1940 Morris Brown Wolverines football team

1940 Morris Brown Wolverines football
Black college national champion SIAC champion
Peach Blossom Classic, W 28–6 vs. Kentucky State Steel Bowl, W 19–3 vs. Wilberforce
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	9–1 (6–1 SIAC)
Head coach	Artis P. Graves (1st season)
Home stadium	Ponce de Leon Park
Seasons ← 1939 1941  →

1940 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Morris Brown $	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Alabama State	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Florida A&M	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	1	–	3
Xavier (LA)	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Tuskegee	4	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Clark (GA)	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Lane	2	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Knoxville	2	–	3	–	1			?	–	?	–	?
Morehouse	1	–	5	–	1			1	–	6	–	1
Benedict	1	–	4	–	1			?	–	?	–	?
South Carolina State	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
LeMoyne *	2	–	1	–	0			?	–	?	–	?
Talladega *	1	–	2	–	0			?	–	?	–	?
Fisk *	0	–	3	–	0			?	–	?	–	?
$ – Conference champion * Conference standings were based on the Dickinson System. Teams that played less than five conference games did not figure in final standings.

The 1940 Morris Brown Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented Morris Brown College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1940 college football season. In their first season under head coach Artis P. Graves, the Wolverines compiled an overall record of 9–1 record with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the SIAC title. ^[1] Morris Brown defeated Kentucky State in the Peach Blossom Bowl and Wilberforce in the Steel Bowl. This was recognized as the black college national champion for 1940.

Key players included fullback John "Big Train" Moody and halfbacks "Switch Engine" Jenkins and Joe Mitchell. Moody and guard Willie Griffin, one of Morris Brown's "Gold Dust Twins," were selected by The Pittsburgh Courier as first-team players on its 1940 All-America team. Shepard was selected as a second-team guard, and Jenkins was selected as a third-team back. ^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	at Allen *	Columbia, SC	W 34–0
October 5	at Tuskegee	Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium Tuskegee, AL	W 10–0		[3]
October 19	Morehouse	Ponce de Leon Park Atlanta, GA	W 16–0		[4]
October 26	Florida A&M	Atlanta, GA	L 13–20		[5] [6]
November 2	Alabama State	Atlanta, GA	W 21–3		[7]
November 8	Xavier (LA)	Atlanta, GA	W 25–0
November 16	at Knoxville	Knoxville, TN	W 46–0		[8]
November 21	Clark (GA)	Ponce de Leon Park Atlanta, GA	W 20–7		[9]
December 7	Kentucky State *	Atlanta, GA (Peach Blossom Bowl)	W 28–6	< 1,500	[10] [11]
January 1, 1941	vs. Wilberforce *	Birmingham, AL (Steel Bowl)	W 19–3	8,000	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Morris Brown, Alabama, Florida, Xavier Pace Dixie Race". The Phoenix Index. Phoenix, Arizona. November 30, 1940. p. 4. Retrieved October 24, 2024– via Newspapers.com .
2. "Deep South Gets Five Posts On Courie's Eleven". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 28, 1923. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Morris Brown Tops Tuskegee By 10-0". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 6, 1940. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Morehouse Bows To Morris Brown". The Atlanta Constitution. October 20, 1940. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Florida Nips M.B." The Pittsburgh Courier. November 2, 1940. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Morris Brown Beaten, 20-13, By Floridans". The Atlanta Constitution. October 27, 1940. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Morris Brown Tops 'Bama State, 21-3". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 3, 1940. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Morris Brown Defeats Knox Team, 46 to 0". The Atlanta Constitution. November 17, 1940. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Morris Brown Crushes Clark, 20-7, In Dixie Classic: All-American Moody Sets All-Time Scoring Record As Wolverines Capture Title". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 30, 1940. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "'Violent Violet' Vigor Vanquishes Negro Rival In 'Peach Blossom' Bowl". The Pittsburgh Press. December 8, 1940. p. III-15 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Morris Brown Wins; Title Bid Strengthened". The Atlanta Constitution. December 8, 1940. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Morris Brown Wins Negro Crown, 19-3". The Birmingham News. January 2, 1941. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.