1935 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1935 college football season was the last one before the Associated Press writers' poll was used in selecting the national champion. The Dickinson System, consisting of the calculations of University of Illinois Professor Frank Dickinson, crowned Southern Methodist University
(SMU) as the best in the nation. A poll of newspaper writers, taken at year's end—by United Press rather than the AP—concluded that the University of Minnesota
's eleven was the best in the nation. Major conferences that existed in 1934 were the Western Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference, the Southeastern Conference
, the old Southern Conference
, the Big Six and the Southwest Conference.
opened with a 39-0 win over North Texas and TCU
opened its season with a 41-0 win over visiting Howard Payne College.
September 28
SMU
beat Austin College 60-0 and TCU
beat North Texas 28-11. Stanford
beat San Jose State 35-0 and UCLA
beat Utah State 39-0.,
Fordham University
, whose 1936 team would include the legendary Seven Blocks of Granite
was a favorite New York City college football teams, after New York University and Columbia University. The Rams played all of their games at home at the Polo Grounds, which also hosted the NFL's New york Giants. In a game against visiting Franklin & Marshall, the Rams were losing until they scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 14-7 win. California
played a doubleheader, beating UC-Davis 47-0 and Whittier 6-0.
Notre Dame defeated visiting Kansas, 28-7. Pittsburgh
had an unexpectedly difficult time in a 14-0 win over visiting Waynesburg College.
Minnesota beat visiting North Dakota State 26-6
Stanford
won at the U. of San Francisco 10-0 and California
beat St. Mary's 10-0. In Portland, UCLA
beat Oregon State 20-7.
Ohio State beat Kentucky 19-6
Princeton
edged Penn 7-6, Fordham
beat Boston College 19-0, Notre Dame won at Carnegie Tech, 14-3 and Pittsburgh
won at Washington & Jefferson 35-0. TCU
won at Arkansas 13-7 and SMU
beat visiting Tulsa 14-0.
October 12
Minnesota won at Nebraska 12-7 and Ohio State defeated visiting Drake 85-7. In Portland, California
beat Oregon 6-0.
TCU
won at Tulsa, 13-0. In St. Louis, SMU
beat Washington University 35-6.
Notre Dame won at Wisconsin, 27-0 Pittsburgh
beat West Virginia 24-6. Fordham
lost to Purdue, 20-0
Princeton
defeated Williams College 14-7.
October 19
UCLA
won at Stanford
, 7-6.
Notre Dame (3-0) and Pittsburgh
, both 3-0-0, met at South Bend, with the Fighting Irish handing Pitt itss first loss 9-6.
Minnesota beat visiting Tulane 20-0
Ohio State beat Northwestern 28-7.
SMU
and Rice, both 4-0-0, met in Dallas, with SMU winning 10-0.
TCU
beat visiting Texas A&M 19-14 to stay unbeaten. California
beat Santa Clara 6-0. Princeton
beat Rutgers 29-6.
Fordham
beat Vanderbilt, 13-7
October 26
TCU
won at Centenary 27-7.
Stanford
won at Washington 6-0, California
beat visiting USC 21-7, and UCLA
beat Oregon 33-6.
Minnesota beat Northwestern at home 21-13 and Ohio State won at Inidana 28-6
Fordham
defeated Lebanon Valley College 15-0. Pittsburgh
beat Penn State 9-0. Princeton
won at Cornell 54-0. At Baltimore, Notre Dame beat Navy 14-0. In a game at Wichita Falls, Texas, SMU
beat Hardin-Simmons 18-6.
described what happened: "Completely outplayed in the first two quarters, trailing 13 to 0 as the final quarter started with every killing break against it-- breaks that would crack the heart of an iron ox-- this Notre Dame team came surging back in the final quarter...". Notre Dame scored early in the fourth, but the extra point attempt bounced off the crossbar, and it was 13-6. After an interception, the Irish drove to within six inches of the goal line 0when Milner fumbled the ball away. With 90 seconds left, Andy Pilney passed to Mike Layden for a touchdown, but the extra point failed and the Irish trailed 13-12. Andy Pilney forced a Buckeye fumble at midfield, giving the Irish the ball at the 49 yard line, and on the next play, Pilney, taking back over as quarterback, scrambled to the 19 yard line, but was injured. With only one play left in the game, reserve quarterback Bill Shakespeare passed to Wayne Milner for the 18-13 win.
