1942 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1942 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1942 college football season. The team was led by their head coaches Sumner D. Tilson and Herbert McEver and finished with a record of seven wins, two losses and one tie (7–2–1).

VPI was ranked at No. 76 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.

Before the season
The 1941 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 6–4 record and were led by Jimmy Kitts in his first season as head coach. In August 1942, Kitts was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve to become a physical training instructor at a Navy Air Force preflight training school. Assistant Coach Jules Medwin also went into the service shortly after Kitts. The athletic council chose assistant coaches Herbert McEver and Sumner D. Tilson to be co-coaches until Kitts returned.

Davidson
The starting lineup for VPI was: Lawson (left end), Maskas (left tackle), Fuller (left guard), Davis (center), Pearce (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClure (quarterback), Foltz (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Blandford (fullback). The substitutes were: McCaugherty and Norment.

The starting lineup for Davidson was: Scotty Paterson (left end), William Shaw (left tackle), Alf Taylor (left guard), Red Burke (center), B. F. Moore (right guard), Herbert Rainey (right tackle), Pat Williams (right end), Earl "Red" Bethea (quarterback), George Peters (left halfback), Art Roach (right halfback), Benjamin Lacy (fullback). The substitutes were: Benjamin Washburn.

Washington and Lee
The starting lineup for VPI was: Wilson (left end), Maskas (left tackle), Pearce (left guard), Hoffmann (center), Rucker (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClure (quarterback), Gallagher (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Blandford (fullback). The substitutes were: Foltz, Fuller, Sagnette, Taylor and Vincent.

The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: Roehl (left end), Lillard Ailor (left tackle), Diloreto (left guard), D. Norman (center), Fitzpatrick (right guard), John Rulevich (right tackle), R. Norman (right end), Paul Cavaliere (quarterback), Harry Baugher (left halfback), Harry Harner (right halfback), Dick Working (fullback).

Virginia
The starting lineup for VPI was: Wilson (left end), Maskas (left tackle), Fuller (left guard), Hoffmann (center), Rucker (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClure (quarterback), Gallagher (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Blandford (fullback). The substitutes were: Foltz.

The starting lineup for Virginia was: Tom Dudley (left end), Milton Parlow (left tackle), Irwin Lakin (left guard), Charlie Cooper (center), James Bear (right guard), Robert Sieler (right tackle), William Hill (right end), Eddie Bryant (quarterback), Don D. Niklason (left halfback), Tom Steutzer (right halfback), George Grimes (fullback). The substitutes were: Tabb Gillette, Ed Kreick, George Neff, William Rea, Eric Schlesinger and Henry Uihlein.

Richmond
The starting lineup for VPI was: Wilson (left end), Mengulas (left tackle), Fuller (left guard), Hoffmann (center), Belcher (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClure (quarterback), Foltz (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Blandford (fullback). The substitutes were: Gallagher.

The starting lineup for Richmond was: Savage (left end), Daniel Sasmor (left tackle), Bob Gill (left guard), Steve Silianoff (center), Dick "Square" Fisher (right guard), Maxwell Katz (right tackle), Sizer (right end), Fenlon (quarterback), Gleason (left halfback), Warren Pace (right halfback), Jack Wilbourne (fullback). The substitutes were: Bud Graham, Bay Jacobs, Francis "Fitz" Laurinaitis and Tom Nichols.

Army
The starting lineup for VPI was: Wilson (left end), Maskas (left tackle), Fuller (left guard), Davis (center), Belcher (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClure (quarterback), Foltz (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Vincent (fullback).

The starting lineup for Army was: James Kelleher (left end), Francis E. Merritt (left tackle), Wilson (left guard), Cas Myslinski (center), Mesereau (right guard), Robin Olds (right tackle), Hennesy (right end), Roberts (quarterback), Henry Mazur (left halfback), Ashworth (right halfback), Vincent (fullback). The substitutes were: Tom Lombardo, Murphy and Bob Woods.

VMI
The starting lineup for VPI was: Wilson (left end), Maskas (left tackle), Fuller (left guard), Davis (center), Rucker (right guard), Judy (right tackle), Chasen (right end), McClaugherty (quarterback), Gallagher (left halfback), James (right halfback), McClure (fullback). The substitutes were: Foltz and Johnson.

The starting lineup for VMI was: Billy Clark (left end), Ellington (left tackle), Markin (left guard), Dimmler (center), Julius Minton (right guard), Charlie Marks (right tackle), McIntyre (right end), Dick DeShazo (quarterback), Johnny Stevens (left halfback), Jimmy Matthews (right halfback), Joe Muha (fullback). The substitutes were: Joe Black, McCullough, Seay, Jim Sloan, Sotnyk and Turriziani.

After the season
In December 1942, Elmer Wilson was chosen by his teammates as captain for the 1943 football season.

1943 Season Cancellation
In December 1942, VPI released their 10-game schedule for 1943. The planned schedule was:
 * September 18 - Catawba in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 * September 25 - Maryland in Roanoke, Virginia.
 * October 2 - Virginia, with location undecided.
 * October 9 - William & Mary in Richmond, Virginia.
 * October 16 - West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia.
 * October 23 - Washington and Lee in Lynchburg, Virginia.
 * October 30 - Furman in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 * November 6 - Richmond in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 * November 13 - The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
 * November 25 - VMI in Roanoke, Virginia.

However, by January 1943, VPI athletic director William L. Younger was speculating that unless eligibility rules were changed for the duration of World War II regarding underclassman and servicemen on campus for training, VPI would not have a fall intercollegiate athletic program. By June 1943, only six of the original 10 games were still on the schedule. The game against Catawba was originally cancelled because VPI scheduled their summer quarter convocation on the same date, but it was later rescheduled for November 13. The games against Washington and Lee, Furman, and The Citadel were cancelled because the schools stopped their football programs for the duration of the war. On June 26, 1943, VPI released a revised eight-game schedule. The schedule was:
 * September 25 - Maryland in Roanoke, Virginia.
 * October 2 - Virginia in Norfolk, Virginia.
 * October 9 - William & Mary in Richmond, Virginia.
 * October 16 - West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia.
 * October 30 - North Carolina Pre-Flight School in Roanoke, Virginia.
 * November 6 - Richmond in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 * November 13 - Catawba in Blacksburg, Virginia.
 * November 25 - VMI in Roanoke, Virginia.

After many schools cancelled their football season dur to a lack of eligible players, the NCAA eventually repealed the freshman prohibition for the duration of the war. Nevertheless, the War Department kept its prohibition of servicemen trainees participating in intercollegiate sports. Younger stated that, excluding of the Army trainees, VPI only had two men that had ever played football. After the War Department's decision, VPI surveyed the Corps of Cadets in August 1943 to determine how many can and will play football. The survey asked the participants several questions, including: if they definitely expected to return for the fall quarter; if they would remain on campus between quarters for daily football practice, and if they would practice until Thanksgiving. VPI also needed to fix their coaching issue because Tilson and McEver, the co-coaches from 1942, were helping train the servicemen assigned to VPI. After the survey was held, the athletic council met to determine the fate of the 1943 season. On August 21, schools that were scheduled to play VPI were notified that VPI would not be fielding a football team in 1943.

Varsity letter winners
Twenty-eight players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1942 VPI team.