1920 Montana Grizzlies football team

The 1920 Montana Grizzlies football team was an American football team that represented the University of Montana as an independent during the 1920 college football season. In their second of three seasons under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Grizzlies compiled a 4–3 record and outscored opponents by a total of 227 to 92.^[1][2] The highlights of the season were a 133–0 victory over Mount St. Charles in the first game of the season (the largest margin of victory by any team during the 1920 college football season); an 18–14 victory over Washington at Seattle on October 16; and a victory over rival Montana State on November 13.^[3] Tackle Swede Dalberg was the team captain.^[4]

1920 Montana Grizzlies football
Conference	Independent
Record	4–3
Head coach	Bernie Bierman (2nd season)
Captain	Swede Dalberg
Home stadium	Dornblaser Field
Seasons ← 1919 1921 →

1920 Western college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Nevada			–					7	–	3	–	1
USC			–					6	–	0	–	0
Arizona			–					6	–	1	–	0
Hawaii			–					6	–	2	–	0
New Mexico A&M			–					5	–	1	–	1
Santa Clara			–					5	–	1	–	0
Idaho			–					4	–	2	–	0
Gonzaga			–					4	–	3	–	0
Montana			–					4	–	3	–	0
Chico State			–					3	–	3	–	0
New Mexico			–					3	–	3	–	0
University Farm			–					3	–	4	–	0
Pacific (CA)			–					1	–	2	–	1
Saint Mary's			–					0	–	3	–	0

Coach Bierman was 26 years old during the 1920 season. He went on to coach the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team from 1932 to 1950 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.^[5]

The team played its home games at Dornblaser Field in Missoula, Montana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 9	Mount St. Charles	Dornblaser Field Missoula, MT	W 133–0
October 16	at Washington	Denny Field Seattle, WA	W 18–14	2,400
October 23	Montana Wesleyan	Dornblaser Field Missoula, MT	W 34–14
October 30	at Washington State	Rogers Field Pullman, WA	L 0–31	5,000
November 6	at Whitman	Walla Walla, WA	L 7–13
November 13	Montana State	Dornblaser Field Missoula, MT (rivalry)	W 28–0
November 20	Idaho	Dornblaser Field Missoula, MT (rivalry)	L 7–20		^[6]^[7]^[8]

Players

The following players participated on the 1920 Montana football team:^[9] Asterisks identify the 18 players who received varsity letters.^[10]

• Harry Adams (*) - halfback and quarterback
• Tick Baird (*) - halfback
• Barry (*)
• Dwight Carver (*) - end
• Swede DaHlberg (*) - tackle and captain
• Cubs Daylis (*) - end
• Frog de Mers (*) - guard
• Jim Dorsey (*) - end
• Jelly Elliott (*) - guard
• Eugene Finch
• Paul Freeman (*) - center
• Jimmy Harris (*) - guard and halfback
• Larry Higbee (*) - halfback
• Bullet Joe Kershner (*) - fullback
• Lloyd Madsen (*) - end
• McGowan (*)
• Jimmy Morris
• Gil Porter - quarterback
• Ramsey (*)
• Steve Sullivan (*) - back
• Bill Walterskirchen (*) - center

References

1. 2010 Montana Football Media Guide 2012-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, University of Montana, 2010.
2. The Sentinel 1921, pp. 49-64.
3. The Sentinel 1921, pp. 52, 54, 56-60.
4. The Sentinel 1921, pp. 50-51.
5. "Bernie Bierman". National Football Foundation. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
6. "Gonzaga and Idaho elevens face hard fight Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 26, 1920. p. 23.
7. "Gonzaga holds Idaho as warm fight opens". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 27, 1920. p. 6.
8. McPhee, R.G. (November 29, 1920). "Gonzaga fights hard but Idaho wins victory". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
9. The Sentinel 1921, pp. 50-64.
10. The Sentinel 1921, p. 62.