1945 Army Cadets football team

Last updated

1945 Army Cadets football
Consensus national champion
Eastern champion
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 1
Record9–0
Head coach
Captain John Green
Home stadium Michie Stadium
Seasons
←  1944
1946  →
1945 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Army  – 9 –0 –0
Franklin & Marshall  – 4 –0 –1
No. 20 Columbia  – 8 –1 –0
Temple  – 7 –1 –0
No. 16 Holy Cross  – 8 –2 –0
Tufts  – 4 –1 –0
No. 8 Penn  – 6 –2 –0
Yale  – 6 –3 –0
Massachusetts State  – 2 –1 –1
Harvard  – 5 –3 –0
Penn State  – 5 –3 –0
Cornell  – 5 –4 –0
Villanova  – 4 –4 –0
Boston College  – 3 –4 –0
Brown  – 3 –4 –1
Colgate  – 3 –4 –1
Princeton  – 2 –3 –2
NYU  – 3 –4 –0
Pittsburgh  – 3 –7 –0
Bucknell  – 2 –5 –0
Drexel  – 2 –5 –0
Dartmouth  – 1 –6 –1
Syracuse  – 1 –6 –0
Boston University  – 0 –5 –0
CCNY  – 0 –8 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1945 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent and considered to be among the greatest in collegiate history.

Contents

In their fifth season under head coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the Cadets compiled a 9–0 record, shut out five of nine opponents (including a 48–0 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame and a 61–0 victory over No. 6 Penn), and outscored all opponents by a total of 412 to 46. [1] Army's 1945 season was part of a 32-game undefeated streak that included the entire 1944, 1945, and 1946 seasons.

In the final AP Poll released on December 2, Army was unanimously ranked No. 1 nationally with 1,160 points, more than 200 points ahead of No. 2 Navy. [2] The Cadets repeated as winners of the Dr. Henry L. Williams trophy for the AP national championship. Army also won the Lambert Trophy as the best football team in the east. [3]

All eight other contemporary NCAA-designated major selectors also recognized Army as the 1945 national champion, including the Boand System, Dunkel System, DeVold System, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, Litkenhous Ratings, Poling System, and Williamson System. Army also garnered five retrospective selections by later major selectors Berryman (QPRS), Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, and Sagarin Ratings; [4] the National Championship Foundation selected them as co-champions with Alabama. [4]

The team led the nation with an average of 462.7 yards of total offense per game, including 359.8 rushing yards per game. [5] The offense was led by backs Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. Blanchard scored 114 points in 1945 and received both the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award as the best player in college football. [6] [7] [8] Davis rushed for 944 yards and led the nation with an average of 11.51 rushing yards per carry. [9]

Four Army players were consensus first-team picks on the 1945 All-America college football team: Blanchard; Davis; tackle Tex Coulter; and guard John Green. [10] In a departure from normal practice, the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named all eleven Army starters as its All-American team for 1945. [11] Other notable players included quarterback Arnold Tucker (NEA) and end Hank Foldberg.

The undefeated 1945 Army team was one of the strongest of all time, as during World War II, loose player transfer rules allowed service academies to assemble many of the nation's best players. [12]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 29 Personnel Distribution Command
W 32–09,000 [13] [14]
October 6 Wake Forest
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 54–010,000 [15]
October 13vs. No. 9 Michigan No. 1
W 28–770,000 [16] [17]
October 20Melville PT RaidersNo. 1
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 55–13 [18]
October 27vs. No. 19 Duke No. 1
W 48–1342,287 [19]
November 3 Villanova No. 1
  • Michie Stadium
  • West Point, NY
W 54–012,000 [20]
November 10vs. No. 2 Notre Dame No. 1
W 48–074,621 [21]
November 17at No. 6 Penn No. 1
W 61–073,000 [22]
December 1vs. No. 2 Navy No. 1
W 32–13102,000 [23]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[24]

Rankings

Army was the wire-to-wire No. 1 in the season's AP poll and won the Dr. Henry L. Williams Trophy.

