1931 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1931 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1931 college football season. In their third season under head coach Jim Crowley, the Spartans compiled a 5–3–1 record and played to a scoreless tie in their annual rivalry game with Michigan. In inter-sectional play, the team defeated Georgetown (6-0) and lost to Army (20-7) and Syracuse (15-7). In one of the most one-sided games in Michigan State history, the Spartans also defeated Ripon College on November 7, 1931, by a 100 to 0 score.[1][2]

1931 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–3–1
Head coach
MVPAbe Eliowitz
CaptainMilton C. Gross
Home stadiumCollege Field
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

Quarterback Bob Monnett was selected by the Central Press Association as a first-team player on the 1931 College Football All-America Team.[3]

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 26AlmaW 74–0
October 3Cornell (IA)
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 47–0
October 10at ArmyL 7–20
October 17Illinois Wesleyan
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 34–6
October 24Georgetown
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 6–0
October 31Syracuse 
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
L 10–1515,000
November 7Ripon
  • College Field
  • East Lansing, MI
W 100–0
November 14at MichiganT 0–035,844
November 21at DetroitL 13–2019,000[4]
  •  Homecoming

Game summaries edit

Michigan edit

Week 7: Michigan State at Michigan
1 234Total
Michigan State 0 000 0
Michigan 0 000 0

On November 14, 1931, the Spartans played the Michigan Wolverines to a scoreless tie at Michigan Stadium.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "2017 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 142, 148. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "1931 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ Bitt, Bill (December 9, 1931). "Real 1931 All-American Team Selected by College Captains". The Evening Independent (Massillon, Ohio).
  4. ^ W. W. Edgar (November 22, 1931). "Titans Wear Down Iron Men and Win". Detroit Free Press. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Charles Bartlett (November 15, 1931). "Michigan State and Michigan Play 0 to 0 Tie". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.