Detroit Titans football | |
---|---|
First season | 1896 |
Last season | 1964, 60 years ago |
Stadium | University of Detroit Stadium (capacity: 20,000) |
Location | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
All-time record | 308–204–24 (.597) |
Claimed national titles | 1 (1928) |
Colors | Red, white, and blue [1] |
The Detroit Titans were the college football team which represented the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) from 1896 to 1964. The team posted an undefeated season in 1928, staking a claim to a national title. The program was terminated in 1964 for financial reasons.
Under head coach Gus Dorais in 1928, the Titans won all nine of their games. Several years later Parke H. Davis, considered to be a "major selector" by the NCAA, named the 1928 team to a share of the national championship. [2]
From 1922 on, the Titans played their home games at University of Detroit Stadium (also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, and Dinan Field) near McNichols Road (Six Mile Road) and Fairfield Street on the university's McNichols campus.
The football program had incurred large losses since 1951, and was discontinued after the 1964 season. [3] [4] At the time of the sport's termination, university president Rev. Laurence V. Britt stated that the institution "does not currently have and does not foresee any prospects of its having the substantial funds" required to continue the program. [5]
Detroit was both independent and affiliated with the Missouri Valley Conference. [6]
Detroit won its only national championship in 1928, with Parke H. Davis selecting both Detroit and Georgia Tech. [7] The school claims this championship. [8] [9]
Year | Selectors | Coach | Record |
---|---|---|---|
1928 | Parke H. Davis | Gus Dorais | 9–0 |
Head Coach | Years | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|
William S. Robinson | 1896–1899 | 4 | 13–5–1 | .700 |
John C. Mackey | 1900–1901 | 2 | 6–6–0 | .500 |
Edward J. Ryan | 1902, 1906 | 2 | 7–5–1 | .577 |
Alfred W. Debo | 1903–1904 | 2 | 6–6–0 | .500 |
George A. Kelly | 1907, 1909–1910 | 3 | 7–5–2 | .571 |
Royal R. Campbell | 1911–1912 | 2 | 8–6–1 | .567 |
George M. Lawton | 1913–1914 | 2 | 6–6–3 | .500 |
Harry Costello | 1915–1916 | 2 | 4–7–2 | .385 |
James F. Duffy | 1917, 1919–1922, 1924 | 6 | 43–12–1 | .777 |
Germany Schulz | 1923 | 1 | 4–3–2 | .556 |
Gus Dorais | 1925–1942 | 18 | 113–48–7 | .693 |
Chuck Baer | 1945–1950 | 6 | 35–21–1 | .623 |
Dutch Clark | 1951–1953 | 3 | 13–17–0 | .433 |
Wally Fromhart | 1954–1958 | 5 | 19–25–2 | .435 |
Jim Miller | 1959–1961 | 3 | 18–10–0 | .643 |
John Idzik | 1962–1964 | 3 | 6–21–1 | .232 |
Name | Position | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Grady Alderman | Lineman | 1950s | Played in NFL, 1960-1974 |
Sig Andrusking | Guard | 1930s | Played in NFL in 1937 |
Vince Banonis | Center | 1939-1941 | Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame |
Dan Boisture | End | 1947-1948 | Head coach at Eastern Michigan, 1967-1973 |
Lloyd Brazil | Halfback | 1927-1929 | All-American; inducted into Michigan Sports Hall of Fame |
Walt Cassidy | End | 1920s | Played in NFL, 1924 |
Walt Clago | End | Played in NFL, 1921-1922 | |
Bill Dando | Halfback | 1956-1968 | Head coach at Buffalo, 1977-1979 |
Andy Farkas | Fullback | 1930s | Played for Washington Redskins, 1938-1944 |
Norm Harvey | Tackle | 1920s | Played in NFL, 1925-1929 |
Harvey Long | Lineman | 1920s | Played in NFL, 1929-1930 |
Elmer Madarik | Halfback | 1940s | Played for Detroit Lions 1945-1948 |
Ted Marchibroda | Quarterback | 1950s | Played and coached in the NFL for over 40 years, 1953-1998 |
Doug Nott | Halfback | 1930s | Played for Detroit Lions in 1935 |
Bill O'Neill | Halfback | 1930s | Played for Detroit Lions in 1935 and Cleveland Rams in 1937 |
Lee Riley | Defensive back | 1950s | Played in NFL and AFL, 1955-1962 |
Sod Ryan | Tackle | 1920s | Played in NFL from 1929 to 1930 |
Jim Shorter | Defensive back | 1960s | Played in NFL, 1948-1956 |
Jack Simmons | Lineman | 1940s | Played in NFL, 1962-1969 |
Steve Stonebreaker | Linebacker | 1960s | Played in NFL, 1962-1968 |
Tillie Voss | End | 1920s | Played in NFL, 1921-1929 |
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate and nicer facilities and a few more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.
