1946 college football season

Last updated

The 1946 college football season was the 78th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs. The season saw the return of many programs which had suspended play during World War II, and also the enrollment of many veterans returning from the war.

Contents

The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1946 were:

  1. The 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team compiled an 8–0–1 record and was ranked No. 1 in the final AP poll. The Fighting Irish, led by consensus All-Americans Johnny Lujack at quarterback and George Connor at tackle, played a scoreless tie against No. 2 Army in a game billed as the "Game of the Century". Notre Dame also ranked first in the nation in total offense (441.3 yards per game), rushing offense (340.1 yards per game), and total defense (141.7 yards per game).
  2. The 1946 Army Cadets football team compiled a 9–0–1 and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll. Army had won consecutive national championships in 1944 and 1945 and was led by 1946 Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis and 1945 Heisman winner Doc Blanchard.
  3. The 1946 Georgia Bulldogs football team compiled a perfect 11–0 record, won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship, was ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll, and defeated No. 9 North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs ranked second nationally in total offense (394.6 yards per game). They were led by Charley Trippi who tallied 1,366 yards of total offense and won the Maxwell Award as the best player in college football.
  4. The 1946 UCLA Bruins football team compiled a 10–0 record in the regular season, won the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) championship, was ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll, but lost to No. 5 Illinois in the Rose Bowl.

The year's statistical leaders included Rudy Mobley of Hardin–Simmons with 1,262 rushing yards, Travis Tidwell of Auburn with 1,715 yards of total offense, Bobby Layne of Texas with 1,122 passing yards, and Joe Carter of Florida N&I with 152 points scored.

Delaware compiled a 10–0 record and was recognized by the AP as the small college national champion. Morgan State (8–0) and Tennessee A&I (10–1) have been recognized as the black college national champions.

Conference and program changes

Conference establishments

Membership changes

School1945 Conference1946 Conference
Houston Cougars Program Established Lone Star

Season timeline

September

Significant games played in September 1946 included the following:

September 21

September 27–28

October

October 5

The first AP Poll of the 1946 season was issued on October 7 with Texas ranked No. 1, Army No. 2, Notre Dame No. 3, Michigan No. 4 and UCLA No. 5.

October 12

The next poll featured No. 1 Army, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Michigan.

October 19

Army, Notre Dame, and Texas stayed as the top three, ahead of No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 UCLA.

October 26

The next poll was No. 1 Army, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Penn, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Georgia.

November

November 2

In the poll that followed No. 1 Army, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Rice.

November 9

. [2]

In the poll that followed, No. 9 Penn moved back up to No. 5 after beating Columbia in New York's "other" football game, 41–6. The top four remained the same.

November 16

November 23

The top five remained the same.

November 30

With the exception of Notre Dame leapfrogging Army, the rankings of the other top-five teams remained the same.

December

On December 2, the final AP Poll was issued with Notre Dame at No. 1, Army at No. 2, Georgia at No. 3, UCLA at No. 4, Illinois at No. 5, Michigan at No. 6, Tennessee at No. 7, LSU at No. 8, North Carolina at No. 9, and Rice at No. 10.

Notable post-season games played in December included:

New Year's Day bowl games

Major bowls

Wednesday, January 1, 1947

Bowl gameWinning teamLosing team
Rose Bowl No. 5 Illinois 45No. 4 UCLA 14
Sugar Bowl No. 3 Georgia 20No. 9 North Carolina 10
Orange Bowl No. 10 Rice 8No. 7 Tennessee 0
Cotton Bowl No. 16 Arkansas 0No. 8 LSU 0
No. 1 Notre Dame (8–0–1), No. 2 Army (9–0–1), and No. 6 Michigan (6–2–1) were idle in bowl season.

Other bowls

Wednesday, January 1, 1947

Bowl gameWinning teamLosing team
Sun Bowl Cincinnati 18 VPI 6
Gator Bowl No. 14 Oklahoma 34No. 18 NC State 13
Tangerine Bowl Catawba 31 Maryville 6
Oil Bowl No. 11 Georgia Tech 41 Saint Mary's 19
Raisin Bowl Utah State 0 San Jose State 20
Harbor Bowl Montana State 13 New Mexico 13
Alamo Bowl ^ Hardin–Simmons 20 Denver 0
Cigar Bowl No. 19 Delaware 20 Rollins 3
^ The Alamo Bowl was postponed three days due to weather (ice). [3] [4]

Conference standings

Major conference standings

For this article, major conferences defined as those including at least one state flagship public university or a team ranked in the final AP poll and the Ivy League.

