1946 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

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1946 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Nine Conference
Record5–4 (3–4 Big Nine)
Head coach
MVPBilly Bye
CaptainRobert Sandberg
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Big Nine Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Illinois $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 6 Michigan 5 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
No. 20 Indiana 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Iowa 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Minnesota 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Ohio State 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 3 – 2
Northwestern 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Wisconsin 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Purdue 0 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1946 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1946 Big Nine Conference football season. In their 12th year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 5–4 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 130 to 114.[1]

Halfback Billy Bye was awarded the team MVP award.[2]

Minnesota was ranked at No. 27 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.[3]

Total attendance for the season was 328,003, which averaged to 54,667. The season high for attendance was against Michigan.[4]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 28Nebraska*
W 33–651,093[5]
October 5Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
L 0–2153,648[6]
October 12at No. 10 Northwestern
L 7–1440,000[7]
October 19Wyoming*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 46–046,087[8]
October 26at Ohio State
L 9–3976,611[9]
November 2No. 13 Michigan
L 0–2158,575[10]
November 9Purduedagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 13–758,341[11]
November 16No. 16 Iowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)
W 16–659,180[12]
November 23at Wisconsin
W 6–045,000[13]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries[edit]

Michigan[edit]

Week 6: Michigan at Minnesota
1 234Total
• Michigan 0 777 21
Minnesota 0 000 0

On November 2, 1946, Minnesota lost to by a score of 21 to 0. In the second quarter, Michigan relied on the passing game in its first touchdown drive, as Bob Chappuis completed a pass for 43 yards to Elmer Madar and Bump Elliott then ran two yards for the touchdown on a fourth-down play. Elliott scored again in the third quarter on a 10-yard run. In the fourth quarter, Gene Derricotte threw a pass to Bob Mann that was good for 42 yards and a touchdown. Jim Brieske kicked all three points after touchdown. Michigan gained 183 rushing yards and 174 passing yards, while holding Minnesota to 130 rushing yards and 40 passing yards.[14]

After the season[edit]

Main article: 1947 NFL Draft

The 1947 NFL Draft was held on December 16, 1946. The following Golden Gophers were selected.[15]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
16 145 Verne Gagne End Chicago Bears
23 210 Tom Carroll Tackle Chicago Cardinals

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1946 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 181[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 15, 1946). "Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Charles Johnson (September 29, 1946). "Faunce Leads Gophers in 33 to 6 Victory: Minnesota Air Attack Clicks". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 2. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Charles Johnson (October 6, 1946). "Indiana Fumbles 12 Times But Routs Minnesota 21 To 0". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Arch Ward (October 13, 1946). "N.U. Wins, 14 to 7: 67 Yard Run on First Play Jolts Gophers; 2 Touchdowns by Aschenbrenner". Chicago Tribune. pp. II-1, II-2. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Charles Johnson (October 20, 1946). "Minnesota Reserves Rout Wyoming 46-0: Harry Elliott and Bye Shine; Each Scores Twice in One-Sided Game". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. 1S, 2S. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Charles Johnson (October 27, 1946). "Ohio State Wallops Gophers 39-9". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. 1S, 2S. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Charles Johnson (November 3, 1946). "Gophers Bow To Michigan Speed 21-0". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. 1S, 2S. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Charles Johnson (November 10, 1946). "Gophers Win 13-7, End Victory Famine: Gophers Cop 13-7 Victory". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. p. Sports 1, 2. Retrieved April 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Charles Johnson (November 17, 1946). "Minnesota Upsets Iowa 16 to 6: Brilliant Bye Blasts Hawks". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 2. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Henry J. McCormick (November 24, 1946). "Badgers Lose Bitterly Fought Battle, 6-0: Gophers Win One Wisconsin Could Easily Have Taken". Wisconsin State Journal. pp. 29, 30. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Wilfrid Smith (November 3, 1946). "Wolverines Top Gophers, 21-0; Take 2d". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
  15. ^ "1947 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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