The 1931 Wisconsin Badgers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1931 Big Ten Conference football season. The team compiled a 5–4–1 record (3–3 against conference opponents), finished in sixth place in the Big Ten Conference, and was outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 110 to 104. Glenn Thistlethwaite was in his fifth and final year as Wisconsin's head coach.[1][2]
| 1931 Wisconsin Badgers football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 5–4–1 (3–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| MVP | Harold Smith |
| Captain | Harold Smith |
| Home stadium | Camp Randall Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Purdue + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Northwestern + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Guard Greg Kabat was selected by the Associated Press (AP) and Central Press (CP) as a third-team player on the 1931 College Football All-America Team,[3][4] and by the AP and the Big Ten team captains as a first-team player on the 1931 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[5][6]
Tackle Harold Smith was selected as the team's most valuable player.[7] Smith was also the team captain.[8]
The team played its home games at Camp Randall Stadium, which had a capacity of 38,293.[9] During the 1931 season, the average attendance at home games was 15,068.[10]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | Bradley* | W 33–6 | 21,000 | [11] | |
| October 3 | North Dakota Agricultural* |
| W 12–7 | 21,000 | [12] |
| October 10 | Auburn* |
| T 7–7 | [13] | |
| October 17 | Purdue |
| W 21–14 | 30,000 | [14] |
| October 24 | at Penn* | L 13–27 | 65,000 | [15] | |
| October 31 | at Minnesota | L 0–14 | 52,000 | [16] | |
| November 7 | at Illinois | W 7–6 | [17] | ||
| November 14 | Ohio State |
| L 0–6 | 35,000 | [18] |
| November 21 | at Chicago | W 12–7 | [19] | ||
| November 28 | at Michigan | L 0–16 | 9,190 | [20] | |
| |||||
References
edit- ^ "1931 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. March 14, 2017.
- ^ "Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book" (PDF). University of Wisconsin. 2016. pp. 212, 218. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
- ^ "All Sections of Country Represented on Team; National Honors Given 1931 Grid Star". Reno Evening Gazette. December 5, 1931.
- ^ Bitt, Bill (December 9, 1931). "Real 1931 All-American Team Selected by College Captains". The Evening Independent (Massillon, Ohio).
- ^ Paul Mickelson (November 24, 1931). "Northwestern Places Five Players on Two All-Western Elevens". The Independent, St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP story). p. 4A.
- ^ Claire M. Burcky (December 13, 1931). "Captains Pick Outstanding Players". The Sunday Spartanburg Herald-Journal. p. 32.
- ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 181.
- ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 185.
- ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 280.
- ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 258.
- ^ "Bradley is swamped by 33–6 score". The Capital Times. October 4, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Badgers nip N. Dakota State, 12–7". The Capital Times. October 4, 1931. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Badgers held to 7–7 deadlock". The Wisconsin State Journal. October 11, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Inspired Wisconsin eleven upsets Purdue, 21–14". Star Tribune. October 18, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Penn unleashes great power to turn back Wisconsin, 27–13". Allentown Morning Call. October 25, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gophers trim Wisconsin". The Des Moines Register. November 1, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Badgers take Illini to ride". The State. November 8, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Blocked punt gives Buckeyes winning margin over Badgers". The La Crosse Tribune. November 15, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Badgers given scare". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 22, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Harvey Woodruff (November 29, 1931). "Michigan's 2d Half Attack Beats Wisconsin, 16-0: Hewitt, Hudson Break Through To Touchdowns; Latter Drop Kicks 38 Yards". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.