1946 Big Nine Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Illinois $ 6 1 08 2 0
No. 6 Michigan 5 1 16 2 1
No. 20 Indiana 4 2 06 3 0
Iowa 3 3 05 4 0
Minnesota 3 4 05 4 0
Ohio State 2 3 14 3 2
Northwestern 2 3 14 4 1
Wisconsin 2 5 04 5 0
Purdue 0 5 12 6 1
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Big Six Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Kansas + 4 1 07 2 1
No. 14 Oklahoma + 4 1 08 3 0
Missouri 3 2 05 4 1
Nebraska 3 2 03 6 0
Iowa State 1 4 02 6 1
Kansas State 0 5 00 9 0
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Border Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hardin–Simmons $ 6 0 011 0 0
Texas Tech 3 1 08 3 1
New Mexico 4 2 15 5 2
Arizona 2 2 14 4 2
West Texas State 3 4 05 5 0
Arizona State–Flagstaff 1 2 15 2 2
Texas Mines 2 4 03 6 0
Arizona State 1 4 12 7 2
New Mexico A&M 1 4 04 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Ivy Group football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 12 Yale 4 1 17 1 1
Harvard 3 1 07 2 0
No. 13 Penn 3 1 06 2 0
Cornell 3 1 15 3 1
Columbia 2 2 06 3 0
Princeton 2 4 03 5 0
Brown 1 3 03 5 1
Dartmouth 1 6 03 6 0
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 19 Delaware $ 3 0 010 0 0
Johns Hopkins 2 0 05 3 0
Western Maryland 4 1 05 2 0
Hampden–Sydney 2 2 02 2 0
Randolph–Macon 2 4 02 4 0
Washington College 1 5 01 5 0
Mount St. Mary's 0 2 00 2 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Mid-America Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Cincinnati $ 2 0 09 2 0
Western Reserve 1 1 04 3 2
Ohio 0 1 06 3 0
Wayne 0 1 04 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Middle Three Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Rutgers $ 2 0 07 2 0
Lafayette 1 1 02 7 0
Lehigh 0 2 02 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 17 Tulsa $ 3 0 09 1 0
Wichita 2 1 05 5 0
Saint Louis 1 1 04 6 0
Oklahoma A&M 1 1 03 7 1
Drake 0 4 02 6 1
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Mountain States Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Utah State $ 4 1 17 2 1
Denver $ 4 1 15 5 1
Utah 4 2 08 3 0
Colorado 3 2 15 4 1
BYU 3 2 15 4 1
Colorado A&M 1 5 02 7 0
Wyoming 0 6 01 8 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 North Central Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Iowa State Teachers $ 2 0 14 1 2
North Dakota Agricultural 4 1 05 3 0
South Dakota State 2 1 23 3 2
North Dakota 2 2 04 3 0
Morningside 2 3 13 5 1
South Dakota 1 2 02 4 0
Augustana (SD) 0 4 00 6 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 UCLA $ 7 0 010 1 0
Oregon State 6 1 17 1 1
USC 5 2 06 4 0
Washington 5 3 05 4 0
Stanford 3 3 16 3 1
Oregon 3 4 14 4 1
Montana 1 3 04 4 0
Washington State 1 5 11 6 1
California 1 6 02 7 0
Idaho 0 5 01 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Georgia + 5 0 011 0 0
No. 7 Tennessee + 5 0 09 2 0
No. 8 LSU 5 1 09 1 1
No. 11 Georgia Tech 4 2 09 2 0
Mississippi State 3 2 08 2 0
Alabama 4 3 07 4 0
Vanderbilt 3 4 05 4 0
Kentucky 2 3 07 3 0
Tulane 2 4 03 7 0
Auburn 1 5 04 6 0
Ole Miss 1 6 02 7 0
Florida 0 5 00 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 9 North Carolina $ 4 0 18 2 1
William & Mary 7 1 08 2 0
No. 18 NC State 6 1 08 3 0
South Carolina 4 2 05 3 0
Duke 3 2 04 5 0
Richmond 3 2 26 2 2
VPI 3 3 23 4 3
VMI 2 3 14 5 1
George Washington 1 1 04 3 0
Clemson 2 3 04 5 0
Wake Forest 2 3 06 3 0
Maryland 2 5 03 6 0
Furman 1 4 02 8 0
Washington and Lee 1 4 02 6 0
The Citadel 1 5 03 5 0
Davidson 1 5 04 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 10 Rice + 5 1 09 2 0
No. 16 Arkansas + 5 1 06 3 2
No. 15 Texas 4 2 08 2 0
Texas A&M 4 2 04 6 0
SMU 2 4 04 5 1
TCU 2 4 02 7 1
Baylor 0 6 01 8 0
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Yankee Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
New Hampshire + 3 0 16 1 1
Connecticut + 2 0 14 3 1
Rhode Island State 2 2 02 4 0
Massachusetts State 1 1 06 2 0
Vermont 0 2 02 3 2
Maine 0 3 02 5 0
  • + Conference co-champions

