1920 Wooster Presbyterians football team
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1920
| team = Wooster Presbyterians
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ohio Athletic Conference
| short_conf = OAC
| record = 9–0
| conf_record = 7–0
| head_coach = Lawrence C. Boles
| hc_year = 6th
| captain = Stiffer
| stadium = Severance Stadium
| champion = OAC champion
}}
{{1920 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings}}
The 1920 Wooster Presbyterians football team was an American football team that represented the College of Wooster of Wooster, Ohio, as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1920 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Lawrence C. Boles,{{cite news|title=Wooster Coach Touted Phenom|newspaper=Lima Republican-Gazette|date=December 7, 1020|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lima-gazette-and-the-lima-republican/167935492/|via=Newspapers.com}} the Presbyterians compiled a perfect 9–0 record (7–0 in conference games), won the OAC championship, shut out eight of nine opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 176 to 3.{{cite news|title=Wooster Lays Claim To Ohio Conference Football Championship: Eleven Undefeated in Two Years' Play; Loss of Star Players Will be Blwo, But Prospects for 1921 Eleven Are Bright|newspaper=The Mansfield News|date=November 28, 1920|page=2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-journal-wooster-lays-claim-to-ohio/167918386/|via=Newspapers.com}} Wooster held opponents scoreless for 13 consecutive games from October 25, 1919, to November 25, 1920; Mount Union broke the streak with three points on a field goal on November 25, 1920. It was the second of three perfect seasons for Wooster under Boles, the Presbyterians having also accomplished the feat in 1919 and 1923.
Wooster's senior quarterback Allen Snyder, who weighed only 132 pounds, scored almost half of Wooster's points and was selected as the most valuable player in the OAC. He scored the winning touchdown against {{cfb link|year=1920|team=Mount Union Purple|title=Mount Union}} with a 75-yard touchdown run. He was selected as the first-team quarterback on the 1919 and 1920 All-OAC teams. He was given a new car for his accomplishment in December 1920.{{cite news|title=Wooster Quarter Is Given Motor car: Allen Snyder is Voted Best Player Among Ohio College Elevens in 1920|newspaper=The Mansfield News|date=December 2, 1920|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-journal-wooster-quarter-is-given-mo/167935935/|via=Newspapers.com}}
The team played its home games at Severance Stadium in Wooster, Ohio.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 25|at|{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets|title=Baldwin-Wallace}}
|October 1|at|Toledo
|October 9|at|{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Hiram Terriers|title=Hiram}}||Hiram, OH|W 20-0||{{cite news|title=Wooster Held Down: Only Three Touchdowns Made Against Hiram Eleven|newspaper=The Mansfield News|date=October 10, 1920|page=2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-journal-wooster-held-down-only-thr/167934904/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 16||{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Western Reserve|title=Western Reserve}}|Severance Stadium|Wooster, OH|W 19-0||
|October 23||{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Oberlin Yeomen|title=Oberlin}}
|October 30|at|Case||Cleveland, OH|W 19-0||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84507094/wooster-three-times-crosses-cases-line/|work=The Mansfield News|title=Wooster three times crosses Case's line|date=October 31, 1920|accessdate=August 31, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 6||{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Kenyon Lords|title=Kenyon}}|Severance Stadium|Wooster, OH|W 21-0||{{cite news|title=Wooster Whips Kenyon, 21 to 0: Keeps Up Record of Three Scores a Game|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=November 6, 1920|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-wooster-whips-kenyon-2/167934535/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Wins Sixth Game By Three Touchdowns: Wooster Keeps Up Record in Defeat of Kenyon by 21-0 Score Yesterday|newspaper=The Mansfield News|date=November 6, 1920|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-journal-wins-sixth-game-by-three-to/167934689/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 13|at|Akron||Akron, OH|W 14-0||{{cite news|title=Wooster Beats Akron: Wooster Is Victor Over Akron U. 14-0|newspaper=Akron Sunday Times|author=Russ Snyder|date=November 14, 1920|pages=1, 2 (sports)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/akron-evening-times-wooster-beats-akron/167934269/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 20||Otterbein
|November 25|at|{{cfb link|year=1920|team=Mount Union Purple|title=Mount Union}}|Mt. Union field|Alliance, OH|W 7-3|5,000|{{cite news|title=Wooster Defeats Mt. Union|newspaper=Akron Evening Times|date=November 26, 1920|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/akron-evening-times-wooster-defeats-mt/167919354/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Game summaries
=Mount Union=
On November 25, Wooster concluded its 1920 season with a 7–3 victory over {{cfb link|year=1920|team=Mount Union Purple|title=Mount Union}} before a crowd of 5,000 on Thanksgiving Day at the opponent's field in Alliance, Ohio. Fullback McCaskey kicked a field goal for Mount Union in the first quarter. Wooster trailed until Wooster's captain and quarterback Snyder returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown with less than five minutes remaining in the game. The victory left Wooster in a tie with Wittenberg for the OAC championship.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Wooster Fighting Scots football navbox}}
Category:Wooster Fighting Scots football seasons
Category:Ohio Athletic Conference football champion seasons