The 1920 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the

Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...

of the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

during the 1920 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Bulldogs had an 8–0–1 record, outscored opponents 250–17, and were also co-champion of the

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...

, with in-state rival

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

as well as

Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, which were also undefeated in conference play. Georgia gave Furman their only loss, and did the same to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

in the year's biggest win. This was the Georgia Bulldogs' first season under the guidance of head coach

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

and the team's second undefeated season in its history (first since

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

under

Pop Warner Glenn Scobey Warner (April 5, 1871 – September 7, 1954), most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American college football coach at various institutions who is responsible for several key aspects of the modern game. Included among his inn ...

). The Bulldogs were retroactively awarded a national championship by Clyde Berryman.

Before the season

The Bulldogs were led by first-year head coach

, who attended the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

and learned football from the legendary

Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfie ...

. During the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

stationed Stegeman in Athens to create physical training courses for the UGA

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

program. Last season, Stegeman was hired by head coach

Alex Cunningham Alexander Cunningham (born 1 May 1955) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stockton North since 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Shadow Minister for Courts and Sentencing since 2020. Born i ...

as an assistant. Cunningham then went into the Army, and Stegeman was promoted to head coach. Stegeman was assisted by

backfield The offensive backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the q ...

coach and Warner disciple

Jimmy DeHart James DeHart (August 25, 1893 – March 4, 1935) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Washington and Lee University from 1922 to 1925 and again from 1931 to 1932 and at Duke University from 1926 to 1930, compi ...

. Georgia became known for its

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

during the early 1920s, this season returning All-Southerns in

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

Owen Reynolds Owen Gaston Reynolds (January 12, 1900 – March 11, 1984) was an American football player in the National Football League (NFL). Reynolds played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia, receiving All-Souther ...

, tackle

Artie Pew Arthur "Artie" Pew Jr. (March 26, 1898 – December 1, 1959) was a college football and basketball player. Early years Pew was born on March 26, 1898, in Damascus, Georgia, to Arthur Pew Sr. and Bessie Harvey. University of Georgia Football P ...

, and

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

and

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Bum Day Ashel Monroe Day (August 3, 1898 – January 30, 1988), nicknamed Bum Day, was an American college football player who was a center for both the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Bulldogs of the ...

; as well as

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

Hugh Whelchel Hugh Calvin "Puss" Whelchel (July 20, 1900 – April 1, 1968) was an American college football player. Early years Hugh was born on July 20, 1900 in Dahlonega, Georgia to Henry Cowan Whelchel and Clara Annabel Moore. Hugh was a first cousin of ...

and a young Joe Bennett. In 1920, the Bulldogs line was complemented with a strong backfield, led by Buck Cheves and known as the "Ten Second Backfield."

Schedule

Season summary

Week 1: The Citadel

The Bulldogs opened the season with a 40–0 defeat of

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...

. Citadel made one first down. The first score was a 60-yard run by Hartley.

Week 2: at South Carolina

In the second week of play, Georgia easily defeated the

South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...

37–0, "principally through the ability of

Hartley Hartley may refer to: Places Australia *Hartley, New South Wales *Hartley, South Australia **Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district Canada *Hartley Bay, British Columbia United Kingdom *Hartley, Cumbria *Hartley, Plymou ...

and Cheves to advance the ball by long runs". Hartley returned the second-half kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown, and had another 75-yard touchdown run two minutes later. The starting lineup was: Reynolds (left end), J. Bennett (left tackle), Anthony (left guard), Day (center), Murray (right guard), Pew (right tackle), Owens (right end), Cheves (quarterback), Echols (left halfback), Hartley (right halfback), Collings (fullback).

Week 3: at Furman

A close-fought game with coach

Billy Laval William Lawrence Laval (January 15, 1885 – January 20, 1957) was an American minor league baseball player, baseball manager, and college baseball, football, and basketball coach. He held head coaching positions at the University of South Carol ...

Speedy Speer James Harrel "Speedy" Speer (March 5, 1895 – September 2, 1976) was a college football player for the Furman Paladins of Furman University and a high school football coach. He was elected to the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974, an ...

-led Furman Purple Hurricane brought the Bulldogs a 7–0 win and Furman's only loss on the year. Georgia scored thanks to a pass from Buck Cheves to Sheldon Fitts. A punting duel with

Milton McManaway Milton Edward McManaway (November 15, 1901 – 1946) was an American college football player. He later coached high school football before becoming a successful attorney in Chicago. He also spent time as an insurance agent in Spartanburg, South C ...

and Dave Collings featured throughout.

