The 1904 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

in the

1904 Western Conference football season The 1904 Western Conference football season was the ninth season of college football played by the member schools of the Western Conference (later known as the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1904 college football season. Season overv ...

. In their fifth year under head coach

Henry L. Williams Henry Lane Williams (July 26, 1869 – June 14, 1931) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Military Academy in 1891 and the University of Minnesota from 1900 to 1921, compiling a care ...

, the Golden Gophers compiled a 13–0 record (3–0 against Western Conference opponents). The 1904 Minnesota team has been recognized as a college football national champion by the

Billingsley Report The Billingsley Report is a college football rating system developed in the late 1960s to determine a national champion. Billingsley has actively rated college football teams on a current basis since 1970. Beginning in 1999, Billingsley's ratings ...

. The 146 point victory over Grinnell represents both the largest point total and the largest margin of victory in Gopher football history. Ten Minnesota players were recognized on the

1904 All-Western college football team The 1904 All-Western college football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Western teams chosen by various selectors for the 1904 Western Conference football season. All-Western selections Ends * Claude Rothgeb, Illinois ...

: quarterback

Sigmund Harris Sigmund "Sig" Harris (July 2, 1883 – November 8, 1964) was an American college football player. He was University of Minnesota's All-American quarterback in 1902–04, for powerful teams under Dr. Henry L. Williams. He was also a plucky, b ...

(COL-2, CT-2, MJ-1); halfbacks Otto Nelson Davies (COL-1, CT-2, MJ-1) and James Edward Kremer (COL-2); fullback Earl Current (CT-2, MJ-1); end

Bobby Marshall Robert Wells Marshall (March 12, 1880 – August 27, 1958) was an American sportsman. He was best known for playing football; however, Marshall also competed in baseball,

(COL-2, MJ-1); tackles Percy Porter Brush (CRH, CT-2, MJ-2) and George Leland Case (MJ-2); guards Walton W. Thorpe (COL-1, CRH, CT-1, DFP, DT, MJ-1, SLR, WC) and Daniel D. Smith, Minnesota (CT-2); and center Moses Strathern (MJ-1). (CRH, DT, DFP) Two players also received recognition on the

1904 College Football All-America Team The 1904 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that chose College Football All-America Teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams included ''Collier's Weekly'' selected by Walter Camp. All-Americans ...

. Quarterback Sigmund Harris received third-team honors from Walter Camp, and guard Walton Thorp received first-team honors from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

coach

Fred Lowenthal Fred Lowenthal (November 22, 1878 – October 4, 1931) was an American football player, coach, sportswriter, and attorney. He served as head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1904, along with Arthur R. Hall, J ...

and third-team honors from Walter Camp. Notably, Minnesota did not play undefeated

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

in 1904, despite the teams being members of the Western Conference. Both teams received acclaim as national champion for the 1904 season.

Schedule

References

{{Big Ten Conference football champions

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

Minnesota Golden Gophers football seasons College football national champions Big Ten Conference football champion seasons College football undefeated seasons

Minnesota Golden Gophers football The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Founded in 1882, Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its ince ...