At Los Angeles, California
(6-0-0) faced UCLA
(4-0-0) and won 14-2.
TCU
visited Baylor (6-0-0). TCU shut the Bears out 28-0.
SMU
beat visiting Texas 20-0. Minnesota beat Purdue 29-7.
Stanford
beat Santa Clara in another close game, 9-6. Fordham
and Pittsburgh
played to a 0-0 tie. Princeton
defeated Navy 26-0.
November 9 Unbeaten Notre Dame hosted the Northwestern Wildcats, who had a losing record (2-3-0). With William Shakespeare at left halfback for the Irish, and Henry Wardsworth Longfellow playing right end for the Wildcats, the game looked like no more than a meeting of literary namesakes. Shakespeare's running game was shut down, while Longfellow caught one touchdown pass, and then recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to set up a second touchdown for a major upset, as Northwestern won 14-7 Minnesota won at Iowa 13-6. In Los Angeles, SMU
handed UCLA
(4-1-0) its second straight loss, 21-0. Stanford
won at USC, 3-0. California
beat Washington 14-0.
Fordham
tied St. Mary's College 7-7, Princeton
beat Harvard 35-0 and Pittsburgh
beat visiting Army 29-6. Ohio State won at Chicago, 20-13. In a Friday game at New Orleans, TCU
beat Loyola College 14-0.
November 16
TCU
won at Texas 28-0 and SMU
won at Arkansas 17-6.
Fordham
beat Muhlenberg College 45-0 at the Polo Grounds, while Notre Dame and Army played to a 6-6 tie at Yankee Stadium.
Pittsburgh
beat Nebraska 6-0 and Princeton
beat Lehigh 27-0.
Stanford
defeated Montana 32-0 California
beat Pacific 39-0
Ohio State beat Illinois 38-0 and Minnesota won at Michigan 40-0
In a Friday game, UCLA
beat visiting Hawaii 19-6.
November 23
California
(9-0) and Stanford
(6-1-0) met at Palo Alto, as Stanford handed the Golden Bears their first loss, 13-0. On the strength of the win, Stanford got the bid to the Rose Bowl. In a matchup of two great Ivy teams, Princeton
(7-0-0) hosted Dartmouth (8-0-0), with Princeton winning 26-6.
SMU
defeated visiting Baylor 10-0 and TCU
beat visiting Rice, 27-6, as both teams raised their records to 10-0-0.
UCLA
beat Loyola Marymount 14-6
Notre Dame closed its season with a 20-13 win over USC.
Minnesota beat visiting Wisconsin, 33-7 to close its season at 8-0-0.
For the first time, Ohio State closed with its regular season with Michigan, a tradition that continued with only one interruption, in 1942. OSU won at Ann Arbor, 38-0.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 28 a crowd of 78,000 turned out at Yankee Stadium to watch Fordham
(5-1-2) face New York University (7-1-0). Fordham shut out NYU 21-0, but not before a fight broke out with the spectators crowding the field, Pittsburgh
(6-1-0) and Carnegie Tech (2-5-0) played to a 0-0 tie.
November 30
The most eagerly watched game of the season matched two unbeaten (10-0-0) teams, with Texas Christian
(10-0-0) hosting Southern Methodist
. SMU won 20-14 and was invited to the Rose Bowl, while TCU went to the Sugar Bowl.
Princeton
closed its season with a 38-7 win at Yale, to finish 9-0-0.
beat Idaho 13-6. TCU
won at Santa Clara, 10-6.
December 14 In San Francisco, UCLA
closed its season with a 13-7 win over St. Mary's, while in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh
beat USC 12-7.
would not begin continuously until 1936. (although, the first time was a one instance publishing in 1934) Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the University of Illinois, had invented the Dickinson System
to rank colleges based upon their records and the strength of their opposition. The Rissman Trophy, and later the Rockne Memorial Trophy, was awarded to the winning university.
In an AP story with the caption "Figure This Out!", the system was explained:
"For each victory of a first division team over another first division team, the winner gets 30 points and the loser 15 points. For each tie between two first
division teams, each team gets 12.5 points. For each victory of a first division team over a second division team, the first division winner gets 20 points and the second division loser 10 points. For each tie between two second
division teams, each gets 15 points. For each tie between a non-division team and a second division team, the first division team gets 15 points and the second division
team gets 20 points. Then, after each team has been given its quota of points its final "score" is tabulated by taking an average on the number of games played."