Week 4: at Oglethorpe

Georgia beat the

Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels Oglethorpe University is a private college in Brookhaven, Georgia. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Colony of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. History Oglethorpe University was cha ...

27–3. Oglethorpe's captain Knox scored the season's first points on the Bulldogs.

Week 5: Auburn

The Bulldogs upset the

Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

7–0, getting revenge for last year's loss. The only touchdown of the game was a 20-yard pass from Buck Cheves to Dick Hartley. Frank Stubbs starred for Auburn.

was ejected for slugging, and thus missed his chance to go out with an Auburn victory. The starting lineup was: Reynolds (left end), Pew (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Day (center), Vandiver (right guard), J. Bennett (right tackle), P. Bennett (right end), Cheves (quarterback), Hartley (left halfback), Collings (right halfback), Echols (fullback).

Week 6: at Virginia

The aerial attack of the Virginia Orange and Blue met a staunch Georgia defense as the two teams fought to a scoreless tie in Charlottesville.

and Paige Bennett starred for Georgia. The starting lineup was: Reynolds (left end), Pew (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Day (center), Vandiver (right guard), Anthony (right tackle), P. Bennett (right end), Cheves (quarterback), Collins (left halfback), Hartley (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).

Week 7: Florida

Georgia rolled up a large 56–0 score on the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...

. Florida put up a hard fight until Georgia got its first touchdown across, pouring it on from there. Quarterback Sheldon Fitts was the star of the contest. Fitts and Bohren scored two touchdowns. Paige Bennett, Hartley, Echols, and Collings had one each.

starred again. The starting lineup was: Reynolds (left end), J. Bennett (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Day (center), Vandiver (right guard), Pew (right tackle), P. Bennett (right end), Pitts (quarterback), Collins (left halfback), Hartley (right halfback), Echols (fullback). Pewstephenson

Week 8: Alabama

The key win for the conference title was the 21–14 victory over the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...

. None of Georgia's touchdowns were scored by the offense. Paige Bennett recovered a Mullie Lenoir fumble and ran 40 yards for a touchdown.

kicked goal. On the next possession,

blocked a Riggs Stephenson punt , and Pew picked up the ball running 24 yards to score, kicking his own goal. On the next drive, Lenoir scored. In the third quarter, Al Clemens caught a tipped ball, and ran down the sidelines with a wall of blockers for the tying score. Late in the final period, Georgia's O'Connor tried a drop kick which was blocked by Whelchel. Buck Cheves recovered the ball and ran 87 yards for the touchdown Again Pew converted goal. The recovery by Cheves ranked fourth in ''The 50 Greatest Plays In Georgia Bulldogs Football History''. The starting lineup was: Reynolds (left end), J. Bennett (left tackle), Vandiver (left guard), Day (center), Whelchel (right guard), Pew (right tackle), P. Bennett (Right end), Pitts (quarterback), Collins (left halfback), Hartley (right halfback), Echols (fullback).

Week 9: Clemson

Cheves and Hartley starred again in a 55–0 romp over Clemson to end the season. Dave Collings was the star of the contest scoring two touchdowns. The starting lineup was Reynolds (left end), J. Bennett (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Day (center), Anthony (right guard), Pew (right tackle), P. Bennett (Right end), Cheves (quarterback), Hartley (left halfback), Collings (right halfback), Echols (fullback).

Post season

Owen Reynolds was elected captain for next year. Reynolds, Pew, and Day were all composite All-Southern selections. Whelchel also made several selections, and Joe Bennett made one. Rooters on either side of Georgia were happy as both the Bulldogs and

claimed SIAA titles. The Bulldogs were retroactively named the national champion for 1920 under the

Berryman QPRS Berryman QPRS, also known as the Berryman Quality Point Rating System is a mathematical rating system developed by Clyde P. Berryman to rate sports teams and competitors. The Berryman QPRS system considers strength of schedule, win–loss record, p ...

methodology.

Personnel

Roster

Line

Backfield

Unlisted

Scoring leaders

The following is an incomplete list of statistics and scores, largely dependent on newspaper summaries.

References

Additional sources

* {{SIAA football champions

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Georgia Bulldogs football seasons College football undefeated seasons

Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Div ...