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The Minnesota Golden Gophers were coached by Clarence Spears for five seasons from 1925 to 1929.[1] In those five seasons, the Gophers won 28 games, lost nine and tied three.[1] In the Big Ten, they won 13 games, lost seven and tied two.[2] Six players were named All-Americans under Coach Spears.[3] Fifteen players were named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

1925[]

1925 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1925 record5-2-1 (1-1-1 Big Ten)
Head coachClarence Spears
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1924
1926 →
1925 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Michigan 5 1 0     7 1 0
Northwestern 3 1 0     5 3 0
Wisconsin 3 1 1     6 1 1
Chicago 2 2 1     3 4 1
Illinois 2 2 0     5 3 0
Iowa 2 2 0     5 3 0
Minnesota 1 1 1     5 2 1
Ohio State 1 3 1     4 3 1
Indiana 0 3 1     3 4 1
Purdue 0 3 1     3 4 1
† – Conference champion


The 1925 season was the Golden Gophers' first under head coach Clarence Spears.[2] The Golden Gophers won five games, lost two and tied one.[2] Total attendance for the season was 193,707, which averaged out to 27,672 per game.[5] The season high for attendance was against Notre Dame.[5]

Guard Len Walsh was named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
10/03/1925* North Dakota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 25-6   20,000
10/10/1925* Grinnell Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 34-6   18,000
10/17/1925* Wabash Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 32-6   18,000
10/24/1925* Notre Dame Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 7-19   52,000
10/31/1925 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN T 12-12   40,000
11/07/1925* Butler Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 33-7   20,000
11/14/1925† Iowa Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 33-0   45,000
11/21/1925 at Michigan Ferry FieldAnn Arbor, MI L 0-35   47,000
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming.


1926[]

1926 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1926 record5-3 (2-2 Big Ten)
Head coachClarence Spears
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1925
1927 →
1926 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#3 Michigan § 5 0 0     7 1 0
#10T Northwestern § 5 0 0     7 1 0
#7 Ohio State 3 1 0     7 1 0
Purdue 2 1 1     5 2 1
Wisconsin 3 2 1     5 2 1
#10T Illinois 2 2 0     6 2 0
Minnesota 2 2 0     5 3 0
Indiana 0 4 0     3 5 0
Iowa 0 5 0     3 5 0
Chicago 0 5 0     2 6 0
§ – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Dickinson System


The 1926 season was the Golden Gophers' second under head coach Clarence Spears.[2] The Golden Gophers won five games and lost three.[2] Total attendance for the season was 156,032, which averaged out to 31,206 per game.[5] The season high for attendance was against rival Michigan.[5]

Fullback Herb Joesting was named an All-American by the Associated Press and Look Magazine.[3] Joestring, Tackle Mitchell Gary, guard Harold Hanson and end Roger Wheeler were named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
10/02/1926* North Dakota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 51-0   18,000
10/09/1926* Notre Dame Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 7-20   54,000
10/16/1926 at Michigan Ferry FieldAnn Arbor, MI L 0-20   48,000
10/23/1926* Wabash Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 67-7   16,000
10/30/1926 at Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI W 16-10   42,000
11/06/1926 at Iowa Iowa Field • Iowa City, IA W 41-0   30,000
11/13/1926* Butler Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 81-0   8,000
11/20/1926† Michigan Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 6-7   58,000
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming.


1927[]

1927 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Big Ten co-champions
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1927 record6-0-2 (3-0-1 Big Ten)
Head coachClarence Spears
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1926
1928 →
1927 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#1 Illinois § 5 0 0     7 0 1
#3 Minnesota § 3 0 1     6 0 2
#7 Michigan 3 2 0     6 2 0
Chicago 3 3 0     4 4 0
Purdue 2 2 0     6 2 0
Northwestern 2 3 0     4 4 0
Ohio State 2 3 0     4 4 0
Indiana 1 2 1     3 4 1
Iowa 1 4 0     4 4 0
Wisconsin 1 4 0     4 4 0
§ – Conference co-champions
Rankings from Dickinson System


