1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–2–1
Head coach
CaptainTommy Yarr
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
Seasons
← 1930
1932 →
1931 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Wilberforce   –   8 – 0 – 0
Marquette   –   8 – 1 – 0
Saint Louis   –   8 – 1 – 0
Detroit   –   7 – 2 – 1
Western State Teachers (MI)   –   5 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Notre Dame   –   6 – 2 – 1
DePaul   –   6 – 3 – 0
Michigan State   –   5 – 3 – 1
Haskell   –   6 – 4 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   3 – 2 – 1
Central State (MI)   –   4 – 3 – 0
John Carroll   –   4 – 4 – 2
Wittenberg   –   3 – 3 – 3
Kent State   –   3 – 4 – 0
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1931 college football season, led by first-year head coach Hunk Anderson.

Following the death of head coach Knute Rockne in a plane crash on March 31,[1][2][3] line coach Anderson was promoted on April 10.[4][5][6]

Notre Dame entered the season on a 19-game winning streak and opened with a road win, but then had a scoreless tie with Northwestern in the second game, played at Soldier Field in Chicago.[7] Five straight wins followed and the unbeaten string extended to 26 games, until visiting USC won by two points;[8] the Trojans were the last team to defeat Notre Dame, three years earlier in 1928.[9] The next week, Army shut out the Irish 12–0 at Yankee Stadium to conclude the season.[10]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 3at Indiana
W 25–012,098–18,000[11]
October 10vs. Northwestern
T 0–065,000[7]
October 17Drake
W 63–023,835[12]
October 24Pittsburgh
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 25–1237,394–42,000[13]
October 31at Carnegie Tech
W 19–042,271[14]
November 7Penn
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
W 49–039,173
November 14vs. Navy
W 20–056,861
November 21USC
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
L 14–1650,731[15][8][9]
November 28vs. Army
L 0–1278,559[10]

[16]

References

  1. ^ "Report Knute Rockne killed in plane crash". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 31, 1931. p. 1.
  2. ^ "Rockne's tragic death". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 1, 1931. p. 1A.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Sorrow shrouds Notre Dame faculty and students with passing of Knute Rockne". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. April 1, 1931. p. 16.
  4. ^ "'Hunk' Anderson named Notre Dame coach". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 11, 1931. p. 23.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Anderson named Rockne successor for year". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. April 11, 1931. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Hunk Anderson lacking wizardry of psychology, but is man of action". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 12, 1931. p. 3C.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ a b McIntyre, Ronald (October 11, 1931). "Wildcats and Irish engage in punt duel". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1C.
  8. ^ a b McIntyre, Ronald (November 22, 1931). "Trojans halt Irish victory march". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1C.
  9. ^ a b Smith, Chester L. (November 22, 1931). "Notre Dame loses to U.S.C., 16-14, in breath-taking tilt". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1.
  10. ^ a b Gould, Alan (November 29, 1931). "Army whips Irish grid eleven, 12-0, in surprise upset". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1C.
  11. ^ "Notre Dame shows usual power in running over Indiana, 25–0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 4, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Irish run wild and win, 63 to 0". The Atlanta Constitution. October 18, 1931. Retrieved June 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Ledden, Jack (October 25, 1931). "42,000 Watch Schwartz Put Enemy To Rout". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Smith, Chester L. (November 1, 1931). "52,000 see Notre Dame beat Tech". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1.
  15. ^ Braven Dyer (November 22, 1931). "Stirring Trojan Rally Upsets Irish, 16 to 14". The Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.


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