In this era of fast paced offense and high scoring games, it is rare to hold an opponent without a touchdown for an entire game. In 1910, the Indiana football team did it for an entire season.
After compiling a 5-25-1 conference record all-time prior to the 1910, not many saw this season coming.
But behind three all-conference players, the Hoosiers were dominant. End Arthur “Cotton” Berndt, tackle Homer Dutter and guard Allen Messick each received all-Western conference honors for the 1910 season.
- DePauw (W, 12-0)
- at Chicago (W, 6-0)
- Milikin (W 33-0)
- vs. Wisconsin (W 12-3)
- Butler (W 33-0)
- Illinois (L 0-3)
- Purdue (W 15-0)
Behind head coach Jimmy Sheldon, the Hoosiers really got things going in week two with a surprising win over Chicago and their legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg.
The only loss on the year came against co-conference leader Illinois in a rain soaked contest in Bloomington in which the Hoosiers themselves couldn’t find the end zone. The Illini didn’t allow a single point that year.
A ticket to the only game IU lost in 1910. Photo credit – IU Archives.
The Hoosiers closed out the season in style. On November 19, 1910 IU recorded its fifth shutout of the year with a 15-0 win on the road in West Lafayette. The win capped off their 6-1 season without allowing a touchdown for the entire campaign.
Dutter won all-Western Conference honors in back to back seasons.
Berndt became something of an IU and Bloomington legend. He is the only athlete ever to captain three sports at IU. He coached IU basketball from 1914 to 1915, was the acting Director of Athletics from 1913-15, and went on to be the mayor of Bloomington from 1935-38.
Sheldon compiled a career record of 35-26-1, giving him the second best winning percentage in program history for IU coaches that led more than 50 games. He was also the head basketball coach at Indiana for one season, in 1906–07, tallying a mark of 9–5.
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