Bob Fisher said after the game "In Bo McMillin Centre has a man who is probably the hardest in the country to stop.". That there were only 16 players on the squad further endeared them to the Eastern fans, as did the Colonels' halftime performance. Ward by Boston Public Library 2 B.C. Centre's improved line and secondary were key factors on defense, as was the excellent interference that the line provided on offense. In 1921 Bo McMillin-led Centre upset defending national champion Harvard 6 to 0 in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. George Trevor of the New York Sun has aptly remarked that the Centre-Harvard game was perhaps the most romantic chapter of America's gridiron annals. College football game between the and the, played on November 23, 1968. The entire town, plus the Governor of Kentucky and the Superintendent of Public Education, met the players at the station. Centre has college footballs biggest upset win ever 6-0 in 1921 over Harvard. It references the Joyce Collection's holdings of American college football game programs issued prior to 1940, … In Danville, Centre's win plunged people into joyous exuberance. "Hysteria, madness, insanity, none of these words do justice to the malady with which this town was stricken late this afternoon." The Colonels defeated Tulane 21-0 on Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans and Arizona State 38-0 on December 26 in San Diego. Location of Centre College Lat: 37.644974 Lng: -84.777356 This page can't load Google Maps correctly. All of those factors worked together in the team's success. If the players thought after looking at all that money that they had seen everything, however, they had yet to see the heights to which a frenzied Danville could aspire. Less dramatic accounts argue that Bo quit school at age 12 to support his family, and that Myers discovered him when he substituted for a missing player on his brother's football team. This year Bo had sent Gus King, a student, up to Harvard a week before the game in order to scalp tickets and bet the money on the game. 47 of 50. He Is The Great Effulgent Star." College Football Game Programs 1874-1939. Moran's qualifications were impressive: he had played college and professional football, had assisted at Carlisle when Jim Thorpe was playing there, and had coached Texas A&M. Without their knowledge and against their later protests, he went in search of a coach who could do the team justice. Centre posted the SIAA's best record and upset Harvard 6–0. Ed Kubale, who later coached the Colonels, replaced Weaver at the center position and proved to be an outstanding player. Latest on Georgetown Hoyas defensive back Zaire Webb including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN 156 votes, 71 comments. In the spring of 1921, the governor of Kentucky named him a Kentucky Colonel, and the students of Centre "promoted" him from Colonel to Carnival King. Aggies. The Danville Advocate, mourning that no worlds remained to be conquered, was even less restrained. As Marie watched from the team bench, Bo proceeded to play the worst game of his life, and the Aggies, inspired by the opportunity to slay a giant of their own, upset the Colonels 22-14. When play finally resumed after halftime, the break Centre had been waiting for came early in the third quarter. Gradually the determination to play and defeat the premier teams in the nation lapsed into dreams and memories. This game was voted Upset of the Half Century by the sportswriters in 1950, is currently ranked #2 on ESPN's all-time list, and it was Harvard's first … For a college to be the Harvard of anyplace, it does not necessarily need to be as selective in admissions as Harvard. The history of the 1921 Centre team was just as colorful and unbelievable as any fantasy or tall tale that has emerged as part of the lore surrounding the team. Centre beat Harvard 6-0 in the game, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Centre beat Harvard 6-0, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football … The Boston Post, trying to account for the public's fascination with the Colonels, argued that the Boston crowd supported Centre. And in the classroom, the lab, and the workplace, our faculty, students, and alumni continue to win honors all out of proportion to our small numbers. "In every nook and cranny of the universe where deeds of mighty men of Caucasian races are recited, its achievements are known," trumpeted the Louisville Herald. The 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game, played October 29, 1921, was a college football game between Centre College and Harvard University. he expounded in one letter to the team. Centre vs. Harvard As practically anyone who grew up in Kentucky knows, the Centre College football team defeated Harvard in 1921 by a score of six to nothing. After a scoreless half and early in the third quarter, Red Roberts told McMillin "it's time to score, ride my hump" and McMillin ran for a 32-yard touchdown. His performance at the Harvard game was so striking that the Kentucky Advocate of October 29, 1921, proudly reported that Roscoe's act "brought down the house." - Centre College action by Boston Public Library Harvard stadium: Stanford scores 3rd TD vs. Dartmouth to win 32-6 by Boston Public Library Harvard … The College students and the town of Danville were unsparing in their support for the team, and the players were ever conscious of their fans' loyalty and their coaches' wholehearted devotion. Norris Armstrong, the 1921 captain, attested that Bo never swore or drank. In any case, Myers took the boy under his wing, teaching him how to play football and telling him stories of a marvelous school in Kentucky named Centre College. Howard G. Reynolds, the sports editor of the Boston Post, made Centre famous in New England by running headlines in which he called Centre the "Mysterious Football Team of 1919." As Bo explained later, it had become apparent to the Colonels that they were in better shape than Harvard. God Bless Our Team, each and all of them.". The Centre players bet lavishly on themselves in Boston for both the 1920 and the 1921 games, and certainly they were calculating enough to dress unfashionably in order to get better odds. Bartlett missed the point after attempt, but the damage had already been done. Note: This page is a finding aid to materials in the Joyce Sports Research Collection in the Department of Special Collections, University Libraries of Notre Dame. Until its recent renovation, the C6-HO on the front of Old Centre was, though painted over, still visible; and buildings near the