Major independents

1946 Eastern major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Army   9 0 1
Penn State   6 2 0
Boston College   6 3 0
Holy Cross   6 4 0
NYU   5 3 0
Villanova   6 4 0
Colgate   4 4 0
Syracuse   4 5 0
Pittsburgh   3 5 1
Temple   2 4 2
Merchant Marine   4 7 0
Bucknell   3 6 0
Fordham   0 7 0
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Midwestern major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Notre Dame   8 0 1
Detroit   6 4 0
Michigan State   5 5 0
Marquette   4 5 0
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Southern major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Miami (FL)   8 2 0
Georgetown   5 3 0
Virginia   4 4 1
Chattanooga   5 5 0
West Virginia   5 5 0
Navy   1 8 0
1946 Western major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Nevada   7 2 0
Saint Mary's   6 3 0
San Francisco   3 6 0
Santa Clara   2 5 1
Portland   1 4 1

Minor conferences

ConferenceChampion(s)Record
California Collegiate Athletic Association San Jose State 4–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association Morgan State College 7–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Southwestern (KS) 4–1
College Conference of Illinois North Central (IL) 7–1
Dakota-Iowa Athletic Conference Westmar
Yankton
4–1
Far Western Conference Humboldt State College 1–0–1
Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Butler 6–0
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Central (IA)
Upper Iowa
6–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Bethany 5–1
Lone Star Conference North Texas State Teachers 4–1
Mason–Dixon Conference Delaware 3–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Kalamazoo
Hillsdale
4–1
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Lawrence 6–0
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Gustavus Adolphus 6–0
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southeast Missouri State Teachers 5–0
Nebraska College Conference Doane 5–0–1
New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference Adams State College 4–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Iowa State Teachers (Northern Iowa)2–0–1
North Dakota College Athletic Conference Minot State Teachers 3–0–1
Ohio Athletic Conference Otterbein 4–0
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Southeastern State College (OK) 4–1
Pacific Northwest Conference Willamette 6–0
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference California State Teachers 4–0
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Montana State College 2–0–1
South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference Black Hills Teachers 4–0
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Redlands 2–0–2
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Florida A&M College 6–0
Southwestern Athletic Conference Southern 5–0
State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota Duluth State Teachers
Mankato State Teachers
2–0–2
3–0–1
Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Abilene Christian College
Southwestern (TX)
3–0–1
Washington Intercollegiate Conference Central Washington 5–0
Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference North: Superior State Teachers
Co-South: Milwaukee State Teachers
Co-South: Stevens Point State Teachers
1–0–3
3–1–0
3–1

