The 1920 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1920 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach Pop Warner, the team compiled a 6–0–2 record and outscored all opponents by a total of 146 to 44. The team played its home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. “Perhaps due to the resurrection of sports after the war period, Pitt enjoyed an athletic year that was quite indicative of its pre-war strength, which so practically dominated college sport activities in this section for many years. The season of 1920-21 boasted of representative Pitt teams in every branch of sport - football, basketball, baseball, track, swimming and tennis. Aviation, which made its initial bow at the University last year, progressed in fine manner – the team having been entered in the big intercollegiate meet.″
Schedule
Preseason
In spite of the 6–2–1 record of 1919, the outlook for the 1920 campaign was much better for Coach Warner. Twelve of the twenty-two lettermen were still in school and the freshmen team contributed twenty-six lads for possible varsity duty. "The squad next fall will be composed largely of men who went through this year's campaign, either on the varsity or freshmen team. There will be more experience in the Panther outfit next season than there was at anytime this season."
At the annual football banquet Herb Stein, star center, was elected Captain for the 1920 season. A week later Karl E. Davis appointed Robert G. Eckhardt as student football manager for the 1920 season. Mr. Eckhardt was a junior in the School of Economics. His brother was a well-known middle distance runner at Pitt.
On December 11 The Pittsburg Press reported:The announcement today by the University of Pittsburgh athletic authorities that a decision had been reached to have nothing further to do with Carnegie Tech in a sporting way was hardly unexpected. There has been considerable bitterness between the two schools for a long time, and this was increased greatly on the occasion of the recent football game between the Panther and the Plaid at Forbes Field, at which a riot was precipitated by a Tech students who resented the attempt of Pitt men to lower a Tech flag, which had surreptitiously been raised to the top of the Forbes Field flagstaff. However, the chances are that even this incident would have passed without any official action by Pitt, had not it been for an address delivered by Director Hamerschlag, of Tech, at Meadville, not long ago, in which he cast aspersions upon Pitt's eligibility code, and the amateur standing of the Panther athletes. While there is no mention of this address in Pitt's statement, it is known that it caused a great deal of adverse comment on the part of followers of Pitt, and it doubtless had more to do with the break than anything else.
Karl E. Davis announced the eight game 1920 football schedule on December 22. The schedule mirrored the 1919 slate except Lehigh and Carnegie Tech were absent. Lafayette replaced Tech but there was no replacement found for Lehigh.
On September 7, 1920 Coach Warner and forty Panther football prospects arrived at Camp Hamilton for two and a half weeks of preseason training. Student Manager Eckhardt and his assistants "got everything in shipshape for the coming of Coach Warner and his lads. The foxy mentor has asked that his squad be specially equipped this season in the matter of trousers and shoes, and the Panthers will have something novel in those lines. The men have all been provided with shoes in advance, in order to insure a perfect fit." New additions to the staff were Tom Kendrick, former varsity lineman, who handled first aid, and Dr. “Hube” Wagner (captain of the 1913 team), the medical supervisor. Former players - end Pat Herron, last year's captain Jimmie DeHart, guard Dale Seis and tackle Claude Thornhill - were on hand to assist Coach Warner. Leon W. Kelly, a star on the 1916 freshmen team, returned to school after his stint in the army and was welcomed to Camp Hamilton on September 14. "He scales better than 180 pounds, is aggressive, experienced and 'seasoned,' and is likely to win himself a regular job."