In an unexpected overlapping of some of my interests, a song I haven't seen mentioned (much) here: the 1930 football parody song Twenty Swedes Ran Through the Weeds (Chasing One Norwegian) by The California Ramblers. A second shorter version by famous banjoist Harry Reser skips the spoken intro written below but adds the non-sung lyrics at the end of this transcription.

The whole song mockingly follows an early football game between the Swedes of Minnesota and Notre Dame, making fun of the simplicity of college yells while cheering on Notre Dame football, which at that time was one of the best teams in the nation, recognized as co-champion of the year (alongside Alabama).

As a side note, I've found a fragment of the sheet music to the song online (here). It gives more lyrics which weren't sung in either version, but unfortunately not enough lyrics that I felt like it was worth writing down. It did confirm the man who scored the touchdown was named Izzy Cohn, a player who wasn't actually on Notre Dame's 1930 roster (link). Aside from Cohn, most of the details of the song are correct, except for one: Notre Dame and Minnesota first met in 1937, 7 years after the publication of this song. Otherwise, the players (aside from Cohn) named were real ND players, Rockne himself was the Norwegian, and Minnesota's team was at least referred to frequently as the Swedes at the time, even if their team didn't contain a particularly high number of Swedes (none of the last names listed look Swedish to me!).

The phrase does, however, pre-date the song. After some quick searching the earliest reference I've found was from 1920, and even that article said the phrase had been in use "for years."


TWENTY SWEDES RAN THROUGH THE WEEDS (CHASING ONE NORWEGIAN)
(Alfred Bryan and Billy Moll)

[in announcer voice]
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at the field ready to witness the football classic of the year. Here comes the famous team of Notre Dame. Get in on this cheer!

Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Notre Dame U!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Notre Dame U!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Notre Dame U!
Hooray!

And now come the gallant Swedes from Minnesota. Look at those huskies! Here comes the cheer for them!

Rah rah rah! Rah rah rah!
Minn-e-so-ta, ya ya ya
Yump-in yimminee, ho-lee-yee
Ve're terrible Svedes from Minnesoty

[end of intro section]

The gang from Minnesota were down at Notre Dame
The Irish team was on the scene all ready for the game
When on the field stepped Rockne, the crowd all heard him call
Bring on your Swedish football team, substitutes and all

It's the Irish, the Irish
Rah rah rah rah rah!

Twenty Swedes ran through the weeds chasing one Norwegian
Oh, how that Irish team could run
Twenty Danes ran down the lane to tackle that collegian
But Notre Dame had just begun

Carideo passed the ball to Schwartz, Savoldi passed to Brill
And how the crowd cheered every Irish name
Then a guy named Izzy Cohn made a touchdown all alone
For the Fighting Irish team of Notre Dame

[Harry Reser non-sung section]
Signals! One, two!
Watch my shoes!
Three, four!
Shut the door!

After the ball was over
[whistle and cheering]