Minor conference standings

1946 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Arkansas Tech $ 6 0 09 1 0
Ouachita Baptist 5 1 05 4 0
Henderson State 4 2 06 3 1
Magnolia A&M 3 2 04 5 0
Ozarks 2 4 02 7 0
Arkansas State Teachers 1 3 02 6 0
Hendrix 1 5 01 8 0
Monticello A&M 1 6 01 6 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Badger State Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northwestern (WI) $ 2 0 13 2 1
Wisconsin Tech 2 1 02 1 0
Mission House 2 2 03 3 0
Milton 1 2 11 4 1
Wisconsin–Extension 1 3 01 4 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
San Jose State $ 4 0 09 1 1
Fresno State 2 2 08 4 0
Cal Poly 1 1 06 2 1
Pacific (CA) 2 2 04 7 0
San Diego State 2 3 06 4 0
Santa Barbara 1 4 02 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southwestern (KS) $ 4 1 08 2 0
Washburn 3 1 16 2 1
St. Benedict's 2 2 14 3 1
Pittsburg State 1 2 24 2 3
Fort Hays State 1 2 22 4 2
Emporia State 1 4 04 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 College Conference of Illinois football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
North Central (IL) $ 7 1 07 1 0
Illinois Wesleyan 3 1 03 5 0
Wheaton (IL) 3 1 06 2 0
Lake Forest 3 1 03 3 0
Augustana (IL) 2 2 03 5 0
Millikin 1 3 02 6 0
Illinois College 1 4 02 5 1
Elmhurst 1 4 02 6 0
Carthage 0 4 00 7 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Morgan State $ 7 0 08 0 0
No. 10 West Virginia State 5 2 06 3 1
Virginia State 5 2 07 2 0
No. 16 Howard 6 2 06 3 0
No. 20 Lincoln (PA) 4 2 06 3 0
No. 16 North Carolina College 5 3 07 3 0
No. 18 North Carolina A&T 3 4 04 4 0
No. 19 Shaw 3 3 15 3 1
No. 22 Hampton 4 4 04 4 0
Delaware State 3 4 05 4 0
No. 18 Bluefield State 3 4 14 4 1
Winston-Salem State 1 4 13 5 1
No. 22 Virginia Union 1 5 13 5 1
Johnson C. Smith 0 5 20 6 2
Saint Paul's (VA) 0 6 00 6 0
St. Augustine's 1 0 03 1 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier Dickinson System
1946 Dakota-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Western Union + 4 1 05 2 0
Yankton + 4 1 05 3 0
Dakota Wesleyan 2 2 04 7 0
Buena Vista 1 2 01 6 0
Huron 1 3 12 4 1
Sioux Falls 0 3 10 4 1
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Far Western Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Humboldt State 1 0 15 3 1
Chico State 1 1 02 7 0
Cal Aggies 0 1 10 5 2
  • No conference champion was named in 1946.
1946 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Illinois State $ 4 0 09 2 0
Southern Illinois 3 1 04 4 0
Illinois State Normal 2 2 06 3 0
Eastern Illinois 1 3 02 6 0
Western Illinois 0 4 02 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Butler $ 6 0 07 1 0
Evansville 2 0 07 1 2
Wabash 5 1 07 1 0
Earlham 4 2 05 3 0
Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 1 03 4 0
Hanover 3 2 04 3 0
Franklin (IN) 3 3 04 4 0
Ball State 3 3 03 4 1
Indiana Central 3 4 03 4 0
Indiana State 2 4 04 4 0
Manchester 2 4 03 5 0
DePauw 1 2 01 5 2
Canterbury 1 4 01 7 0
Rose Poly 1 5 01 7 1
Valparaiso 0 3 01 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Iowa Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Central (IA) + 6 0 07 1 0
Upper Iowa + 6 0 06 0 0
St. Ambrose 1 0 05 3 0
Parsons 4 2 04 4 0
Dubuque 4 3 05 4 0
Luther 3 2 03 6 0
Simpson 2 3 03 5 1
Iowa Wesleyan 1 4 03 6 0
Buena Vista 1 4 01 6 0
Wartburg 1 5 02 5 0
Western Union 0 1 05 2 0
Loras 0 1 01 7 0
William Penn 0 4 00 6 0
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bethany (KS) $ 5 1 06 2 0
Ottawa 4 1 17 1 1
Baker 4 1 15 3 1
McPherson 3 2 14 3 1
Kansas Wesleyan 2 3 13 4 2
Bethel (KS) 1 5 02 6 0
College of Emporia 0 6 01 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
North Texas State $ 4 1 07 3 1
Sam Houston State 3 1 16 2 1
East Texas State 3 1 15 2 2
Southwest Texas State 3 2 06 2 2
Houston 1 4 04 6 0
Stephen F. Austin 0 5 01 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southeastern Louisiana $ 4 0 09 0 0
Louisiana Tech 3 1 07 3 0
Southwestern Louisiana 2 2 06 4 0
Northwestern State 1 3 04 6 0
Louisiana College 0 4 01 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bates $ 3 0 07 1 0
Maine 2 1 02 5 0
Bowdoin 1 2 02 4 0
Colby 0 3 01 6 0
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hillsdale + 4 1 07 1 0
Kalamazoo + 4 1 06 2 0
Hope 3 2 06 2 0
Albion 2 3 03 5 0
Alma 2 3 02 5 0
Adrian 0 5 00 8 0
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Midwest Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Tennessee A&I $ 3 0 010 1 0
No. 4 Wilberforce 1 1 15 2 2
No. 7 Lincoln (MO) 1 1 15 3 1
No. 19 Kentucky State 0 3 05 4 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier Dickinson System
1946 Midwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lawrence $ 6 0 06 1 1
Ripon 3 1 14 3 1
Cornell (IA) 4 2 15 2 1
Carleton 3 2 05 3 0
Monmouth (IL) 2 3 04 4 0
Beloit 2 4 04 4 0
Grinnell 2 4 03 5 0
Knox 2 4 03 5 0
Coe 1 5 03 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 0 07 0 1
St. Olaf 3 1 06 2 0
St. Thomas (MN) 3 1 04 3 0
Concordia (MN) 2 2 03 3 1
Saint John's (MN) 2 3 05 3 0
Saint Mary's (MN) 1 2 14 3 1
Augsburg 1 5 01 6 0
Macalester 0 4 11 6 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Minnesota Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Mankato State + 3 0 15 1 1
Duluth State + 2 0 24 1 2
Bemidji State 2 2 03 4 0
St. Cloud State 2 2 03 4 0
Moorhead State 1 2 12 3 2
Winona State 0 4 00 6 0
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Missouri Valley $ 4 0 010 0 0
Central (MO) 2 1 14 3 1
William Jewell 2 2 04 5 0
Culver–Stockton 1 3 04 4 0
Tarkio 0 3 10 7 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southeast Missouri State $ 5 0 08 0 1
