1943 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1943 college football season concluded with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame crowned as the nation’s #1 team by a majority of the voters in the AP poll, followed by the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks
as the runner-up. For the third time in the history of the AP Poll, a team that had lost a game was the mythical national champion; Minnesota had been the first AP champion in 1936, and Ohio State was champion in 1942. Notre Dame lost its final game of the season, a Chicago contest against the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Along the way, however, the Fighting Irish had played one of the toughest college schedules ever, beating two #2 ranked teams (Michigan and Iowa Pre-Flight) and another two #3 ranked teams (Navy and Army).
In 1943, as many as 131 sportswriters participated in the AP poll, which included, for the first time, “service teams“. Drawn from flight schools and training centers for participants in World War II, the service teams played against the colleges. At the same time, a number of universities suspended their football programs. Most of the members of the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) -- Alabama and Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi and Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt -- did not field teams in 1943. In addition, Pacific Conference teams Oregon and Oregon State, Washington State, and Stanford, did not play, nor did Boston College, the Citadel, Duquesne, Fordham, Harvard, Michigan State, Syracuse, and William & Mary.
Each participating writer in the AP Poll listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the top twenty results.
September 25
Ohio State lost to Iowa Pre-Flight 28-13. Michigan beat Western Michigan 57-6. Notre Dame won at Pitt, 42-0.
Army beat Villanova 27-0 and Navy beat North Carolina Pre-Flight, 31-0. Georgia lost at LSU, 34-27. Tulsa beat SMU 20-7, Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 20-7.
October 9 #1 Notre Dame beat #2 Michigan
, 35-21. #3 Army
registered another shutout, defeating Temple 51-0. In Baltimore, #4 Navy
edged #5 Duke
, 14-13. #6 Penn edged Dartmouth 7-6. #7 Purdue went to 4-0-0 with a 19-0 win over Camp Grant.
October 16 #1 Notre Dame won at Wisconsin 50-0. #2 Army
won at Columbia, 52-0. In four games, the Cadets had outscored their opponents 172-0. #3 Navy
beat Penn State 14-6. #4 Penn
beat the Lakehurst Naval Air Station 74-6. #5 Purdue
beat Ohio State 30-7 at a game in Cleveland.
October 23 #1 Notre Dame beat Illinois 47-0. #2 Army
yielded its first points, but won at Yale, 39-7. #3 Navy
beat Georgia Tech 28-14 in Baltimore. #4 Purdue
beat Iowa 28-7. #5 Penn
won at Columbia, 33-0, but dropped from the Top Five. #7 USC stayed unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon with a 6-0 win over Pacific.
October 30 In Cleveland, #1 Notre Dame beat #3 Navy
, 33-6. In Philadelphia, #2 Army
and #6 Pennsylvania played to a 13-13 tie. #4 Purdue
won at Wisconsin, 32-0. #5 USC beat California, 13-0, for its sixth straight shutout.
, 26-0. #2 Purdue
won at Minnesota, 14-7. #4 USC lost at San Diego to the San Diego Navy team. #5 Penn
lost to #7 Navy, 24-7. #6 Michigan beat Indiana 23-6. #8 Iowa Pre-Flight continued its unbeaten streak with a 46-19 win at Marquette on November 7, and became the first “service team” to ever reach the AP’s Top Five.
November 13 #1 Notre Dame won at Northwestern 25-6. #2 Purdue
was idle. #3 Navy
won at Columbia 61-0. #4 Michigan
beat Wisconsin 27-0. #5 Iowa Pre-Flight
beat Camp Grant 28-13.
November 20 #1 Notre Dame edged #2 Iowa Pre-Flight
, 14-13. #3 Purdue
closed its season undefeated (9-0-0) with a 7-0 win at Indiana. #4 Michigan
closed its season at 8-1-0 with a 45-7 win over Ohio State. #5 Navy
was idle. The following week, it closed its season with a 13-0 win over Army in the Army–Navy Game, which took place at West Point. Duke closed its season at 8-1-0 with a 27-6 win over North Carolina.
November 27 #1 Notre Dame closed its season with a 19-14 loss to Great Lakes NTC, 19-14, but still finished #1 in the final rankings. #2 Iowa Pre-Flight
beat Minnesota, 32-0, to finish at 9-1-0. #3 Michigan
, #4 Purdue
, and #5 Duke
had finished their seasons, as had #6 Navy, which rose to fourth place in the final poll.
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
as the runner-up. For the third time in the history of the AP Poll, a team that had lost a game was the mythical national champion; Minnesota had been the first AP champion in 1936, and Ohio State was champion in 1942. Notre Dame lost its final game of the season, a Chicago contest against the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Along the way, however, the Fighting Irish had played one of the toughest college schedules ever, beating two #2 ranked teams (Michigan and Iowa Pre-Flight) and another two #3 ranked teams (Navy and Army).
In 1943, as many as 131 sportswriters participated in the AP poll, which included, for the first time, “service teams“. Drawn from flight schools and training centers for participants in World War II, the service teams played against the colleges. At the same time, a number of universities suspended their football programs. Most of the members of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) -- Alabama and Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi and Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt -- did not field teams in 1943. In addition, Pacific Conference teams Oregon and Oregon State, Washington State, and Stanford, did not play, nor did Boston College, the Citadel, Duquesne, Fordham, Harvard, Michigan State, Syracuse, and William & Mary.
Each participating writer in the AP Poll listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the top twenty results.
