Centre vs. Harvard

The Centre College football team's record of 9-0 in 1919 encouraged Harvard to add the small Danville, Kentucky, college to its 1920 schedule. Coach "Uncle Charlie" Moran's team from Centre included three All-Americans - Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin (quarterback), Jim "Red" Weaver (center), and third team end James "Red" Roberts. In Cambridge, the score was 14-14 at half-time and McMillin gained more than 280 yards that afternoon, but Centre's Praying Colonels lost 31-14. The Harvard Crimson, national champions and undefeated in five years, met the Praying Colonels for the second time in Harvard Stadium on Saturday, October 29, 1921, before 45,000 fans. The first half ended scoreless. Early in the third quarter on the Harvard 32-yard line, McMillin took the ball through the right side of the line, reversed his direction and crossed the goal line at the left sideline. At the end of the historic game, the score was Centre 6, Harvard 0. Many people that day believed that they had seen David defeat Goliath. The Associated Press in 1950 and the New York Times in 1971 agreed that the Centre victory was the football upset of the century.

Source: Lee, Charles R., Jr. The Kentucky Encyclopedia, 1992