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1928 Minnesota

6–⁠2 (4–⁠2 Western Conference), coached by Clarence Spears.

Schedule and results

Minnesota in 1928, game by game: won vs. Creighton 49–0; won vs. Purdue 15–0; won vs. Chicago 33–7; lost at Iowa 6–7; lost at Northwestern 9–10; won vs. Indiana 21–12; won vs. Haskell 52–0; won at Wisconsin 6–0+52−1Won 49–0 vs. Creighton+49CreightonWon 15–0 vs. Purdue+15PurdueWon 33–7 vs. Chicago+26ChicagoLost 6–7 at Iowa-1IowaLost 9–10 at Northwestern-1NorthwesternWon 21–12 vs. Indiana+9IndianaWon 52–0 vs. Haskell+52HaskellWon 6–0 at Wisconsin+6Wisconsin
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Oct 6vsCreightonW 49–⁠080%
Oct 13vsPurdueW 15–⁠065%
Oct 20vsChicagoW 33–⁠779%
Oct 27atIowaL 6–⁠759%
Nov 3atNorthwesternL 9–⁠1062%
Nov 10vsIndianaW 21–⁠1276%
Nov 17vsHaskellW 52–⁠093%
Nov 24atWisconsinW 6–⁠044%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Wisconsin 6–⁠0; 3rd in the Western Conference.

In program history: The 22nd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 135 on file).

Photographs from 1928

  • Bob Tanner
    Bob TannerPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America
  • Newcomers Who Threaten Gopher Veterans Positions
    Newcomers Who Threaten Gopher Veterans PositionsPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America
  • Oscar Munson
    Oscar MunsonPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America
  • Kenneth Haycraft
    Kenneth HaycraftPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America
  • George Langenberg
    George LangenbergPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America
  • Lloyd Westin
    Lloyd WestinPhoto: Hennepin County Library, No Copyright – United States, via Digital Public Library of America

Photographs from libraries and archives found through the Digital Public Library of America, each under the rights statement its holder gives (no copyright in the United States, public domain or Creative Commons) and credited to it. 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 1928.

Record
6–⁠2
Conference
4–⁠2 3rd in Western Conference
AP poll
Began in 1936
Points
191–⁠36
Coach
Clarence Spears
Elo
1661 +65 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
17.8 No. 10 of 100 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Captain
George Gibson

All-Big Ten

3 first team, 1 second team

First team

  • Ken HaycraftEAP-1; UP-1; WE-1
  • George GibsonOGAP-1; UP-1; WE-1
  • Frederick L. HovdeQBAP-1; UP-1; WE-1

Second team

  • Bob TannerEAP-2; WE-2

From Wikipedia’s 1928 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1928 Western Conference standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Illinois4–⁠17–⁠1
Wisconsin3–⁠1–⁠17–⁠1–⁠1
Minnesota4–⁠26–⁠2
Iowa3–⁠26–⁠2
Ohio State3–⁠25–⁠2–⁠1
Purdue2–⁠2–⁠15–⁠2–⁠1
Northwestern2–⁠35–⁠3
Michigan2–⁠33–⁠4–⁠1
Indiana2–⁠44–⁠4
Chicago0–⁠52–⁠7

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