1942 Millikin Big Blue football team

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1942 Millikin Big Blue football
1942 Millikin Big Blue football team.jpg
1942 Millikin football team
ICC champion
Conference Illinois College Conference
Record7–0 (5–0 ICC)
Head coach
Captain Virgil Wagner
Home stadiumJ.M.U. Field
Seasons
←  1941
1943 →
1942 Illinois College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Millikin $ 5 –0 –07 –0 –0
Augustana (IL) 4 –1 –07 –1 –0
Knox (IL) 2 –1 –06 –2 –0
Illinois Wesleyan 2 –1 –04 –5 –0
North Central (IL) 1 –1 –05 –2 –0
Bradley 0 –1 –04 –4 –0
Illinois College 0 –3 –03 –4 –1
Lake Forest 0 –3 –02 –4 –1
Monmouth (IL) 0 –3 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1942 Millikin Big Blue football team was an American football team that represented James Millikin University as a member of the Illinois College Conference (ICC) during the 1942 college football season. In their first and only year under head coach Fuzzy Sutherd, the Big Blue compiled a perfect 7–0 record (5–0 in conference games), won the ICC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 174 to 37. [1] Having gone undefeated in 1941 as well, Millikin extended its winning streak to 16 games (dating to the final game of the 1940 season). [2] [3] The 1942 campaign was one of only five undefeated seasons in Millikin football history, the others being 1919, 1920, 1941, and 1961. [4]

Contents

Sutherd was Millikin's athletic director prior to the 1942 season. He added coaching to his duties when head football coach Marshall Wells and assistant coach Don Lindeberg both entered the military following the country's entry into World War II. [2] [5]

Senior halfback Virgil Wagner was the team captain. He was also selected as a first-team player on the Associated Press 1942 Little All-America college football team. [6] Wagner later played for the Montreal Alouettes from 1946 to 1954 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1980. [7]

Four Millikin players received first-team honors on the all-conference team: Wagner; Ed Dahm at halfback; Perry MacIntosh at guard; and Bill Travis at tackle. Two others, Glenn Lauher at guard and Jack Miller at end, were named to the second team. [8]

The team played its home games at Decatur High Shool field (two games) and James Millikin University Field (one game) in Decatur, Illinois.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 25 Carroll (WI) *
W 7–0 [9]
October 3at Monmouth (IL) Monmouth, IL W 14–6 [10]
October 17 Knox (IL) Dagger-14-plain.png
  • J.M.U. Field
  • Decatur, IL
W 28–6 [11]
October 24at Illinois Wesleyan Bloomington, IL W 49–12 [12]
October 31 Eastern Illinois *
  • Decatur High School Field
  • Decatur, IL
W 56–61,000 [13]
November 14at Lake Forest Lake Forest, IL W 13–71,500 [14]
November 21at Illinois College Jacksonville, IL W 7–0 [15] [16]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming

Starters

The following players started every game for the 1942 Millikin team:

[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Millikin Closes Its Second Undefeated, Untied Season". The Dispatch. Moline, Illinois. November 22, 1942. p. 16. Retrieved July 15, 2020– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  2. 1 2 "J.M.U. Equals Grid Record Of Unbeaten 1919-20 Teams: Blue Finishes 2d Perfect Schedule". Decatur Herald. November 23, 1942. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Forrest R. Kyle (November 5, 1952). "Last Unbeaten, Untied Team at Millikin in '42". Decatur Herald. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.(Millikin did not field teams ruing the war years of 1943, 1944, or 1945. The winning streak was broken with the first game of the 1946 season.)
  4. ↑ "Millikin Announces 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees". Millikin University. September 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ Forrest R. Kyle (November 6, 1970). "Honest, Fuzzy, No One Has a Thing Against You". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 14.("When his coaching staff went off to the service after the 1941-42 school year, Athletic Director Sutherd was left with a team and a schedule for 1942 but no coach. Sutherd put on his coaching cap again and steered the 1942 team through an undefeated season.")
  6. ↑ "Virgil Wagner, Millikin Halfback, Is Named On First Little All-America Grid Team". Decatur Herald. December 9, 1942. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Virgil Wagner made Canadian Hall of Fame". Herald and Review. October 3, 1982. p. E6 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Charles Whalen (November 26, 1942). "Byron Swedberg Placed on All-Conference Grid Team: Coach Briley Labels Star End as 'Best in Midwest'; Millikin Gets Four Players on First team; Other Vikings Honored". Moline Daily Dispatch. International News Service. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ George Kreker (September 26, 1942). "Millikin Wins, 7-0: Pass Brings score In Rain and Mud". Decatur Herald. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "Millikin Downs Monmouth For First League Win, 14-6: Wagner Runs, Passes For Two Touchdowns". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. October 4, 1942. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ George Kreker (October 18, 1942). "Millikin Trounces Knox In Homecoming Game, 28-6: Blue Captures 3d Victory of Season". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ George Kreker (October 25, 1942). "Blue Swamps Titans, 49-12, For 13th Victory: Score Sets Record In Wesleyan Series". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ George Kreker (November 1, 1942). "Long Runs Help Millikin Trounce Charleston 56-6". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Millikin Triumphs Again, 13-7; Wagner, Dahm Make Scores". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. November 15, 1942. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Howard V. Millard (November 22, 1942). "Millikin Wins, 7-0, Takes Second Loop Title in Row: Illinois College 16th Consecutive Victim". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Millikin Wins 16th Straight by 7 to 0 Score". Chicago Tribune. November 22, 1942. p. 6 (part 2) – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Miller". Herald and Review. February 15, 1999. p. A9 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "These Boys Started Every Game in Millikin's Undefeated, Untied March". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. November 22, 1942. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
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