September
On September 17, Georgia beat Presbyterian College 25-7. The next day, September 18, Michigan won at Camp Grant, 26-0. Wisconsin lost to Marquette, 33-7, on its way to a 1-9-0 finish.September 25
Ohio State lost to Iowa Pre-Flight 28-13. Michigan beat Western Michigan 57-6. Notre Dame won at Pitt, 42-0.
Army beat Villanova 27-0 and Navy beat North Carolina Pre-Flight, 31-0. Georgia lost at LSU, 34-27. Tulsa beat SMU 20-7, Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 20-7.
October
October 2 Michigan won at Northwestern 21-7. Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech 55-13. Army defeated Colgate 42-0 and Navy beat Cornell 46-7.October 9 #1 Notre Dame beat #2 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, 35-21. #3 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
registered another shutout, defeating Temple 51-0. In Baltimore, #4 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
edged #5 Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, 14-13. #6 Penn edged Dartmouth 7-6. #7 Purdue went to 4-0-0 with a 19-0 win over Camp Grant.
October 16 #1 Notre Dame won at Wisconsin 50-0. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
won at Columbia, 52-0. In four games, the Cadets had outscored their opponents 172-0. #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
beat Penn State 14-6. #4 Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
beat the Lakehurst Naval Air Station 74-6. #5 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Ohio State 30-7 at a game in Cleveland.
October 23 #1 Notre Dame beat Illinois 47-0. #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
yielded its first points, but won at Yale, 39-7. #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
beat Georgia Tech 28-14 in Baltimore. #4 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
beat Iowa 28-7. #5 Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
won at Columbia, 33-0, but dropped from the Top Five. #7 USC stayed unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon with a 6-0 win over Pacific.
October 30 In Cleveland, #1 Notre Dame beat #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, 33-6. In Philadelphia, #2 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
and #6 Pennsylvania played to a 13-13 tie. #4 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Wisconsin, 32-0. #5 USC beat California, 13-0, for its sixth straight shutout.
November
November 6 At Yankee Stadium in New York, #1 Notre Dame beat #3 ArmyArmy Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, 26-0. #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
won at Minnesota, 14-7. #4 USC lost at San Diego to the San Diego Navy team. #5 Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
lost to #7 Navy, 24-7. #6 Michigan beat Indiana 23-6. #8 Iowa Pre-Flight continued its unbeaten streak with a 46-19 win at Marquette on November 7, and became the first “service team” to ever reach the AP’s Top Five.
November 13 #1 Notre Dame won at Northwestern 25-6. #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
was idle. #3 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
won at Columbia 61-0. #4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Wisconsin 27-0. #5 Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
beat Camp Grant 28-13.
November 20 #1 Notre Dame edged #2 Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
, 14-13. #3 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
closed its season undefeated (9-0-0) with a 7-0 win at Indiana. #4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
closed its season at 8-1-0 with a 45-7 win over Ohio State. #5 Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
was idle. The following week, it closed its season with a 13-0 win over Army in the Army–Navy Game, which took place at West Point. Duke closed its season at 8-1-0 with a 27-6 win over North Carolina.
November 27 #1 Notre Dame closed its season with a 19-14 loss to Great Lakes NTC, 19-14, but still finished #1 in the final rankings. #2 Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
beat Minnesota, 32-0, to finish at 9-1-0. #3 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, #4 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, and #5 Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
had finished their seasons, as had #6 Navy, which rose to fourth place in the final poll.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:Final Associated Press Poll
Prior to 1968 the final AP Poll was released before the bowl games were played.| Ranking | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 9-1 |
| 2 | Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :... |
9-1 |
| 3 | Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
8-1 |
| 4 | Navy Midshipmen Navy Midshipmen football The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007... |
8-1 |
| 5 | Purdue Boilermakers Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of... |
9-0 |
| 6 | Great Lakes Naval Training Center | 8-2 |
| 7 | Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils football The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal... |
8-1 |
| 8 | Del Monte Pre-Flight Naval Postgraduate School The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees... |
7-1 |
| 9 | Northwestern Wildcats Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876... |
6-2 |
| 10 | March Field March Joint Air Reserve Base March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452d Air Mobility Wing , the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force... |
6-1 |
| 11 | Army Cadets Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.... |
7-2-1 |
| 12 | Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
4-0 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 7-3 |
| 14 | Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
7-1 |
| 15 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports team of the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane... |
6-0-1 |
| 16 | Dartmouth Big Green Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences... |
6-1 |
| 17 | Bainbridge NTC United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge was the US Navy Training Center located at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976.... |
7-0 |
| 18 | Colorado College Colorado College The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... |
7-0 |
| 19 | University of the Pacific | 7-1 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania Quakers University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... |
6-2-1 |
Bowl Games
| Bowl | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Bowl Sun Bowl The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl... |
Southwestern Southwestern University Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian... |
7 | New Mexico | 0 |
| Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Game The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2... |
USC Trojans | 29 | #12 Washington Huskies Washington Huskies football College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by... |
0 |
| Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009... |
#13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 20 | #15 Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Golden Hurricane athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports team of the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane... |
18 |
| Cotton Bowl 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic was a postseason college football bowl game between the fourteenth ranked Texas Longhorns and the Randolph Field Ramblers, a military institution squad from San Antonio, TX. Randolph boasted many former college football stars, including Tulsa's Glenn Dobbs and Texas... |
#14 Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
7 | Randolph Field Randolph Air Force Base Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command .... |
7 |
| Orange Bowl | LSU Tigers LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
19 | Texas A&M | 14 |