Ranking movements
Legend: ( ) = First-place votes
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP 1 (86)1 (90)1 (101)1 (91)1 (86)1 (91)1 (81)1 (80)1 (116)

Personnel

Players

Coaches

Awards and honors

Team

Individual

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Davis (halfback)</span> American football player (1924–2005)

Glenn Woodward Davis was an American professional football halfback who played for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He is best known for his college football career for the Army Cadets from 1943 to 1946, where he was known as "Mr. Outside". He was named a consensus All-American once, named unanimous All-American twice, and in 1946 won the Heisman Trophy and was named Sporting News Player of the Year and Associated Press Athlete of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doc Blanchard</span> American football player and coach (1924–2009)

Felix Anthony "Doc" Blanchard was an American football player and serviceman who became the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award, and was the first football player to win the James E. Sullivan Award, all in 1945. He played football for the Army Cadets, where he was known as "Mr. Inside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Black Knights football</span> American athletic football program of the U. S. Military Academy

The Army Black Knights football team, historically known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. The Black Knights team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Black Knights play home games in Michie Stadium with a capacity of 36,000 at West Point, New York. The Black Knights are coached by Jeff Monken, who has held the position since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Foldberg</span> American football player and coach (1923–2001)

Henry Christian Foldberg Sr. was an American college and professional football player who became a college football coach. Foldberg played college football for Texas A&M University and the United States Military Academy, and thereafter, he played professionally for Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Hornets of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He later served as the head football coach of Wichita State University and Texas A&M University.

The 1946 Georgia Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the University of Georgia in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1946 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Wally Butts, the Bulldogs compiled a perfect 11–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 392 to 110, and tied for the SEC championship.

The 1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Minnesota in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth year under head coach Murray Warmath, the Golden Gophers compiled an 8–2 record, outscored opponents by a total of 140 to 75, and were ranked No. 6 in the final final AP and UPI polls. They defeated UCLA, 21–3, in the 1962 Rose Bowl.

The 1961 Arkansas Razorbacks football team was an American football team that represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1961 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks compiled an 8–3 record, finished in a tie with Texas for the SWC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 183 to 97. The Razorbacks' only losses during the regular season came against Ole Miss by a 16–0 score and to Texas by a 33–7 score. The team was ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press (AP) writers poll and No. 8 in the final United Press International (UPI) coaches poll and went on to lose to the undefeated national champion Alabama in the 1962 Sugar Bowl by a 10–3 score.

The 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team was an American football team that represented Syracuse University as an independent during the 1961 college football season. In their 13th year underhead coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the Orangemen compiled an 8–3 record, outscored opponents by a total of 253 to 117, and defeated Miami (FL) in the 1961 Liberty Bowl. They were ranked No. 14 in the final AP poll and No. 16 in the final UPI poll.

The 1944 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1944 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Earl Blaik, the Cadets compiled a perfect 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 504 to 35. Army's 1944 season was part of a 32-game undefeated streak that included the entire 1944, 1945, and 1946 seasons.

The 1946 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the Cadets compiled a 9–0–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 263 to 80. Army's 1946 season was part of a 32-game undefeated streak that included the entire 1944, 1945, and 1946 seasons.

The 1947 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1947 college football season. In its seventh year under head coach Earl Blaik, the team compiled a 5–2–2 record, was ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll, and outscored opponents by a total of 220 to 68. The team played its home games at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York.

The 1945 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1945. The nine selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1945 season are (1) Collier's Weekly, as selected by Grantland Rice, (2) the Associated Press, (3) the United Press, (4) the All-America Board, (5) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (6) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (7) the International News Service (INS), (8) Look magazine, (9) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and (10) the Sporting News.

The 1946 William & Mary Indians football team was an American football team that represented the College of William & Mary as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1946 college football season. In their third season under head coach Rube McCray, the Indians compiled an 8–2 record, finished in second place in the SoCon, and outscored all opponents by a total of 347 to 71.

The 1961 Tampa Spartans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Tampa as an independent during the 1961 college football season. In their 25th season of college football and their 10th season under head coach Marcelino Huerta, the Spartans compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 188 to 98.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 Ole Miss Rebels football team</span> American college football season

The 1962 Ole Miss Rebels football team was an American football team that represented the University of Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. In their 16th year under head coach Johnny Vaught, the Rebels compiled a perfect 10–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 247 to 53, won the SEC championship, and defeated Arkansas in the 1963 Sugar Bowl. To date, it is the only undefeated and untied season in Ole Miss football history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1914 Army Cadets football team</span> American college football season

The 1914 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1914 college football season. In their second season under head coach Charles Dudley Daly, the Cadets compiled a 9–0 record, shut out six of their nine opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 219 to 20 – an average of 24.3 points scored and 2.2 points allowed. In the annual Army–Navy Game, the Cadets defeated the Midshipmen, 20 to 0. The Cadets also defeated Notre Dame 20–7.

