1931 Maryville Bearcats football team

The 1931 Maryville Bearcats football team, also known as the Northwest Missouri State Teachers Bearcats, was an American football team that represented Northwest Missouri State Teachers College (later renamed as Northwest Missouri State University) at Maryville, Missouri, as a member of the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) during the 1931 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Earl A. Davis, the Bearcats compiled a perfect 9–0 record (4–0 against MIAA opponents), won the MIAA championship, shut out eight of nine opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 190 to 6.[1]

1931 Maryville Bearcats football
MIAA champion
ConferenceMissouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record9–0 (4–0 MIAA)
Head coach
CaptainCochran, Herman "H" Fischer
1931 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Maryville (MO) $ 4 –0 –09 –0 –0
Kirksville 2 –1 –16 –1 –1
Springfield (MO) 2 –1 –15 –2 –1
Warrensburg 1 –3 –03 –8 –0
Cape Girardeau 0 –4 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

The team was led on offense by fullback/halfback H. Fisher, a triple-threat man who was described as a "[p]unter supreme, passer with few equals, pass receiver extraordinary and ball carrier par excellence."[2]

Five Bearcat players were selected as first-team players on the MIAA all-star team selected by the Associated Press with the aid of conference coaches. The five first-team honorees were: Fischer at halfback; Robert Hodge at end; Mack Ruth at center; Robert Dowell at tackle; and Walter Dowell at guard. Quarterback Ryland Milner was named to the second team as was end Wilbur Stalcup, fullback Ted Hodgkinson, and tackle Chris Hedge.[3] Milner later served as the school's head football coach from 1937 to 1957.[4]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultSource
September 25Peru State*Maryville, MOW 12–6[5]
October 9Springfield (MO)Maryville, MOW 7–0[6]
October 16at Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau, MOW 38–0[7]
October 23Rolla*Maryville, MOW 6–0[8]
October 30Missouri "B" team*Maryville, MOW 28–0
November 6at Tarkio*Tarkio, MOW 26–0[9]
November 11KirksvilleMaryville, MOW 7–0[10][11]
November 19at St. Benedict's*Atchison, KSW 54–0[12]
November 26WarrensburgMaryville, MOW 12–0[13]
  • *Non-conference game

References
  1. "Bearcats Complete Fine Grid Season: Team Captured M.I.A.A. Title and Finished Year Without a Defeat or Tie". The Maryville Daily Forum. December 1, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Bearcats Leave Today For Final Game of Season". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 25, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Five Bearcats Place on All-Star Eleven". St. Joseph Gazette. December 1, 1931. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Notable Deaths". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. June 16, 1999. p. 2. Retrieved October 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  5. "Bearcats Start Grid Season by Defeating Peru: Passing Attack Gives Maryville 12 to 6 Victory Last Night". The Maryville Daily FForum. September 26, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Bearcat Eleven Defeats Bears in Conference Game: Blocked Punt Paves Way For Touchdown and 7 to 0 Victory". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 19, 1931. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Bearcats Show Too Much Power For Cape Indians: Green and White Gridsters Win M.I.A.A. Game 38 to 0". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 17, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Bearcats Upset Dope and Defeat Miners 6 to 0: Substitute Intercepts Rolla Pass and Gallops 30 Yards to Score". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 24, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Bearcats Defeat Tarkio 25 to 0 There Last Night: Entire Maryville Squad Sees Action as Team Keeps Perfect Record". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 7, 1931. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Bearcats Have Weight Advantage Over Kirksville: Team Is About 12 Pounds to the Man Heavier Than Bulldogs". The Maryville Forum. November 9, 1931. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Bearcats Defeat Kirksville 7 to 0 in Hard Battle: Victory Assures Locals at Least of Tie For M.I.A.A. Title; H. Fischer Is the Star". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 12, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Bearcat Eleven Overwhelms St. Benedict's Team: Locals Win Eighth Game of Season by 54 to 0 Score". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 20, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Bearcats Close Perfect Season by Beating Mules: 12 to 0 Victory Over Warrensburg Was Team's Ninth Straight". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 27, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
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