1927 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

1927 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
"The 1927 Varsity"
National champion (Houlgate)
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–1–1
Head coach
Offensive schemeNotre Dame Box
Base defense7–2–2
CaptainClipper Smith
Home stadiumCartier Field
1927 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Notre Dame – 7–2–1
Detroit – 7–2–0
Ball Teachers – 5–2–1
Marquette – 6–3–0
Michigan Tech – 2–1–0
Haskell – 5–3–1
Butler – 4–3–1
John Carroll – 3–2–3
Saint Louis – 5–5–0
Lombard – 4–4–0
Loyola (IL) – 4–4–0
Michigan State – 4–5–0
Northern Illinois State – 1–4–1
Kent State – 1–5–1
Valparaiso – 1–5–0
Rankings from Dickinson System

The 1927 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1927 college football season. In their tenth year under head coach Knute Rockne, the Irish compiled a 7–1–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 158 to 57. They defeated Navy, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and USC, but lost to Army and tied with Minnesota in consecutive games in November.[1]

Although most selectors named either Illinois or Georgia as the 1927 national champion, Notre Dame was retroactively named as the national champion by one selector, the Houlgate System.[2] The team was ranked No. 4 in the nation in the Dickinson System ratings released in December 1927.[3]

Notre Dame guard and team captain Clipper Smith was a consensus first-team honoree on the 1927 All-America college football team.[4] Halfback Christie Flanagan received first-team All-America honors from the United Press and Central Press.[5][6]

The team played its home games at Cartier Field in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 1Coe
W 28–710,000[7]
October 8at Detroit
W 20–028,000[8]
October 15vs. Navy
W 19–645,101[9]
October 22at Indiana
W 19–616,000[10]
October 29Georgia Tech
  • Cartier Field
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 26–717,000[11]
November 5Minnesota
  • Cartier Field
  • Notre Dame, IN
T 7–725,000[12]
November 12vs. Army
L 0–1865,678[13]
November 19at Drake
W 32–08,412[14]
November 26vs. USC
W 7–6115,000[15]

[16]

Notre Dame plays USC at Soldier Field in Chicago

Personnel

Players

Christie Flanagan
John P. "Clipper" Smith

[17]

Coaching staff

  • Head coach: Knute Rockne
  • Assistant coaches: Hunk Anderson, Thomas Mills
  • Freshman coaches: John J. Wallace, John V. McManmon
  • Head manager: August M. Grams
  • Associate manager: E. Bolan Burke
  • Head cheer leader: Robert E. Kirby

[18]

References

  1. ↑ "1927 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  2. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Illinois Rated As America's Champs: Dr. Dickinson of Illinois Devises Rating System for Grid Teams". The Morning Call. December 4, 1927. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 6. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ Frank Getty (November 25, 1927). "Welch Picked on United Press All-America Team". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 51. Retrieved October 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ Norman E. Brown (December 10, 1927). "Fans Choose All-American Grid Team in Extensive Newspaper Poll". Statesman Journal. Salem, OR. p. 6.
  7. ↑ "Rockne Marks Up First Win by 26-7 Count". Quad-City Times. October 2, 1927. p. 25. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  8. ↑ "NOTRE DAME LICKS DETROIT TEAM, 20-0". The Gazette. October 9, 1927. p. 10. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ "NOTRE DAME SINKS NAVY IN 19-6 TILT". The Des Moines Register. October 16, 1927. p. 9. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ "INDIANA LOSES TO NOTRE DAME". The Richmond Item. October 23, 1927. p. 13. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ "ROCKNE'S MEN HAVE NICE TIME". The Star Press. October 30, 1927. p. 11. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  12. ↑ "FUMBLES LEAD TO TOUCHDOWNS AND 7-7 SCORE". The South Bend Tribune. November 6, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  13. ↑ "IRISH CRUSHED WITH MODERN ATTACK BEFORE 76,000 FANS". The Gazette. November 13, 1927. p. 9. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Rockne Classes Bulldogs Like His Own Against Army". The Des Moines Register. November 20, 1927. p. 23. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ "RAY DAHMAN SCORES ALL 7 POINTS TO WIN FOR FIGHTING IRISH OVER COAST CHAMPS". Allentown Morning Call. November 27, 1927. p. 11. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  16. ↑ 2014 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football media guide. Retrieved 2015-Jul-12.
  17. ↑ The Official Football Review Season of 1927 University of Notre Dame (PDF). pp. 9, 12–18. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  18. ↑ 1927 Football Review, pp. 9, 11.
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