1928 Detroit Titans football team

1928 Detroit Titans football
Co-national champion (Davis)
Conference	Independent
Record	9–0
Head coach	Gus Dorais (4th season)
Captain	Tom Connell
Home stadium	Dinan Field

1928 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Detroit			–					9	–	0	–	0
Butler			–					6	–	2	–	0
John Carroll			–					6	–	3	–	0
Kent State			–					4	–	2	–	2
Marquette			–					5	–	3	–	1
Ball Teachers			–					3	–	2	–	2
Notre Dame			–					5	–	4	–	0
DePaul			–					4	–	4	–	1
Haskell			–					5	–	5	–	0
Michigan Tech			–					2	–	2	–	1
Saint Louis			–					4	–	4	–	1
Wabash			–					4	–	4	–	1
Loyola (IL)			–					4	–	4	–	0
Lombard			–					3	–	4	–	1
Michigan State			–					3	–	4	–	1
Detroit City College			–					2	–	5	–	1
Valparaiso			–					1	–	6	–	0

The 1928 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the 1928 college football season. Detroit shut out seven of its nine opponents, outscored opponents by a combined total of 267 to 27, and finished with a perfect 9–0 record in their fourth year under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Gus Dorais. The team has been recognized as a co-national champion of 1928 by Parke H. Davis.^[1][2][3] Significant games included victories over Tulsa (19–14), Louisville (46–0), Michigan State (39–0), and Fordham (19–0).^[4][5]

The team was led by halfback Lloyd Brazil who was selected by Grantland Rice as the first-team utility back on the 1928 College Football All-America Team.^[6] During the 1928 season, Brazil set a new NCAA major college record with 997 passing yards.^[7] In 1929, he led the NCAA major colleges with 1,117 rushing yards and also led in total offense.^[8]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	DePaul	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 39–0		[9]
October 6	at Tulsa	McNulty Park Tulsa, OK	W 19–14		[10]
October 13	Louisville	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 46–0		[11]
October 20	Loyola (LA)	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 27–0		[12]
October 27	at Dayton	Dayton, OH	W 7–0	5,000	[13]
November 3	Saint Louis	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 38–0		[14]
November 10	Michigan State	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 39–0		[15]
November 17	at Fordham	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 7–0	5,000	[16]
December 1	Georgetown	Dinan Field Detroit, MI	W 33–13	30,000	[17]

Season summary

DePaul

On September 29, 1928, the Titans opened their season by defeating DePaul, 39–0, at Dinan Field in Detroit.^[18]

At Tulsa

On October 6, 1928, the Titans defeated Tulsa, 19–14, in 90 degree heat with high humidity in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[19]

Louisville

On October 13, 1928, the Titans defeated Louisville, 46–0, at Dinan Field.^[20]

Loyola

On October 20, 1928, the Titans defeated the Loyola Wolf Pack, 27–0, at Dinan Field.^[21]

At Dayton

On October 27, 1928, the Titans defeated Dayton, 7–0, in a game played in Dayton, Ohio. Tom Connell scored the game's only touchdown in the first quarter.^[22]

St. Louis

On November 3, 1928, the Titans defeated Saint Louis, 38–0, at Dinan Field.^[23]

Michigan State

On November 10, 1928, the Titans defeated Harry Kipke's Michigan State Spartans, 39–0, at Dinan Field in Detroit. Lloyd Brazil scored two touchdowns in the game.^[15]

At Fordham

On November 17, 1928, the Titans defeated Fordham, 19–0, before a small crowd at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Tom Connell scored three touchdowns and kicked an extra point, accounting for all 19 Detroit points.^[24][25][26]

Georgetown

On December 1, 1928, the Titans defeated Georgetown, 33–13, before a record crowd of 30,000 at Dinan Field in Detroit. The victor capped an undefeated season. The Detroit players carried Lloyd Brazil and Tom Connell off the field in celebration of the victory.^[17]

Players

Line

Player	Position
Anderson	tackle
Buckman	guard
Nate Goodnow	end
Hart	tackle
Kendry	guard
Merril Lardner	center
Long	guard/tackle
Ed Maloney
Chuck Masacek	guard
Massucci	tackle
Navin	end
O'Halleran	guard
Benny Phelan	end
Ruhlin	tackle/guard
Ryan	tackle
Young	end

Backfield

Player	Position	Hometown
Lloyd Brazil	left halfback	Flint, Michigan
Burns	halfback
Tom Connell	right halfback	Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Maley	quarterback
Billy Storen	reserve halfback
Les Vachon	quarterback
Jerry White	fullback
Zettel	halfback