The 1927 season was the Golden Gophers' third under head coach Clarence Spears.[2] The Golden Gophers won six games and tied two.[2] The Gophers shared the Big Ten title, the ninth in school history. Total attendance for the season was 166,848, which averaged to 23,126.[5] The season high for attendance was against Wisconsin.[5]

Fullback Herb Joesting and guard Harold Hanson were named All-American status by the Associated Press.[3] Joesting, Hanson, quarterback Harold "Shorty" Almquist, tackle Mitchell Gary and end Kenneth Haycraft were named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
10/01/1927* North Dakota Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 57-10   22,000
10/08/1927* Oklahoma A&M Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 40-0   35,000
10/15/1927 at Indiana Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN T 14-14   21,000
10/22/1927† Iowa Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 38-0   52,000
10/29/1927 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 13-7   56,000
11/05/1927* at Notre Dame Cartier FieldNotre Dame, IN T 7-7   26,000
11/12/1927* Drake Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 27-6   20,000
11/19/1927 at Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI W 13-7   84,243
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming.


1928[]

1928 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1928 record6-2 (4-2 Big Ten)
Head coachClarence Spears
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1927
1929 →
1928 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#7 Illinois 4 1 0     7 1 0
#4T Wisconsin 3 1 1     7 1 1
Minnesota 4 2 0     6 2 0
#6T Iowa 3 2 0     6 2 0
Ohio State 3 2 0     5 2 1
Purdue 2 2 1     5 2 1
Northwestern 2 3 0     5 3 0
Michigan 2 3 0     3 4 1
Indiana 2 4 0     4 4 0
Chicago 0 5 0     2 7 0
† – Conference champion
Rankings from Dickinson System


The 1928 season was the Golden Gophers' fourth under head coach Clarence Spears.[2] The Golden Gophers won six games and lost two.[2] Total attendance for the season was 146,185, which averaged to 29,237.[5] The season high for attendance was against Chicago.[5]

Guard George Gibson and end Kenneth Haycraft were named All-Americans by the Associated Press and Look Magazine.[3] Gibson, Haycraft and quarterback Fred Hovde were named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
10/06/1928* Creighton Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 40-0   20,000
10/13/1928 Purdue Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 15-0   25,000
10/20/1928† Chicago Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 33-7   58,000
10/27/1928 at Iowa Iowa Field • Iowa City, IA L 6-7   30,000
11/03/1928 at Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL L 9-10   45,000
11/10/1928 Indiana Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 21-12   25,000
11/17/1928* Haskell Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 52-0   20,000
11/24/1928 at Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI W 6-0   10,000
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming.


1929[]

1929 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1929 record6-2 (3-2 Big Ten)
Head coachClarence Spears
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1928
1930 →
1929 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#2 Purdue 5 0 0     8 0 0
#5 Illinois 3 1 1     6 1 1
Minnesota 3 2 0     6 2 0
Northwestern 3 2 0     6 3 0
Iowa 2 2 2     4 2 2
Ohio State 2 2 1     4 3 1
Michigan 1 3 1     5 3 1
Indiana 1 3 1     2 6 1
Chicago 1 3 0     7 3 0
Wisconsin 1 4 0     4 5 0
† – Conference champion
Rankings from Dickinson System


The 1929 season was the Golden Gophers' fifth under head coach Clarence Spears.[2] The Golden Gophers won six games and lost two.[2] Total attendance for the season was 204,083, which averaged to 34,014.[5] The season high for attendance was against Michigan.[5]

Bronko Nagurski was named an All-American at fullback and tackle by the Associated Press and Look Magazine.[3] Nagurski and end Robert Tanner were named All-Big Ten first team.[4]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
10/05/1929* Coe Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 39-0   25,000
10/12/1929 Vanderbilt Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 15-6   25,000
10/19/1929 at Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL W 26-14   40,000
10/26/1929* Ripon Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 54-0   27,000
11/02/1929 Indiana Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 7-9   30,000
11/09/1929 at Iowa Iowa StadiumIowa City, IA L 7-9   36,000
11/16/1929† Michigan Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 6-7   58,160
11/23/1929 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 13-12   58,000
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming.


References[]

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