The Rose Bowl
matched unbeaten SMU
(12-0-0) against Pacific champion Stanford
(7-1-0) before a crowd of 86,000. Stanford had been a two time loser at Pasadena, falling to both Alabama and Columbia. Determined not to have a three-peat, the Stanford Indians scored an early touchdown and held off the Mustangs to win 7-0.
In New Orleans, the second annual Sugar Bowl
pitted Texas Christian (TCU)
(11-1-0) against SEC champion Louisiana State (LSU)
(9-1-0) before a crowd of 38,000. TCU's Sammy Baugh
, later to go on to NFL fame, was forced out of the end zone on a pass attempt, and the safety gave LSU a 2-0 lead. Two minutes later, Baugh drove the Frogs to the 17 yard line, setting up Taldon Malton's field goal. The final score was TCU 3, LSU 2
In Miami, the second annual Orange Bowl matched Mississippi
(9-2-0) against the unheralded Cardinals of Catholic University
(8-1-0). A crowd of 10,000 watched Catholic take an early lead and pull off a 20-19 upset. The Sun Bowl
matched two colleges for the first time, as New Mexico State and Hardin-Simmons battled to a 14-14 tie.
was ever awarded, although it was named differently in the first year. In 1935, it was presented by the Downtown Athletic Club
(DAC) in Manhattan
, New York
, a privately owned recreation facility near the site of the former World Trade Center
. It was first known simply as the "DAC Trophy" for this inaugural year. The first winner, Jay Berwanger
, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team. In 1936
, John Heisman
died and the trophy was renamed in his honor. Larry Kelley
, the second winner of the award was the first man to win it officially named as the "Heisman Trophy."
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
(SMU) as the best in the nation. A poll of newspaper writers, taken at year's end—by United Press rather than the AP—concluded that the University of 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...
's eleven was the best in the nation. Major conferences that existed in 1934 were the Western Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference, the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, the old Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
, the Big Six and the Southwest Conference.
September
September 21 SMUSMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
opened with a 39-0 win over North Texas and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
opened its season with a 41-0 win over visiting Howard Payne College.
September 28
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Austin College 60-0 and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat North Texas 28-11. Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
beat San Jose State 35-0 and UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Utah State 39-0.,
Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, whose 1936 team would include the legendary Seven Blocks of Granite
Seven Blocks of Granite
The Seven Blocks of Granite was a nickname given to the Fordham University football team's offensive line under head coach "Sleepy" Jim Crowley and line coach Frank Leahy. The most famous Seven Blocks of Granite were: Leo Paquin, Johnny Druze, Alex Wojciechowicz, Ed Franco, Al Babartsky, Natty...
was a favorite New York City college football teams, after New York University and Columbia University. The Rams played all of their games at home at the Polo Grounds, which also hosted the NFL's New york Giants. In a game against visiting Franklin & Marshall, the Rams were losing until they scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 14-7 win. California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
played a doubleheader, beating UC-Davis 47-0 and Whittier 6-0.
Notre Dame defeated visiting Kansas, 28-7. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
had an unexpectedly difficult time in a 14-0 win over visiting Waynesburg College.
October
October 5Minnesota beat visiting North Dakota State 26-6
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
won at the U. of San Francisco 10-0 and California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat St. Mary's 10-0. In Portland, UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Oregon State 20-7.
Ohio State beat Kentucky 19-6
Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
edged Penn 7-6, Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
beat Boston College 19-0, Notre Dame won at Carnegie Tech, 14-3 and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
won at Washington & Jefferson 35-0. TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
won at Arkansas 13-7 and SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat visiting Tulsa 14-0.
October 12
Minnesota won at Nebraska 12-7 and Ohio State defeated visiting Drake 85-7. In Portland, California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Oregon 6-0.
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
won at Tulsa, 13-0. In St. Louis, SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Washington University 35-6.
Notre Dame won at Wisconsin, 27-0 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat West Virginia 24-6. Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
lost to Purdue, 20-0
Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
defeated Williams College 14-7.
October 19
UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
won at Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, 7-6.