References

1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
2. "2013 Will Be A Season To Remember In Motown". University of Detroit Mercy Athletics. June 7, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
3. "Remembering the 1953 Missouri Valley Conference Champion Detroit Titans". University of Detroit Mercy Athletics. December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
4. "1928 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
5. "Detroit Yearly Results (1925-1929)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
6. Associated Press, "Six From East On Rice's Team," Milwaukee Sentinel, p. S1 (December 14, 1928). Retrieved July 22, 2010.
7. "Progression of Player Game-Season-Career Statistical Leaders from the Pre-1937 era of College Football" (PDF). From the book: Stars of an Earlier Autumn Tex Noel/1st-N-Goal ©2007 PressBoxPublications.
8. "Archived copy" (PDF). library.la84.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
9. "Aerial Plays and Runs Enable Detroit University To Beat DePaul, 39 to 0". Detroit Free Press. September 30, 1928. p. II-1, II-16 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "University of Detroit Defeats Tulsa In Sweltering Heat By 19 to 14 Score: Doraismen Win In Last Period". Detroit Free Press. October 7, 1928. pp. 18, 22.
11. W. W. Edgar (October 14, 1928). "Second Period Onslaught Enables Titans To Crush Louisville, 46 to 0: Attack Shatters Southerners' Line". Detroit Free Press. pp. 19, 22 – via Newspapers.com.
12. W. W. Edgar (October 21, 1928). "Varied attack of University of Detroit brings defeat to Loyola, 27 to 0". Detroit Free Press. p. 39. Retrieved April 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Carl Finke (October 28, 1928). "Detroit Beats Dayton 7-0". Dayton Daily News. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
14. W. W. Edgar (November 4, 1928). "University of Detroit Starts Late But Beats St. Louis Eleven, 38 to 0". Detroit Free Press. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
15. W. W. Edgar (November 11, 1928). "Three Long Runs Help University of Detroit To Vanquish Michigan State, 39-0: Spartans Helpless Before Dorais Men". Detroit Free Press. p. 19.
16. Noel Busch (November 18, 1928). "Fordham Flivvers To Detroit, 19-0". New York Daily News. p. 74 – via Newspapers.com.
17. W. W. Edgar (December 2, 1928). "U. of D. Defeats Georgetown in Season Finale, 33 to 13: Third Period Rush by Titans Crushes Hilltopper Eleven". Detroit Free Press. p. 18.
18. W. W. Edgar (September 30, 1928). "Aerial Plays and Runs Enable Detroit University To Defeat DePaul, 39 to 0: Titans Easily Cut Weak Chicago Line". Detroit Free Press. p. 15.
19. "University of Detroit Defeats Tulsa In Sweltering Heat By 19 to 14 Score: Doraismen Win In Last Period". Detroit Free Press. October 7, 1928. p. 18.
20. W. W. Edgar (October 14, 1928). "Second Period Onslaught Enables Titans To Crush Louisville, 46 to 0: Attack Shatters Southerners' Line". Detroit Free Press. p. 22.
21. W. W. Edgar (October 21, 1928). "Varied Attack of University of Detroit Brings Defeat To Loyola, 27 to 0: Titans' Offense Surprises Wolves". Detroit Free Press. p. 39.
22. W. W. Edgar (October 28, 1928). "Touchdown In First Period Enables Titans To Defeat Dayton Team, 7 to 0: Connell Gives Dorais Eleven Single Count". Detroit Free Press. p. 19.
23. W. W. Edgar (November 4, 1928). "University of Detroit Starts Late But Beats St. Louis Eleven, 38 to 0: Dorais Team Wins in Form Reversal". Detroit Free Press. p. 19.
24. W. W. Edgar (November 18, 1928). "Connell Scores Three Touchdowns, As Detroit Beats Fordham Team, 19-0: Varied Attack of Titan Team Dazzles Enemy (part 1)". Detroit Free Press. p. 21.
25. W. W. Edgar (November 18, 1928). "Connell Scores Three Touchdowns, As Detroit Beats Fordham Team, 19-0: Varied Attack of Titan Team Dazzles Enemy (part 2)". Detroit Free Press. p. 26.
26. "Fordham Loses to the University of Detroit Eleven by 19-0 at Polo Grounds". The New York Times. November 18, 1928.

External links

• Video of 1928 Detroit Titans team banquet