1931 Wisconsin Badgers football team

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	Glenn Thistlethwaite (5th season)
MVP	Harold Smith
Captain	Harold Smith
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Seasons ← 1930 1932 →

1931 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
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
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from Dickinson System

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

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 3	Bradley*	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	W 33–6	21,000	^[11]
October 3	North Dakota Agricultural*	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	W 12–7	21,000	^[12]
October 10	Auburn*	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	T 7–7		^[13]
October 17	Purdue	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	W 21–14	30,000	^[14]
October 24	at Penn*	Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA	L 13–27	65,000	^[15]
October 31	at Minnesota	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)	L 0–14	52,000	^[16]
November 7	at Illinois	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	W 7–6		^[17]
November 14	Ohio State	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	L 0–6	35,000	^[18]
November 21	at Chicago	Stagg Field Chicago, IL	W 12–7		^[19]
November 28	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	L 0–16	9,190	^[20]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "1931 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. March 14, 2017.
2. (PDF). University of Wisconsin. 2016. pp. 212, 218. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
3. "All Sections of Country Represented on Team; National Honors Given 1931 Grid Star". Reno Evening Gazette. December 5, 1931.
4. Bitt, Bill (December 9, 1931). "Real 1931 All-American Team Selected by College Captains". The Evening Independent (Massillon, Ohio).
5. Paul Mickelson (November 24, 1931). "Northwestern Places Five Players on Two All-Western Elevens". The Independent, St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP story). p. 4A.
6. Claire M. Burcky (December 13, 1931). "Captains Pick Outstanding Players". The Sunday Spartanburg Herald-Journal. p. 32.
7. 2016 Fact Book, p. 181.
8. 2016 Fact Book, p. 185.
9. 2016 Fact Book, p. 280.
10. 2016 Fact Book, p. 258.
11. "Bradley is swamped by 33–6 score". The Capital Times. October 4, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Badgers nip N. Dakota State, 12–7". The Capital Times. October 4, 1931. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Badgers held to 7–7 deadlock". The Wisconsin State Journal. October 11, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Inspired Wisconsin eleven upsets Purdue, 21–14". Star Tribune. October 18, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Penn unleashes great power to turn back Wisconsin, 27–13". Allentown Morning Call. October 25, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Gophers trim Wisconsin". The Des Moines Register. November 1, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Badgers take Illini to ride". The State. November 8, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Blocked punt gives Buckeyes winning margin over Badgers". The La Crosse Tribune. November 15, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Badgers given scare". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 22, 1931. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
20. 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.