Missouri Mines 3 1 14 3 2
Kirksville State 2 1 25 2 2
Northwest Missouri State 2 3 04 3 0
Southwest Missouri State 1 4 02 6 0
Central Missouri State 0 4 14 5 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Nebraska College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Doane $ 5 0 16 2 1
Nebraska Wesleyan 5 0 27 1 3
Kearney State 5 2 16 2 1
Peru State 4 3 14 4 1
Midland 3 4 04 4 0
Wayne State (NE) 2 3 04 3 0
Hastings 1 4 11 6 1
Chadron State 1 5 03 7 0
York (NE) 0 6 03 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 New Mexico Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Adams State $ 4 0 05 1 0
New Mexico Teachers 3 1 04 5 0
New Mexico Military 2 2 0 ?  ?  ?
Eastern New Mexico 1 3 01 7 1
New Mexico Highlands 0 4 01 5 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 North State Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Catawba $ 5 0 010 2 0
Appalachian State 4 1 06 3 0
High Point 3 2 17 2 1
Western Carolina 1 1 16 3 1
Lenoir–Rhyne 3 5 05 6 0
Guilford 1 2 16 2 1
Elon 1 4 14 5 1
Atlantic Christian 0 3 02 4 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Willamette $ 6 0 06 2 1
College of Idaho 4 2 06 4 0
Linfield 3 2 14 4 0
Puget Sound 3 2 13 4 1
Pacific (OR) 3 3 04 3 1
Whitman 1 5 02 5 0
British Columbia 0 6 00 7 0
Lewis & Clark   3 4 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Otterbein $ 5 0 07 1 0
Toledo 4 0 06 2 2
Muskingum 4 0 15 3 1
Oberlin 2 0 04 2 1
Baldwin–Wallace 4 1 04 2 2
Mount Union 5 1 17 1 1
Findlay 3 1 06 2 0
Marietta 3 1 03 4 0
Heidelberg 5 2 15 2 1
Kent State 1 1 06 2 0
Akron 3 4 05 4 0
Wittenberg 3 4 03 5 0
Ashland 2 3 12 5 1
Wooster 2 4 22 4 2
Denison 2 4 02 6 0
Case 1 4 02 7 0
John Carroll 1 4 01 7 0
Kenyon 1 5 01 7 0
Capital 1 6 01 6 0
Wilmington (OH) 0 2 00 5 0
Ohio Northern 0 6 03 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southeastern (OK) $ 4 1 09 3 0
Central State (OK) 3 1 14 4 1
Southwestern Tech 2 2 15 3 1
East Central 2 3 05 5 1
Northeastern State 2 3 04 6 0
Northwestern State (OK) 1 4 03 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
California (PA) $ 4 0 09 0 0
Mansfield 5 0 17 0 1
West Chester 2 1 09 1 0
Slippery Rock 2 1 03 4 1
Indiana (PA) 3 3 05 3 0
Bloomsburg 3 3 14 3 1
Millersville 3 3 03 3 0
Clarion 2 2 03 4 0
Lock Haven 3 4 14 5 1
East Stroudsburg 1 2 05 2 0
Shippensburg 2 5 12 5 1
Kutztown 1 4 03 4 0
Edinboro 0 3 00 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Montana State $ 2 0 15 3 2
Colorado State–Greeley 3 1 06 3 0
Western State (CO) 1 1 05 4 1
Colorado College 0 1 14 4 1
Colorado Mines 0 3 01 4 1
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Milligan $ 3 0 06 3 1
Carson–Newman 2 1 05 3 1
Emory and Henry 1 2 03 7 0
Tusculum 0 3 01 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Black Hills $ 3 0 05 2 0
Northern State 1 0 06 2 0
Southern State 1 1 02 4 0
South Dakota Mines 1 2 02 6 0
Eastern Normal 0 3 00 5 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Southeastern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 11 Allen $ 4 0 08 2 0
No. 12 Bethune–Cookman 1 1 18 1 1
Florida N&I 1 1 16 3 1
Paine 1 2 04 2 1
Claflin 0 3 01 7 1
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier Dickinson System
1946 Southern California Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Redlands $ 2 0 24 2 2
Whittier 2 1 13 5 1
Pomona 1 1 21 5 2
Occidental 1 2 11 4 2
Caltech 1 3 02 4 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 Florida A&M $ 6 0 06 4 1
No. 5 Lane 4 0 08 2 0
No. 3 Tuskegee 5 1 010 2 0
No. 12 Xavier (LA) 1 1 04 2 0
No. 14 South Carolina State 2 3 15 3 1
No. 15 Fisk 0 3 03 4 1
No. 16 Morris Brown   4 3 1
No. 17 Benedict   5 4 0
No. 18 Clark (GA)   3 4 0
No. 20 Alabama State   4 4 1
No. 22 Morehouse   1 3 3
Knoxville     
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier Dickinson System
1946 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 7 Southern $ 6 0 09 2 1
No. 12 Wiley 4 2 06 3 1
No. 6 Arkansas AM&N 3 2 17 2 1
No. 9 Prairie View A&M 2 2 27 2 2
No. 13 Texas College 3 3 05 4 1
No. 22 Langston 2 4 02 6 1
No. 23 Samuel Huston 0 5 23 5 2
No. 25 Bishop  ?  ?  ?4 3 1
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier Dickinson System
1946 Texas Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Abilene Christian + 3 0 18 1 1
Southwestern (TX) + 3 0 15 4 1
McMurry 2 2 04 4 1
Howard Payne 1 3 02 5 2
Austin 1 3 02 6 2
  • + Conference co-champions
1946 Washington Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Central Washington $ 5 0 06 2 0
Eastern Washington 3 1 14 3 1
Pacific Lutheran 2 2 13 3 1
Western Washington 2 3 04 4 0
Saint Martin's 1 4 02 4 0
Whitworth 1 4 01 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
1946 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
West Liberty State $ 4 0 07 2 0
Potomac State 7 1 07 2 0
West Virginia Tech 5 1 06 2 0
Fairmont State 3 1 14 3 1
West Virginia Wesleyan 4 3 06 3 0
Davis & Elkins 2 3 13 5 2
Morris Harvey 2 3 02 5 0
Concord 1 3 21 5 2
Glenville State 1 5 21 5 2
Shepherd 1 5 01 5 0
Salem 0 5 00 8 0
Marshall * 2 0 02 7 1
Bethany (WV) * 0 2 01 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Ties did not count in conference standings.
1946 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Superior State x 1 0 32 1 3
River Falls State 2 1 14 2 2
Stout Institute 1 1 22 2 2
Eau Claire State 1 2 13 2 2
La Crosse State 1 2 12 4 1
Southern Division
Stevens Point State x 3 1 03 2 1
Milwaukee State x 3 1 03 3 1
Oshkosh State 2 2 02 4 0
Platteville State 2 2 02 2 0
Whitewater State 0 4 00 6 0
  • x Division champion/co-champions

