1921 Centre Praying Colonels football team

1921 Centre Praying Colonels football
Southern champion
SIAA co-champion
East-West Christmas Classic champion
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record10–1 (5–0 SIAA)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
CaptainNorris Armstrong
Home stadiumCheek Field
Uniform
Seasons
← 1920
1922 →
1921 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Centre + 5 0 0 10 1 0
Georgia + 6 0 1 7 2 1
Georgia Tech + 5 0 0 8 1 0
Vanderbilt + 5 0 1 7 0 1
Tennessee 4 1 1 6 2 1
Florida 4 1 2 6 3 2
Mississippi College 3 1 1 7 2 1
Sewanee 4 2 0 6 2 0
Transylvania 2 1 0 4 4 0
LSU 2 1 1 6 1 1
South Carolina 2 1 1 5 1 2
Furman 4 2 1 7 2 1
Auburn 3 2 0 5 3 0
Mississippi A&M 2 3 1 4 4 1
Tulane 3 4 0 4 6 0
Alabama 2 4 2 5 4 2
Oglethorpe 2 4 0 5 4 0
Chattanooga 2 4 0 4 6 0
The Citadel 1 2 1 3 3 2
Kentucky 1 3 1 4 3 1
Ole Miss 1 4 0 3 6 0
Howard (AL) 1 4 0 3 6 0
Mercer 1 5 0 3 6 0
Louisville 0 1 0 2 2 1
Wofford 0 2 0 2 7 0
Georgetown (KY) 0 3 0 2 6 0
Millsaps 0 3 0 1 5 1
Clemson 0 5 2 1 6 2
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1921 Centre Praying Colonels football team represented Centre College of Danville, Kentucky, in the 1921 college football season. Led by coach Charley Moran, the Praying Colonels compiled a 10–1 record, scoring 334 points while allowing 28 points (282 and 6 in regular season play).

The Colonels' victory in its game versus Harvard is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in college football history.[1][2] Centre also played in two postseason bowl games after the season. The Colonels defeated Arizona 38–0 in the San Diego East-West Christmas Classic before losing to Texas A&M in an upset at the Dixie Classic (a precursor to the modern Cotton Bowl Classic), the game which originated the Aggies' "12th Man" tradition.

The Colonels' team captain was Norris Armstrong.

Several centre players received postseason recognition. End Red Roberts was a first-team Walter Camp All-America selection, a rarity for a player in the South, and quarterback Bo McMillin made Camp's second team and was recognized as a consensus All-American. McMillin was an inaugural inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.

  1. ^ Hal Morris (June 26, 2006). "ESPN ranks 1921 Centre-Harvard game among college football's greatest upsets". Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "C6-H0 plays a prominent part in nation's sports lexicon". centre.edu. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2016.