1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Schedule

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Rankings

Game summaries

Michigan

Minneapolis On November 9, 1940, Minnesota played its annual rivalry game with Michigan. The game was the 31st between the programs, with Minnesota having won the previous six games under head coach Bernie Bierman. The 1940 game was played "in the mud and rain" at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Both teams came into the game undefeated with Minnesota ranked #2 and Michigan ranked #3 in the AP Poll. The game was played before a crowd of 63,894 spectators, the largest crowd at a Minnesota home game to that point.

In the first quarter, Michigan drove to the Minnesota one-yard line, but Tom Harmon slipped on fourth down, and the ball went to Minnesota on downs. In the second quarter, Michigan took a 6-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Harmon to Forest Evashevski. Harmon missed "by inches" the kick for extra point. Later in the second quarter, Michigan's Ed Frutig blocked a Minnesota punt that was recovered by Michigan's Reuben Kelto at the Minnesota three-yard line. However, Harmon's pass into the end zone was intercepted, and Minnesota took over at the 20-yard line. On the next play from scrimmage, Minnesota scored on an 80-yard run by Bruce Smith. Joe Mernik kicked the extra point which was the difference in the game, Minnesota winning by a 7-6 score.

Michigan outgained Minnesota with 210 yards from scrimmage to 199 for Minnesota and also led with 15 first downs to five for the Gophers.

References

References

1. "1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
2. (August 2018). "2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records". National Collegiate Athletic Association.
3. Keiser, Jeff. (March 2018). ["2007 Media Guide"](http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 }}{{dead link).
4. Keiser, Jeff. (March 2018). ["2007 Media Guide"](http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 }}{{dead link).
5. Keiser, Jeff. (March 2018). ["2007 Media Guide"](http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 }}{{dead link).
6. Keiser, Jeff. (March 2018). ["2007 Media Guide"](http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 }}{{dead link).
7. Keiser, Jeff. (July 2018). ["2007 Media Guide"](http://www.gophersports.com//pdf3/80498.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400 }}{{Dead link).
8. Milt Davis. (September 29, 1940). "Those Were Gopher Hearts, and Not the Grid Clock, Ticking". The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune.
9. Dick Cullum. (October 6, 1940). "Gophers Win, 13 to 7". The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune.
10. (October 20, 1940). "Gophers Ruin Buck Title Hopes, 13-7". [[The Muncie Star]].
11. Charles Johnson. (October 27, 1940). "Gophers Rip Iowa, 34-6". Minneapolis Star Journal.
12. Wilfrid Smith. (November 3, 1940). "Northwestern Loses To Minnesota, 13 to 12". Chicago Tribune.
13. Bill Kimball. (November 17, 1940). "Weatherman Aids Gopher Team on Dad's Big Day". Minneapolis Star Journal.
14. Hank Casserly. (November 24, 1940). "Gophers Shiver Before Chilling Badgers 22-13". The Capital Times.
15. "Michigan vs. Minnesota". David DeLassus.
16. (November 10, 1940). "63,894 See Minnesota Beat Michigan After 80-Yard Run; Smith's Dash Ties Score, Then Mernik Adds Point--Evashevski Counts on Harmon's Pass--First Loss for Wolverines". The New York Times.
17. Arch Ward. (November 10, 1940). "Minnesota Stops Michigan, 7-6: Smith's 80-Yard Dash, Mernik's Kick Give Gophers Big Nine Lead". Chicago Tribune.
18. The 1941 ''Michiganensian'' opined: "The Wolverines completely outplayed the Bierman charges with fifteen first downs to five . . . but it was to no avail, as Harmon, trying to dive forward with his famous cutback, was continually pulled down by old man mud. . . . Minnesota went on to win the National Championship, while Michigan finished third, but here in Ann Arbor, we'll always believe it was rain and not the Gophers which pushed Michigan out of what would have been its first national championship since 1932."1941 Michiganensian, page 199.