Non-major independents

1946 Eastern non-major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Thiel   7 0 0
Muhlenberg   9 1 0
Geneva   7 1 0
Dickinson   6 1 0
Alfred   5 1 0
Buffalo   7 2 0
Washington & Jefferson   6 2 0
Boston University   5 2 1
St. Lawrence   5 2 0
American International   4 2 1
Trinity (CT)   4 2 0
Swarthmore   5 3 0
Cortland State   4 3 0
Hofstra   4 3 0
Springfield   4 4 0
New York A&T   3 3 0
Northeastern   3 3 0
Scranton   4 5 1
Gettysburg   4 5 0
Drexel   3 4 0
Franklin & Marshall   3 4 0
Coast Guard   3 5 0
Tufts   1 6 0
CCNY   1 7 0
Carnegie Tech   0 6 0
Rankings from AP Poll
1946 Midwestern non-major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Norbert   8 0 0
Youngstown   7 1 0
Bradley   7 2 0
Central Michigan   6 2 0
Defiance   6 2 0
Western Michigan   5 2 1
Miami (OH)   7 3 0
Dayton   6 3 0
Carroll (WI)   4 2 1
Bowling Green   5 3 0
Ohio Wesleyan   5 4 1
Michigan Tech   3 2 0
Northern Michigan   3 2 1
Michigan State Normal   3 4 1
Xavier   3 7 0
Detroit Tech   1 6 1
Valparaiso   1 7 0
Sterling   1 8 0
Haskell   0 7 0
1946 Southern non-major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Oklahoma City   10 1 0
Maryville (TN)   9 1 0
East Tennessee State   7 1 0
Millsaps   5 1 0
Middle Tennessee   6 2 1
Mississippi College   6 2 0
Trinity (TX)   6 2 0
Louisville Municipal   5 2 0
Fayetteville State   7 3 0
Mississippi Southern   7 3 0
East Carolina   5 3 1
Princess Anne   5 3 1
Austin Peay   5 4 0
Arkansas State   4 3 3
Sewanee   4 3 0
Livingston State   4 3 0
Tennessee Tech   5 5 0
Troy State   4 4 0
Grambling   2 5 0
Texas A&I   2 7 0
CCUNC   2 4 0
Centre   0 7 0
1946 Western non-major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Southern Oregon   8 0 0
Pepperdine   8 1 0
Hawaii   8 2 0
Northern Idaho State   5 3 1
Loyola (CA)   5 4 0
Idaho Southern Branch   4 3 1
San Francisco State   3 3 0
Boise State   3 4 2
Eastern Oregon   2 5 0
La Verne   0 5 0

Rankings

Award and honors

Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

PlayerSchoolPositionTotal
Glenn Davis Army HB792
Charley Trippi Georgia HB435
Johnny Lujack Notre Dame QB379
Doc Blanchard ArmyFB267
Arnold Tucker ArmyQB257
Herman Wedemeyer St. Mary's (CA) HB101
Burr Baldwin UCLA E49
Bobby Layne Texas QB45