The 1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado, now known as the University of Colorado Boulder, as a member of the Big Eight Conference during the 1961 college football season. In their third and final year under head coach Sonny Grandelius, the Buffaloes compiled a 9–2 record, won the Big 8 championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 184 to 104.

The 1941 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University in the Ivy League during the 1941 college football season. In its seventh season under head coach Dick Harlow, the team compiled a 5–2–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 70 to 43. The team was ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll released on November 10, 1941, and No. 19 in the poll released on November 24, 1941. The team was unranked in the final AP Poll but was ranked at No. 32 in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.

The 1946 Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pennsylvania in the Ivy League during the 1946 college football season. In its ninth season under head coach George Munger, the team compiled a 6–2 record, was ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll, and outscored opponents by a total of 265 to 102.

The 1945 All-Eastern football team consists of American football players chosen at the end of the 1945 college football season as the best at each position from teams playing college football at schools in the Eastern United States. The organizations selecting All-Eastern teams in 1945 included the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press (UP).

References

  1. ↑ "1945 Army Black Knights Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Army Unanimous Choice as Top Team in AP's Final Poll". Abilene Reporter-News. December 4, 1945. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Army Lambert Winner". The Boston Globe. December 4, 1945. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. pp. 112–114. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1946). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1946. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 30.
  6. ↑ "Uconn Ace Crowned New Scoring Champ". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 3, 1945. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Trophy Given To Blanchard". Arizona Republic. December 4, 1945. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Blanchard Also Wins Maxwell Club Award". The Boston Globe. December 4, 1945. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1946). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1946. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 34.
  10. ↑ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ Harry Grayson (November 27, 1945). "Army's And Nea's 1945 All American Chosen: Men Hail From Nine States". Olean Times Herald. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Connelly, Bill (December 10, 2016). "What made 1945 Army the greatest college football team of all time". SBNation. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved July 7, 2022. World War II gave the service academies competitive edges, and the Cadets took maximum advantage, producing perhaps the most dominant season of college football possible.
  13. ↑ Jimmy Powers (September 30, 1945). "Army Roughs Fliers, 32-0; Davis, M'Williams Score 2". New York Daily News. p. 69 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Karl Ruby (September 30, 1945). "Army Punctures Comets' Scrappy Line for 32-0 Win". The Courier-Journal. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Dick Young (October 7, 1945). "Army Eleven Levels Wake Forest by 54-0". New York Daily News. p. 25C – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Jack Smith (October 14, 1945). "Army Outspeeds Wolves, 28-7; Davis, Blanchard Run 70 Yds". New York Daily News. p. 76 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Michigan Extends Army in 28-7 Loss". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. October 14, 1945. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Dick Young (October 21, 1945). "Army Beats PT's, 55-13, After Trailing in 1st, 0-13". New York Daily News. p. 77 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Dick Young (October 28, 1945). "Army Rips Duke, 48-13, On Long Dashes at PG". New York Daily News. p. 73 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Army Subs Sink Villanova, 54-0; Doc, Glenn Get 2". New York Daily News. November 4, 1945. p. 25C – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Gene Ward (November 11, 1945). "Army Whips Notre Dame, 48-0". New York Daily News. p. 88 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Morrow, Art (November 18, 1945). "73,000 See Army's Power Batter Penn, 61-0; Davis and Blanchard Both Score 3 Times". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Philadelphia, Pa. p. S1 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Jerry Nason (December 2, 1945). "Navy Goes Down With Guns Blazing Before Army, 32-13: Blanchard and Davis Score 5 Touchdowns". The Boston Sunday Globe. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ DeLassus, David. "Army Yearly Results: 1945–1949". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  25. ↑ Litkenhous Ratings Championship trophy (Trophy plaque). Hollingsworth/Manning Hall, University of Mississippi: Litkenhous Ratings. July 18, 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2023. The Difference By Score System
  26. ↑ "NCAA College Football Awards - ESPN".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.