CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1921 California

9–⁠0–⁠1 (4–⁠0 Pacific Coast Conference), coached by Andy Smith.

Schedule and results

California in 1921, game by game: won vs. Saint Mary’s (CA) 21–0; won vs. Olympic Club 14–0; won vs. Nevada 51–6; won vs. Pacific Fleet 21–10; won vs. Oregon 39–0; won vs. Washington State 14–0; won vs. USC 38–7; won vs. Washington 72–3; won at Stanford 42–7; tied vs. Washington & Jefferson 0–0+69Won 21–0 vs. Saint Mary’s (CA)+21Saint Mary’s (C…Won 14–0 vs. Olympic Club+14Olympic ClubWon 51–6 vs. Nevada+45NevadaWon 21–10 vs. Pacific Fleet+11Pacific FleetWon 39–0 vs. Oregon+39OregonWon 14–0 vs. Washington State+14Washington StateWon 38–7 vs. USC+31USCWon 72–3 vs. Washington+69WashingtonWon 42–7 at Stanford+35StanfordTied 0–0 vs. Washington & Jefferson0Washington & Je…
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 24vsSaint Mary’s (CA)W 21–⁠095%
Oct 1vsOlympic ClubW 14–⁠093%
Oct 8vsNevadaW 51–⁠673%
Oct 15vsPacific FleetW 21–⁠1095%
Oct 22vsOregonW 39–⁠077%
Oct 29vsWashington StateW 14–⁠069%
Nov 5vsUSCW 38–⁠795%
Nov 12vsWashingtonW 72–⁠384%
Nov 19atStanfordW 42–⁠779%
Jan 2Bowls & playoffvsWashington & JeffersonRose BowlT 0–⁠057%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Tied Washington & Jefferson 0–⁠0 in the Rose Bowl; Pacific Coast Conference champions.

In program history: The 8th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 112 on file).

Photographs from 1921

Photographs from the Library of Congress’s Prints & Photographs Division, with no known restrictions on publication. Captions as each collection catalogues them.

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1921.

National championsa title the school claims

Pacific Coast Conference champions4–⁠0 in the conference

2 consensus All-AmericansHarold Muller, E; Dan McMillan, OT

Record
9–⁠0–⁠1
Conference
4–⁠0 first in Pacific Coast Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
312–⁠33
Coach
Andy Smith
Elo
1707 +85 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
30.2 No. 4 of 102 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
George H. Latham
Offense
Short-punt

All-Pacific Coast

9 first team, 3 second team

First team

  • Charles F. ErbQBUP-1; GV-1
  • Crip ToomeyRBUP-1; GV-1
  • Archie NisbetFBUP-1; GV-1
  • Howard StephensEUP-1; GV-1
  • Robert A. BerkeyEUP-1; GV-2
  • Dan McMillanOTUP-1; GV-1
  • Stanley BarnesOTGV-1
  • Webster V. ClarkOGUP-1
  • Lee D. CranmerOGUP-1; GV-2

Second team

  • Donald NicholsRBGV-2
  • Duke MorrisonFBGV-2
  • George LathamCGV-2

From Wikipedia’s 1921 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1921 Pacific Coast Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
California4–⁠09–⁠0–⁠1
Washington State2–⁠1–⁠14–⁠2–⁠1
Stanford1–⁠1–⁠14–⁠2–⁠2
Oregon State1–⁠2–⁠14–⁠3–⁠2
Oregon0–⁠1–⁠25–⁠1–⁠3
Washington0–⁠3–⁠13–⁠4–⁠1

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.