[5] [6]

All-America Team

Statistical leaders

Team leaders

Total offense

RankTeamGames playedTotal playsYards gainedYards per game
1 Notre Dame 96903972441.3
2 Georgia 106223946394.6
3 Nevada 84843114389.3
4 UCLA 106463779377.9
5 Michigan 95883122366.9
6 Hardin–Simmons 106423594359.4
7 Boston College 95983159351.0
8 Yale 95983095343.9
9 Utah 85312747343.4
10 Penn 85032720340.0
11 William & Mary 106013383338.3
12 Army 106083355335.5
13 Chattanooga 105923299329.9
14 Arizona 106743289328.9
15 Texas 106143281328.1

[7]

Total defense

RankTeamGames playedTotal playsYards gainedYards per game
1 Notre Dame 94651275141.7
2 Oklahoma 105391550155.0
3 Penn State 84541271158.9
4 NC State 105011621162.1
5 Rice 105471663166.3
6 Davidson 94321498166.4
7 Hardin–Simmons 105371673167.3
8 Mississippi State 105021695169.5
9 Harvard 950115361707
10 Texas 105621760176.0
11 Boston College 94691591176.8
12 LSU 105201786178.6
13 Holy Cross 94671609178.8
14 Indiana 94591619179.9
15 William & Mary 105211816181.6

[7]

Rushing offense

RankTeamGamesRushesYards gainedYards per game
1 Notre Dame 95673061340.1
2 Hardin–Simmons 105402906290.6
3 Utah 84182108263.5
4 Detroit 105102632263.2
5 UCLA 105082598259.8
6 Oklahoma 104992354235.4
7 North Carolina 104522341234.1
8 Yale 94522100233.3
9 Penn 83781865233.1
10 Army 104542242224.2
11 Georgia 104162209220.9
12 Northwestern 93961958217.6
13 Mississippi State 104872163216.3
14 William & Mary 104552118211.8
15 Davidson 94281904211.6

[8]

Rushing defense

RankTeamGamesRushesYards gainedYards per game
1Oklahoma1035958058.0
2Mississippi State1033466466.4
3Harvard933067975.4
4 South Carolina 829263779.6
5Notre Dame932175383.7

[8]

Passing offense

RankTeamGamesAtt.Compl.Int.Pct.
Compl.
YardsYds/GameTD passes
1 Nevada 81566814.4361569198.120
2 Georgia 102061129.5441737173.723
3 Texas 101869919.5321569156.912
4 Oklahoma A&M 1125210725.4251652150.213
5 Michigan 91627322.4511322146.910
6 Boston College 91758214.4691266140.714
7 Indiana 91859515.5141264140.48
8 Marquette 91899019.4761243138.113
9 Princeton 81676814.4071096137.04
10 Washington & Lee 81658720.5271085135.612
11 Arizona 102109120.4331321132.111
12 Purdue 91838617.4701182131.37
13 Clemson 91526818.4471181131.28
14 Wake Forest 91497114.4771151127.98
15 William & Mary 101467715.5271265126.519

[9]

Passing defense

RankTeamGamesAtt.Compl.Pct.
Compl.
YardsYds/Game
1 Holy Cross 910735.32748353.7
2 West Texas State 1012443.34757057.0
3Notre Dame914454.37552258.0
4Indiana912739.30753859.8
5 Florida 98439.46455761.9

[9]

Individual leaders

Total offense

RankPlayerTeamGamesPlaysRush YdsPass YdsTotal YdsAvg Gain
per Play
1 Travis Tidwell Auburn1033977294317155.06
2 Bobby Layne Texas10221338112214606.61
3 Harry Gilmer Alabama1129349793014274.98
4 Charley Trippi Georgia1018574462213667.38
5 Bob Chappuis Michigan918053173412657.02
6 Rudy Mobley Hardin-Simmons102271262012625.56
7 Herman Wedemeyer St. Mary's820462559512205.98
8 Charlie Justice North Carolina1018194327012136.70
9 Bill Mackrides Nevada8142- 70125411848.34
10 Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts Chattanooga91681113911226.68
11 Glenn Davis Army11086.52
12 Fred Enke Arizona10695.66
13George GuerreMichigan State10296.86
14 Nick Sacrinty Wake Forest10135.89
15ClarkTexas Mines9674.48
16 Clyde LeForce Tulsa9505.16
17 Joe Golding Oklahoma9237.05
18 Ben Raimondi Indiana9084.59
19CaseUCLA9077.26
20JacksonYale8886.00

[10]

