Paul MinickPaul Minick
Paul Minick was a guard in the National Football League. He played with the Buffalo Bisons during the 1927 NFL season before playing two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. During his time there he was a member of the 1929 Green Bay Packers that won the 1929 NFL Championship.-References:...
and tackle George Thompson were named All-Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won their first three games in 1923 to extend their winning streak to twenty games. Illinois broke the streak on October 20 when Iowa fell to the Illini in Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
by the score of 9-6. The 1923 Illinois team went 8-0 and won the national championship. They were led by All-American halfback Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. The twenty-game winning streak from 1920 to 1923 is the longest in Iowa history. The home unbeaten streak of the Hawkeyes reached thirty-one games before Iowa fell to Wisconsin on November 7, 1925, by the score of 6-0.