rail yard may still be found that bear the C6-HO mark. During the first half he had carried the ball for short gains only, calling other backs' signals in order to divert Harvard's attention from him. Bo, who admittedly financed his education by his gambling skills, was in every other respect a devout Catholic. Widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Hump was Centre College’s starting quarterback in the infamous October 29, 1921 college football game between Centre College vs. Harvard. Without losing speed he reversed direction sharply just as he was about to go out of bounds, thus losing his defenders. Players who tore their uniforms in a game realized that no new ones were forthcoming; the old ones would simply have to be repaired. Here, Lefty Whitnell announced the game, and George Swinebroad, a Centre cheerleader, led cheers. [8] [9] The star of that game, back Alvin "Bo" McMillin , was twice named a consensus All-American , in 1919 and 1921. Roscoe Arbuckle Conklin Breckinridge, Centre's African-American masseur and water carrier, was accustomed to dressing up and "cake walking" for the crowd at the intermission. The team's personnel was essentially the same as in 1920, though All-American Red Weaver, who had set a record of 99 consecutive extra point kicks, left Centre to take a high school coaching position. In 2006, ESPN named it the third-biggest upset in the 138-year history of college football. The older I get, and the more I see of other institutions, the better I appreciate Centre. Everywhere, plastered over every building, was the jubilant C6-HO, Centre's "poison formula" for victory. Its founding predates Emory University (GA), the next oldest proclaimed Harvard of the South by 200 years. Just as Moran had to refuse bids from the Polo Grounds, the University of Detroit, Yale and Princeton, and the Rose Bowl, so he had to decline Notre Dame's offer as well, for Centre had already scheduled several postseason games. Colonel George Chinn, a lineman for the team, remembered vividly that Moran brought a belt to practice and used it whenever and wherever he thought it was needed. College football of the early 20th Century didn’t look much like the game we know and love today, ... Centre College vs. Harvard, 1921. The team regularly prayed together before every game, and it was not at all unusual for the players to be so moved that they ran onto the field in tears. The Harvard Crimson of October 31, 1921, gave the following account of his performance: "Attired in tall silk hat with yellow vest, and just about three shades darker than any other colored man in Greater Boston, he looked like a Kentucky tobacco ad. Professor David Newhall noted in his 1994 commencement address at Centre that all the College's graduates put together would not come close to filling Rupp Arena. Even in defeat, the Post claimed, Centre "Shows Itself Truly The Magic Team ... Kentuckians get warmest welcome ever given any team on Crimson's field.". Centre beat Harvard 6-0, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football … It would not have been out of character for the Centre players deliberately to have dressed like boys from the country. There was even a cow running loose, painted green, with C6-HO on its side to proclaim the results of the game. It was a combination of good fortune, hard work, talented players, and inspired coaching that produced a team of championship caliber. The Lexington Herald contented itself with the observation that the Colonels were, in many respects, the greatest football team the world had ever known. ", In their team prayers, the players did not pray for victory; rather, they humbly asked that "we might fight like men to the last ditch, and live up to the traditions of Old Centre." On this day in 1921, Centre College defeated Harvard 6-0 in one of the greatest upsets in College Football History, C6H0 I know this is the Wildcat sub but I thought as Kentucky fans you'd all appreciate a story about a Kentucky school. Realizing that for Centre this was the game - and even the trip - of a lifetime, the crowd enthusiastically backed the Colonels every step of the way. From start to finish, the Kentuckians were a dream team, and New England hearts went out to them. In losing to the smallest college it had ever played, Harvard suffered its first intersectional defeat in four decades. For the general public, Centre's victory was a heroic act of almost metaphysical proportions: it was the triumph of a poor small group over a large rich one; it was the American dream come true; it was David over Goliath. Myers, who had returned to Centre to coach the team, realized that he was dealing with superior athletes. Ten thousand fans engulfed the Centre team and carried Bo off on their shoulders. ", Moreover, Moran and Myers were able to instill in the team the feeling that they were fighting for something larger than themselves: for each other and for the glory of Centre. In 1921 Bo McMillin-led Centre upset defending national champion Harvard 6 to 0 in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in college football history. Whether it’s meeting a professor for coffee and conversation, studying in China with our nationally acclaimed study abroad program, or interning at a law firm, Centre nurtures transformative relationships and prepares you to be … All around Danville students painted the "impossible formula" of C6H0. ESPN Classic counts down the greatest upsets in college football history. If students were not permitted to go, the town would not be able to muster the 125 passengers required to contract a special train for the trip. And yet. As in 1921, so today we remain a small group, dwarfed by larger neighbors. Hump was Centre College’s starting quarterback during the famous October 29, 1921 college football game between Centre College vs. Harvard. Even today, sharp-eyed observers can discover in Danville signs of that celebration. The 1921 Centre–Harvard game resulted in one of the most shocking upsets in college football, with the Colonels winning, 6–0. The faculty makes equal academic demands of all students. This episode originally aired in 2006. 1 Playing history 1.1 Centre College 1.2 Milwaukee Badgers 2 Coaching history 2.1 Centenary College 2.2 Carroll College … Held The Bridge, So Harvard's Mightiest Could Not Cross It - The Line, The Line, Drink Hardy, The Line! To the fans surprise, the team emerged from the train dressed not in suits and ties, but in blue flannel shirts and khaki trousers ("off the fancy stuff for fair," noted the Post). 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