Rushing

RankPlayerTeamGamesRushesYds GainedYds LostNet YdsAvg Gain
per Play
1 Rudy Mobley Hardin-Simmons1022713064412625.56
2 Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts Chattanooga1016711473411136.66
3 Charlie Justice North Carolina101311024819437.20
4 Joe Golding Oklahoma10126960589027.16
5 Levi Jackson Yale9134851458066.01
6Roger StephensCincinnati10101796227747.66
7 Travis Tidwell Auburn101819261547724.27
8 Charley Trippi Georgia101158461027446.47
9HodgesWichita10152775427334.82
10 Glenn Davis Army101238241127125.79
11Carl F. "Buddy" RussRice10130710206905.31
12Lloyd MerrimanStanford9140728566724.80
13George GuerreMichigan State1090699666337.03
14 Herman Wedemeyer Saint Mary's8104704796256.01
15 Joseph Rogers Villanova1090669496206.89
16 Doc Blanchard Army10120633206135.11
17Walter KretzCornell989613116026.76
18CarpenterOhio State9141612235894.18
19 Forrest Hall San Francisco989615365796.51
20 Barney Hafen Utah9132609325774.37

[11]

Passing

RankPlayerTeamGamesAtt.Compl.Int.Pct. Compl.Yds.TDs
1 Travis Tidwell Auburn101587910.5009435
2 Bobby Layne Texas101447714.55011226
3 Ben Raimondi Indiana9138748.5369567
4 Harry Gilmer Alabama111606910.4319305
5 Bobby Thomason VMI10126664.52483310
6 Charlie Conerly Ole Miss91246413.5166413
7ClarkTexas Mines8107618.5706046
8 Clyde LeForce Tulsa10125617.4888077
9 Bob DeMoss Purdue8122599.4848146
10WorkingWashington & Lee71085614.5197418
11 Bill Mackrides Nevada8115567.487125417
12 Nick Sacrinty Wake Forest91095112.4688226
13OlsenBYU81005010.5007192
14Frank PayneSMU101075011.4675804
15 Johnny Lujack Notre Dame9100498.4907786
16FurseYale9100496.4907358
17 John Rauch Georgia1087484.55277914
18John BurnsCornell9105488.4576243
19 Tommy Mont Maryland992456.4894103
20 Y. A. Tittle LSU1095458.47478111

[12]

Receiving

RankPlayerTeamGamesReceptionsReceiving
Yards
1 Neill Armstrong Oklahoma A&M1032479
1MontgomeryArizona (Tempe)1132399
3 Broughton Williams Florida829490
3 Red O'Quinn Wake Forest929441
5 Barney Poole Ole Miss928277

[13]

Scoring

The following list of scoring leaders is taken from the NCAA's Official Football Guide for 1947 and includes both major and minor college players. Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts ranked third overall and first among major college players. [14]

RankPlayerTeamTDPATFGPts
1Joe Carter Florida N&I 21260152
2Andy Victor Oklahoma City 14400124
3 Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts Chattanooga 1890117
4 Rudy Mobley Hardin–Simmons 160096
5Jack Crider Muhlenberg 150090
6 Forrest Hall San Francisco 139087
7 (tie) Charley Trippi Georgia140084
7 (tie)Baker Missouri Valley 140084
7 (tie)Dan Roskos East Stroudsburg State 140084
7 (tie)Phillipi Southern 140084
11 (tie)Art Hering Rutgers 128080
11 (tie)Dixon Abilene Christian 133080
11 (tie)Johnny HickmanSan Angelo128080
14 Glenn Davis Army 130078
15 (tie)Larry BrunoGeneva122074
15 (tie)SpoonSouthwestern Kansas122074
17 (tie) Charlie Justice North Carolina 120072
17 (tie)YoungHillsdale120072
17 (tie)Brady Ohio 120072
17 (tie)WardHillsdale120072
17 (tie)Washington Tennessee A&I 120072
22 Clyde LeForce Tulsa 534167
23 (tie) Jack Cloud William & Mary 110066
23 (tie)Pudge Camarata Iowa Teachers 110066
23 (tie)LingenfelderMissouri Valley110066
23 (tie)PrestonMissouri Valley630066
23 (tie)HughesOttawa110066
23 (tie)Carl GiordanaLawrence110066
23 (tie)Anthony GeorgianaCatawba110066

[14]

Rules Committee

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References

  1. "October 7, 1946 AP Football Poll". CollegePollArchive.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. "Fighting Irish Battle Army to 0-0 Stalemate", The Post-Standard (Syracuse), Nov. 10, 1946, p13
  3. "Ice postpones Alamo Bowl game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 2, 1947. p. 13.
  4. "Cowboys blank Denver, 20-0". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. January 5, 1947. p. 23.
  5. "Davis wins Heisman cup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 4, 1946. p. 22.
  6. "Glenn Davis honored". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). International News Service. December 4, 1946. p. 10.
  7. 1 2 W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 73.
  8. 1 2 W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 74.
  9. 1 2 W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 75.
  10. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 79.
  11. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 80.
  12. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 82.
  13. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 83.
  14. 1 2 W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 89.