1927 Detroit Titans football team

The 1927 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit as an independent during the 1927 college football season. Detroit outscored opponents by a combined total of 235 to 47 and finished with a 7–2 record in their third year under head coach Gus Dorais.^[1][2] The team's losses came in games against Knute Rockne's 1927 Notre Dame team that has been rated as a national champion and against Army which was the only team to beat Notre Dame in 1927.

1927 Detroit Titans football
Conference	Independent
Record	7–2
Head coach	Gus Dorais (3rd season)
Home stadium	University of Detroit Stadium
Seasons ← 1926 1928 →

1927 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Notre Dame			–					7	–	2	–	1
Detroit			–					7	–	2	–	0
Ball Teachers			–					5	–	2	–	1
Marquette			–					6	–	3	–	0
Michigan Tech			–					2	–	1	–	0
Haskell			–					5	–	3	–	1
Butler			–					4	–	3	–	1
John Carroll			–					3	–	2	–	3
Saint Louis			–					5	–	5	–	0
Lombard			–					4	–	4	–	0
Loyola (IL)			–					4	–	4	–	0
Michigan State			–					4	–	5	–	0
Northern Illinois State			–					1	–	4	–	1
Kent State			–					1	–	5	–	1
Valparaiso			–					1	–	5	–	0
Rankings from Dickinson System

The team was led by halfback Lloyd Brazil of whom coach Dorais later said: "As far as I'm concerned, there were only three great collegiate backs in my lifetime -- Jim Thorpe, George Gipp and Lloyd Brazil."^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 24	Adrian	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 44–0		[4]
October 1	at Army	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	L 0–6		[5]
October 8	Notre Dame	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–20	28,000	[6]
October 15	Columbia (IA)	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 58–0		[7]
October 29	at Michigan State	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 24–7		[8]
November 5	Haskell	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 38–7		[9]
November 11	at Saint Louis	Sportsman's Park St. Louis, MO	W 21–0		[10]
November 19	at Carnegie Tech	Forbes Field Pittsburgh, PA	W 12–7		[11]
November 24	South Dakota State	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 38–0		[12]

References

1. "1927 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
2. "Detroit Yearly Results (1925-1929)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
3. Lyall Smith (April 7, 1965). "Lloyd Brazil: Titans' Titan". Detroit Free Press. p. 27.
4. W. W.Edgar (September 25, 1927). "University of Detroit Eleven Routs Adrian In Football Inaugural, 44 to 0". Detroit Free Press. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
5. W. W. Edgar (October 2, 1927). "Touchdown In First Period Against U. of D. Subs Wins For Army, 6 to 0: Dorais Eleven Plays Cadets To Standstill". Detroit Free Press. pp. 21, 22 – via Newspapers.com.
6. W. W. Edgar (October 9, 1927). "Notre Dame Defeats Titans By Three Touchdowns Before Record Crowd: Aerial Attack Factor In Victory For Rockne's Men". Detroit Free Press. pp. 21, 23 – via Newspapers.com.
7. W. W. Edgar (October 16, 1927). "University of Detroit Eleven Has Little Trouble Crushing Columbia College: Iowans' Line Wilts Under Titan Attack". Detroit Free Press. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
8. W. W. Edgar (October 30, 1927). "University of Detroit Outplays Michigan State at East Lansing and Wins: Titan Passes Beat Spartans". Detroit Free Press. pp. 21, 22 – via Newspapers.com.
9. W. W. Edgar (November 6, 1927). "University of Detroit Romps Over Haskell Indians: Clever Air Play Routs Redskins". Detroit Free Press. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
10. W. W. Edgar (November 12, 1927). "St. Louis Is Downed By Titans, 21-0: Two Long Dashes Feature Triumph of Dorais' Team". Detroit Free Press. pp. 12, 13 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "U. of D. Downs Carnegie: Titans Come From Behind To Take Game". Detroit Free Press. November 20, 1927. pp. 16, 19 – via Newspapers.com.
12. W. W. Edger (November 25, 1927). "University of Detroit Crushes South Dakota State In Final Game, 38 to 0: Jackrabbits Fail to Check Aerial Offense of Titans". Detroit Free Press. pp. 13, 14 – via Newspapers.com.