1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football
National champion (Boand, CFRA, Helms, Davis) Co-national champion (QPRS, NCF, Sagarin-ELO) Big Ten co-champion
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	8–0 (5–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Robert Zuppke (11th season)
Offensive scheme	Single-wing
Captain	Jim McMillen
Home stadium	Illinois Field Memorial Stadium
Uniform

1923 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Illinois +	5	–	0	–	0			8	–	0	–	0
Michigan +	4	–	0	–	0			8	–	0	–	0
Chicago	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
Minnesota	2	–	1	–	1			5	–	1	–	1
Iowa	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Indiana	2	–	2	–	0			3	–	4	–	0
Wisconsin	1	–	3	–	1			3	–	3	–	1
Ohio State	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	4	–	1
Purdue	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	5	–	1
Northwestern	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football squad representing the University of Illinois in the 1923 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 11th season under head coach Robert Zuppke, the Fighting Illini compiled an 8–0 record (5–0 against Big Ten Conference opponents), tied with Michigan for the Big Ten championship, shut out five of eight opponents, and outscored their opponents by a total of 136 to 20.^[1]

There was no contemporaneous system in 1923 for determining a national champion. However, Illinois was retroactively named as the national champion by the Boand System, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, and Parke H. Davis, and as a co-national champion by the Berryman QPRS system, National Championship Foundation, and Jeff Sagarin (using the ELO-Chess methodology).^[2]

Sophomore left halfback Red Grange put up 196 yards on 21 carries in the season opener, launching his legendary collegiate career with a flourish.^[3] For the year Grange "The Galloping Ghost" tallied 723 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns in seven games. In 2008, Grange was named by ESPN as the best college football player of all time. He was also a charter member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Grange and Guard Jim McMillen were consensus first-team picks on the 1923 All-America college football team.^[4] McMillen was also the team captain.^[5]

This was the first season for the Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium, where the team plays their home games to this day.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 6	Nebraska*	Illinois Field Champaign, IL	W 24–7		[6][3]
October 13	Butler*	Illinois Field Champaign, IL	W 21–7		[7]
October 20	at Iowa	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA	W 9–6	25,000	[8]
October 27	vs. Northwestern	Cubs Park Chicago, IL (rivalry)	W 29–0	32,000	[9]
November 3	Chicago	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	W 7–0	61,000	[10]
November 10	Wisconsin	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	W 10–0	30,000	[11]
November 17	Mississippi A&M*	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	W 27–0	25,000	[12]
November 24	at Ohio State	Ohio Stadium Columbus, Ohio (rivalry)	W 9–0	42,000	[13][14]
*Non-conference game

Roster

The 1923 Illinois squad, official team picture.

Player	Position	Class	Hometown
Steve Coutchie	Quarterback	Senior	Harvey, Illinois
Harry 'Swede' Hall	Quarterback	Senior	Chicago, Illinois
Red Grange	Halfback	Senior	Wheaton, Illinois
Wally McIlwain	Wingback/Halfback	Sophomore	Evanston, Illinois
Earl Britton	Fullback/Placekicker/Punter	Sophomore	Elgin, Illinois
Bill Hansen	Fullback	Junior	Brookston, Indiana
Heinie Schultz	End	Junior	Geneseo, Illinois
Ted Richards	End	Junior	Glencoe, Illinois
Frank Edward Rokusek	End	Senior	Omaha, Nebraska
Clarence Arthur Muhl	End	Senior	Oskaloosa, Iowa
Gilbert Jay Roberts	Center	Senior	Oskaloosa, Iowa
Vee Green	Center	Senior	Waukegan, Illinois
Roy Andrew Miller	Tackle	Sophomore	Urbana, Illinois
Chuck Addison Brown	Tackle	Sophomore	Cissna Park, Illinois
Richard 'Dick' Hall	Tackle	Senior	Logansport, Indiana
John Mauer	Tackle	Sophomore	Batavia, Illinois
Bunny Oakes	Tackle	Senior	Maywood, Illinois
Mush Crawford	Tackle	Sophomore	Waukegan, Illinois
Jim McMillen	Right Guard	Senior	Grayslake, Illinois
Louis Frederick Slimmer	Guard	Senior	Millville, New Jersey
Leonard J. Umnus	Guard	Junior	Menominee, Michigan

• Head coach: Robert Zuppke (11th year at Illinois)

Awards and honors

The following Illinois players received honors on the 1923 All-America college football team and/or the 1923 All-Big Ten Conference football team:

• Halfback Red Grange

• Consensus first-team All-American^[4]
• First-team All-Big Ten selection by Norman E. Brown and Walter Eckersall

• Guard Jim McMillen

• Consensus first-team All-American^[4]
• First-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and Eckersall

• End Frank Rokusek

• Second-team All-American selected by Lawrence Perry^[15]
• Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and Eckersall

• Quarterback Harry A. Hall

• Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Eckersall

• Fullback Earl Britton

• Second-team All-Big Ten selection by Brown and third-team selection by Eckersall

References

1. "1923 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". S/R College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
2. 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. pp. 112–114. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
3. Joe Attor, "Green Illini Score 24–7 Victory Over Huskers in Opener: Grange, McIlwain Run Ball Down Field; Britton's Kicks Feature," Illinois Daily Illini, Oct. 7, 1923, pp. 1–2.
4. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 6. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
5. "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 156. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
6. "Illini Routs Nebraska, 24-7: Harold Grange Leads Triumph of 'Zup's' Men; Brilliant Halfback Scores 3 Touchdowns and Makes Longest Run". Decatur Herald. October 7, 1923. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Illini Trim Butler: Orange Comes From Behind for 21-7 Win". Decatur Herald. October 14, 1923. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Sec Taylor (October 21, 1923). "Illinois Beats Iowa, 9 to 6: Grange Plays Havoc During Final Period". The Des Moines Register. p. Sports 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Walter Eckersall (October 28, 1923). "Illini and Maroons Gridiron Victors: Zuppke's Eleven Smashes Purple by 29-0 Margin". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Irving Vaughan (November 4, 1923). "Illinois Conquers Chicago, 7-0: Grange Speed, Line Punches Daze Maroons". Chicago Sunday Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Illinois Continues Its Triumphal Championship March by Defeating Wisconsin, 10-0 Badgers Helpless". The Eau Claire (WI) Leader. November 11, 1923. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Illini Trounce Mississippi by Topheavy Score: Grange Sits on Sidelines and Watches Mates Win, 27 to 0". Decatur Herald. November 18, 1923. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Illini and Michigan Title Tie: Zupmen Down Ohio for Clean Record, 9 to 0; Grange's Dashes in Final Quarter Win". Chicago Sunday Tribune. November 25, 1923. p. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Ohio State Loses 9 to 0 in Plucky Fight with Ill.; Grange and Workman Star". The Coshocton Tribune. November 25, 1923. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Lawrence Perry (December 16, 1923). "Cornell and Michigan Get Two Places on Perry Eleven, One for Syracuse: Famed Gridiron Expert Rates Pfann, Sundstrom and MacRae Among Best". Syracuse Herald.