1923 California Golden Bears football team

The 1923 California Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Berkeley in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1923 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Andy Smith, the team compiled a 9–0–1 record (5–0 against PCC opponents), shut out nine of ten opponents, won the PCC championship, and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 182 to 7.^[1][2] The team was selected retroactively as a 1923 national champion by Deke Houlgate, who used his math system to award annual national titles from 1929 to 1958.^[3]

1923 California Golden Bears football
National champion (Houlgate) PCC champion
Conference	Pacific Coast Conference
Record	9–0–1 (5–0 PCC)
Head coach	Andy Smith (8th season)
Offensive scheme	Short-punt
Captain	Donald Nichols
Home stadium	California Field California Memorial Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ← 1922 1924 →

1923 Pacific Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
California $	5	–	0	–	0			9	–	0	–	1
Washington^	4	–	1	–	0			10	–	1	–	1
Stanford	2	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
USC	2	–	2	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Idaho	2	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	1
Oregon Agricultural	1	–	3	–	1			4	–	5	–	2
Washington State	1	–	3	–	1			2	–	4	–	1
Oregon	0	–	4	–	1			3	–	4	–	1
$ – Conference champion ^ Selected as Rose Bowl representative

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	California alumni*	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 3–0		[4]
September 29	Saint Mary's*	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 49–0		[5]
October 6	Santa Clara*	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 48–0	10,000	[6]
October 13	Olympic Club*	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 16–0		[7]
October 20	Oregon Agricultural*	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 26–0		[8]
October 27	vs. Washington State	Multnomah Field Portland, OR	W 9–0	8,000	[9]
November 3	Nevada	California Field Berkeley, CA	T 0–0		[10]
November 10	at USC	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 13–7	72,000	[11]
November 17	Washington	California Field Berkeley, CA	W 9–0	28,000	[12]
November 24	Stanford	California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA (Big Game)	W 9–0	75,000	[13]
*Non-conference game Source: [1]

Roster

• Ball, C
• Stewart N. Beam, T
• Berlin, T
• Arthur Le Roy Best, G
• William F. Blewett, FB
• Brown, FB
• Bunger, T
• Dana Carey, G
• James A. Dixon, HB
• Dodson, HB
• Richard M. Dunn, HB
• F. Howard Evans, QB
• Francis, T
• Edwin C. Horrell, C
• Hufford, E
• Talma W. Imlay, QB
• King, QB
• Charles N. Mell, E
• Don Newmeyer, T
• Donald Nichols, HB
• Nickelman, G
• Donald C. Perry, G
• Powers, C
• Walter F. Rau
• Saunby, G
• Pete Schaffnit, E
• James E. Spalding, HB
• Tait, QB
• Thatcher, E
• Topham, C
• Francis S. West
• White, T
• John I. Witter, FB
• Young, E