1945 SMU Mustangs football team

1945 SMU Mustangs football
Conference	Southwest Conference
Record	5–6 (4–2 SWC)
Head coach	Matty Bell (8th season)
Captains	Tom Dean Howard Maley
Home stadium	Ownby Stadium
Seasons ←  1944 1946  →

1945 Southwest Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 10 Texas $	5	–	1	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
SMU	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
TCU	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Rice	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Texas A&M	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Baylor	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
Arkansas	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1945 SMU Mustangs football team was an American football team that represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1945 college football season. In their eighth, non-consecutive season under head coach Matty Bell, the Mustangs compiled a 5–6 record (4–2 against conference opponents) and outscored opponents by a total of 201 to 110. After a stretch in which the team lost six of seven games, SMU finished the season with three consecutive shutout victories over Arkansas (21-0), Baylor (34-0), and TCU (34-0). ^[1] The team played its home games at Ownby Stadium in the University Park suburb of Dallas.

Three SMU players received first-team honors from the Associated Press (AP) and/or United Press (UP) on the 1945 All-Southwest Conference football team: back Doak Walker (AP-1, UP-1); end Gene Wilson (AP-1, UP-1); and tackle Tom Dean (AP-1, UP-1). ^{[2] [3]}

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22		Blackland AAF *	Ownby Stadium University Park, TX	W 51–0	6,500	[4]
September 29	8:00 p.m.	at Corpus Christi NAS *	Buccaneer Stadium Corpus Christi, TX	L 7–22	16,000	[5] [6] [7]
October 6		Missouri *	Ownby Stadium University Park, TX	L 7–10	8,000	[8]
October 12		vs. No. 14 Oklahoma A&M *	Taft Stadium Oklahoma City, OK	L 12–26	18,500	[9]
October 20		Rice	Ownby Stadium University Park, TX (rivalry)	W 21–18	10,000	[10]
October 27		at Tulane *	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA	L 7–19	28,000	[11]
November 3		Texas	Ownby Stadium University Park, TX	L 7–12	23,000	[12]
November 10		at Texas A&M	Kyle Field College Station, TX	L 0–3	10,000	[13]
November 17		Arkansas	Ownby Stadium University Park, TX	W 21–0	9,000	[14]
November 24		at Baylor	Municipal Stadium Waco, TX	W 34–0	9,000	[15]
December 1		at TCU	Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX (rivalry)	W 34–0	18,000	[16]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

References

1. "1945 SMU Mustangs Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
2. "AP 1945 First Team". The Paris News. December 10, 1945. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "All-Southwest Conference". The Shreveport Times. December 6, 1945. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Ratliff, Harold V. (September 23, 1945). "Powerful SMU Ponies Crush Blackland Air Field, 51-0". San Angelo Standard-Times . San Angelo, Texas. p. 10, section 1. Retrieved April 2, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
5. "Overflow Crowd, Rain Forecast For Comet-SMU Game Tonight". Corpus Christi Caller-Times . Corpus Christi, Texas. September 29, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved March 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
6. Lee, Bill (September 30, 1945). "Navy Comets Roar Over Southern Methodist, 22 To 7". Corpus Christi Caller-Times . Corpus Christi, Texas. p. 1D. Retrieved March 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
7. Lee, Bill (September 30, 1945). "Comets (continued)". Corpus Christi Caller-Times . Corpus Christi, Texas. p. 2D. Retrieved March 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
8. "Missouri bounces back; Trips favored S.M.U. eleven, 10–7". The Arizona Daily Star. October 7, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Fenimore, Grimes team to beat Ponies, 26–12". The Daily Oklahoman. October 13, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "SMU wins with Maley". The Abilene Reporter-News. October 21, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Intercepted passes give Tulane 19 to 7 triumph over SMU". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. October 28, 1945. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Bobby Layne's passes give Steers victory late in game". Sunday American-Statesman. November 4, 1945. Retrieved April 29, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Texas Aggies edge out SMU, 3 to 0, in crucial contest". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. November 11, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Mustangs trample Porkers, 21–0". The Austin American-Statesman. November 18, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. "SMU overwhelms Baylor team, 34–0". San Angelo Standard-Times. November 25, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
16. "High-geared Mustangs trample Frogs, 34–0". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 2, 1945. Retrieved March 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.