Notre Dame (3-0) and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, both 3-0-0, met at South Bend, with the Fighting Irish handing Pitt itss first loss 9-6.
Minnesota beat visiting Tulane 20-0
Ohio State beat Northwestern 28-7.
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
and Rice, both 4-0-0, met in Dallas, with SMU winning 10-0.
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat visiting Texas A&M 19-14 to stay unbeaten. California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Santa Clara 6-0. Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
beat Rutgers 29-6.
Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
beat Vanderbilt, 13-7
October 26
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
won at Centenary 27-7.
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
won at Washington 6-0, California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat visiting USC 21-7, and UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Oregon 33-6.
Minnesota beat Northwestern at home 21-13 and Ohio State won at Inidana 28-6
Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
defeated Lebanon Valley College 15-0. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Penn State 9-0. Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
won at Cornell 54-0. At Baltimore, Notre Dame beat Navy 14-0. In a game at Wichita Falls, Texas, SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat Hardin-Simmons 18-6.
November
November 2 Notre Dame (5-0-0) and Ohio State (4-0-0) met at Columbus before a crowd of 80,000. Grantland RiceGrantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
described what happened: "Completely outplayed in the first two quarters, trailing 13 to 0 as the final quarter started with every killing break against it-- breaks that would crack the heart of an iron ox-- this Notre Dame team came surging back in the final quarter...". Notre Dame scored early in the fourth, but the extra point attempt bounced off the crossbar, and it was 13-6. After an interception, the Irish drove to within six inches of the goal line 0when Milner fumbled the ball away. With 90 seconds left, Andy Pilney passed to Mike Layden for a touchdown, but the extra point failed and the Irish trailed 13-12. Andy Pilney forced a Buckeye fumble at midfield, giving the Irish the ball at the 49 yard line, and on the next play, Pilney, taking back over as quarterback, scrambled to the 19 yard line, but was injured. With only one play left in the game, reserve quarterback Bill Shakespeare passed to Wayne Milner for the 18-13 win.
At Los Angeles, California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
(6-0-0) faced UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
(4-0-0) and won 14-2.
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
visited Baylor (6-0-0). TCU shut the Bears out 28-0.
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
beat visiting Texas 20-0. Minnesota beat Purdue 29-7.
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
beat Santa Clara in another close game, 9-6. Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
played to a 0-0 tie. Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
defeated Navy 26-0.
November 9 Unbeaten Notre Dame hosted the Northwestern Wildcats, who had a losing record (2-3-0). With William Shakespeare at left halfback for the Irish, and Henry Wardsworth Longfellow playing right end for the Wildcats, the game looked like no more than a meeting of literary namesakes. Shakespeare's running game was shut down, while Longfellow caught one touchdown pass, and then recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to set up a second touchdown for a major upset, as Northwestern won 14-7 Minnesota won at Iowa 13-6. In Los Angeles, SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
handed UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
(4-1-0) its second straight loss, 21-0. Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
won at USC, 3-0. California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Washington 14-0.
Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
tied St. Mary's College 7-7, Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
beat Harvard 35-0 and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat visiting Army 29-6. Ohio State won at Chicago, 20-13. In a Friday game at New Orleans, TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat Loyola College 14-0.
November 16
TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
won at Texas 28-0 and SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
won at Arkansas 17-6.
Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
beat Muhlenberg College 45-0 at the Polo Grounds, while Notre Dame and Army played to a 6-6 tie at Yankee Stadium.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Nebraska 6-0 and Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
beat Lehigh 27-0.
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
defeated Montana 32-0 California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
beat Pacific 39-0
Ohio State beat Illinois 38-0 and Minnesota won at Michigan 40-0
In a Friday game, UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat visiting Hawaii 19-6.
November 23
California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
(9-0) and Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
(6-1-0) met at Palo Alto, as Stanford handed the Golden Bears their first loss, 13-0. On the strength of the win, Stanford got the bid to the Rose Bowl. In a matchup of two great Ivy teams, Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(7-0-0) hosted Dartmouth (8-0-0), with Princeton winning 26-6.
SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
defeated visiting Baylor 10-0 and TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
beat visiting Rice, 27-6, as both teams raised their records to 10-0-0.
UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Loyola Marymount 14-6
Notre Dame closed its season with a 20-13 win over USC.