The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic university in Michigan. It has three campuses where it offers more than 100 academic degree programs.
The Detroit Mercy Titans are the athletic teams of University of Detroit Mercy. The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The school primarily competes in the Horizon League, but competes in other conferences for fencing and lacrosse, sports not sponsored for either men or women by the Horizon League. Fencing, a co-ed sport, competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference. Men's lacrosse moved from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to the ASUN Conference in July 2021. Women's lacrosse joined the Mid-American Conference for that league's first women's lacrosse season in 2021.
The Houston Cougars are the athletic teams representing the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was suggested by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach, John R. Bender after one of his former teams, Washington State later adopted the mascot and nickname. The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Big 12 Conference.
The Memphis Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the American Athletic Conference, except for the rifle team, which is a member of the single-sport Great America Rifle Conference.
The Kansas State Wildcats are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Kansas State University. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.
The Missouri Tigers football program represents the University of Missouri in college football and competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Western Michigan Broncos are a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I program representing Western Michigan University (WMU) in college athletics. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The men's ice hockey team competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and the men's soccer team competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Broncos also have a flight team, the SkyBroncos, who have won the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) National Championship award five times.
The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The nickname comes from the Saluki, the Royal Dog of Egypt and the Persian greyhound, which ties into the fact that southern Illinois has had the nickname "Little Egypt" for just under 200 years.
The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Yale's football program, founded in 1872, is one of the oldest in the world. Since their founding, the Bulldogs have won 27 national championships, two of the first three Heisman Trophy winners, 100 consensus All-Americans, 28 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including the "Father of American Football" Walter Camp, the first professional football player Pudge Heffelfinger, and coaching giants Amos Alonzo Stagg, Howard Jones, Tad Jones and Carmen Cozza. With over 900 wins, Yale ranks in the top ten for most wins in college football history.
A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best college football team. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes referred to as a "mythical national championship".
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the FCS level comprises 128 teams in 14 conferences as of the 2023 season. The FCS designation is only tied to football with the non-football sports programs of each school competing in NCAA Division I.
The Duquesne Dukes football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Duquesne University located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Duquesne has played as a club team from 1891 to 1894, 1896 to 1903, 1913 to 1914, and 1920 to 1928, as an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member from 1929 to 1942 and 1947 to 1950, again as a club team from 1969 to 1978, in NCAA Division III from 1979 to 1992, and in the NCAA Division I FCS from 1993 to present.
The Missouri State Bears football program is the college football team that represents Missouri State University located in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University and competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Ivy League. Princeton's football program—along with the football program at nearby Rutgers University—began in 1869 with a contest that is often regarded as the beginnings of American football.
The Indiana State Sycamores football team is the NCAA Division I football program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Playoffs in the 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Their first season was 1896. The Sycamore's greatest season was 1983, when coach Dennis Raetz led them to the 2nd round of the 1983 NCAA Division I Football Championship and ended the season with a record of 9–4. The Sycamores also appeared in 1984 NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. The Indiana State Sycamores play their home games at Memorial Stadium, which seats 12,764.
The Austin Peay Governors football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Austin Peay State University, located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and played the most recent 2022 season as members of the ASUN Conference. For the 2023 season and beyond, Peay will play in the United Athletic Conference, created shortly after the 2022 season by the merger of the football leagues of the ASUN and Western Athletic Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1930. They were previously a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Pioneer Football League (2001–2005). Austin Peay Governors football plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Fortera Stadium.
The 1928 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the 1928 college football season. Detroit shut out seven of its nine opponents, outscored opponents by a combined total of 267 to 27, and finished with a perfect 9–0 record in their fourth year under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Gus Dorais. The team has been recognized as a co-national champion of 1928 by Parke H. Davis. Significant games included victories over Tulsa (19–14), Louisville (46–0), Michigan State (39–0), and Fordham (19–0).