Minnesota beat visiting Wisconsin, 33-7 to close its season at 8-0-0.
For the first time, Ohio State closed with its regular season with Michigan, a tradition that continued with only one interruption, in 1942. OSU won at Ann Arbor, 38-0.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 28 a crowd of 78,000 turned out at Yankee Stadium to watch Fordham
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
(5-1-2) face New York University (7-1-0). Fordham shut out NYU 21-0, but not before a fight broke out with the spectators crowding the field, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
(6-1-0) and Carnegie Tech (2-5-0) played to a 0-0 tie.
November 30
The most eagerly watched game of the season matched two unbeaten (10-0-0) teams, with Texas Christian
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
(10-0-0) hosting Southern Methodist
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
. SMU won 20-14 and was invited to the Rose Bowl, while TCU went to the Sugar Bowl.
Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
closed its season with a 38-7 win at Yale, to finish 9-0-0.
December
December 7 UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Idaho 13-6. TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
won at Santa Clara, 10-6.
December 14 In San Francisco, UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
closed its season with a 13-7 win over St. Mary's, while in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat USC 12-7.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Conference Leaders
| Conference | Champion | Conf. record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Coast | California/Stanford/UCLA | (4-1-0) | (9-1)(7-1)(8-2) |
| Independent | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
(9-0-0) | (9-0-0) |
| Big Ten | Minnesota/Ohio State | (5-0-0) | (8-0-0)/(7-1-0) |
| SEC | LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
(5-0-0) | (9-1-0)) |
| Southern | Duke Duke Blue Devils football The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal... |
(5-0-0) | (8-2-0) |
| Big Six | Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
(4-0-1) | (6-2-1) |
| Southwest | SMU SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA... |
(6-0-0) | (12-0-0) |
Dickinson System
The AP sportswriters' pollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
would not begin continuously until 1936. (although, the first time was a one instance publishing in 1934) Frank G. Dickinson, an economics professor at the University of Illinois, had invented the Dickinson System
Dickinson System
The Dickinson System was a mathematical point formula that awarded national championships in college football. Devised by University of Illinois economics professor Frank G...
to rank colleges based upon their records and the strength of their opposition. The Rissman Trophy, and later the Rockne Memorial Trophy, was awarded to the winning university.
In an AP story with the caption "Figure This Out!", the system was explained:
"For each victory of a first division team over another first division team, the winner gets 30 points and the loser 15 points. For each tie between two first
division teams, each team gets 12.5 points. For each victory of a first division team over a second division team, the first division winner gets 20 points and the second division loser 10 points. For each tie between two second
division teams, each gets 15 points. For each tie between a non-division team and a second division team, the first division team gets 15 points and the second division
team gets 20 points. Then, after each team has been given its quota of points its final "score" is tabulated by taking an average on the number of games played."
Final Dickinson rankings
SMU, Minnesota and Princeton were all unbeaten and untied at season's end. Based on the strength of its schedule (which included twelve games), SMU was ranked first. Professor Dickinson also had additional variables, based on the strength of the conferences, reported as follows: Big Ten (+3.78), SWC (+3.31), East (0.00), Pacific Coast (-0.11), SEC (-0.12), Big Six (-1.95) and Southern (-6.15)| Rank | Team | Record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU Mustangs SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA... |
12-0-0 | 28.01 |
| 2 | Minnesota Gophers | 8-0-0 | 27.35 |
| 3 | Princeton Tigers Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
9-0-0 | 26.00 |
| 4 | LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
9-1-0 | 24.03 |
| 5 (t) | Stanford Indians Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The... |
7-1-0 | 23.11 |
| 5 (t) | California Golden Bears California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
9-1-0 | 23.11 |
| 7 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 7-1-0 | 22.21 |
| 8 | TCU Horned Frogs TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
11-1-0 | 22.01 |
| 9 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 7-1-1 | 21.56 |
| 10 | UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins Football The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll... |
8-2-0 | 21.25 |
| 11 | Fordham Rams Fordham University Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St... |
6-1-2 | 20.89 |
The United Press Sport Writers' Poll
Although the AP would begin the first weekly writers' poll in 1936, and UPI would not follow until 1950, United Press did conduct a season's end poll in 1935. Writers from 112 papers were asked to vote for their Top Ten, and then the choices were to be weighted, with 10 points for first, 9 points for second, etc. The results placed Minnesota first and SMU second| Ranking | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota |
| 2 | SMU |
| 3 | Princeton |
| 4 | TCU |
| 5 | Ohio State |
| 6 | Stanford |
| 7 | LSU |
| 8 | Notre Dame |
| 9 | California |
| 10 | Pittsburgh |
| 11 | Fordham |
| 12 | North Carolina |
| 13 | Duke |
| 14 | Holy Cross |
| 15 | Auburn |
| 16 | Northwestern |
| 17 | Alabama |
| 18 (t) | Army |
| 18 (t) | Iowa |
| 18 (t) | UCLA |
| 21 (t) | Nebraska |
| 21 (t) | Ohio U. |
| 23 (t) | Marquette |
| 23 (t) | Washington |
| 23 (t) | St. Mary's |
| 26 | Temple |
| 26 | Dartmouth |
| 26 | NYU |
Bowl games
| Bowl game | Home | points | Away | points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl 1936 Rose Bowl The 1936 Rose Bowl was the 22nd Rose Bowl game, an American post-season college football game that was played on New Year's Day 1936 in Pasadena, California. It featured the undefeated against the , which had one loss... |
Stanford Indians | 7 | SMU Mustangs SMU Mustangs football The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA... |
0 |
| Sugar Bowl 1936 Sugar Bowl The 1936 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1935 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1936, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the , representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Southwest Conference... |
TCU Horned Frogs TCU Horned Frogs football The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football... |
3 | LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
2 |
| Orange Bowl | Catholic Cardinals Catholic University Cardinals The Catholic University of America's intercollegiate sports teams are called the Cardinals , and they compete in the NCAA's Division III. They are primarily members of the Landmark Conference, and associate members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference... |
20 | Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
19 |
| Sun Bowl | Hardin-Simmons Cowboys | 14 | New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State Aggies football The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference .... |
14 |
The Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
matched unbeaten SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
(12-0-0) against Pacific champion Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
(7-1-0) before a crowd of 86,000. Stanford had been a two time loser at Pasadena, falling to both Alabama and Columbia. Determined not to have a three-peat, the Stanford Indians scored an early touchdown and held off the Mustangs to win 7-0.
In New Orleans, the second annual Sugar Bowl
1936 Sugar Bowl
The 1936 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1935 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1936, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the , representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Southwest Conference...
pitted Texas Christian (TCU)
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
(11-1-0) against SEC champion Louisiana State (LSU)
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
(9-1-0) before a crowd of 38,000. TCU's Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
, later to go on to NFL fame, was forced out of the end zone on a pass attempt, and the safety gave LSU a 2-0 lead. Two minutes later, Baugh drove the Frogs to the 17 yard line, setting up Taldon Malton's field goal. The final score was TCU 3, LSU 2
In Miami, the second annual Orange Bowl matched Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
(9-2-0) against the unheralded Cardinals of Catholic University
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
(8-1-0). A crowd of 10,000 watched Catholic take an early lead and pull off a 20-19 upset. The Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
matched two colleges for the first time, as New Mexico State and Hardin-Simmons battled to a 14-14 tie.
Heisman Trophy
1935 was the first year that the Heisman TrophyHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
was ever awarded, although it was named differently in the first year. In 1935, it was presented by the Downtown Athletic Club
Downtown Athletic Club
The Downtown Athletic Club was a private social club and athletic club in a 35-story building located at 19 West Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA.-History:...
(DAC) in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, a privately owned recreation facility near the site of the former World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. It was first known simply as the "DAC Trophy" for this inaugural year. The first winner, Jay Berwanger
Jay Berwanger
John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger was an American football halfback born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935 ; the trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player...
, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team. In 1936
1936 college football season
The 1936 college football season was the first in which the Associated Press writers' poll selected a national champion. The first AP poll, taken of 35 writers, was released on October 20, 1936...
, John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
died and the trophy was renamed in his honor. Larry Kelley
Larry Kelley
Lawrence Morgan "Larry" Kelley was an American football player born in Conneaut, Ohio. He played end, for Yale University. While at Yale he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Skull and Bones, and was the second winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1936, the year it was renamed in honor...
, the second winner of the award was the first man to win it officially named as the "Heisman Trophy."