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1946 college football season
American college football season
American college football season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| year | 1946 |
| image | |
| preseason_ap | [Texas](1946-texas-longhorns-football-team) |
| regular_season | |
| number_of_bowls | 12 |
| bowl_start | |
| bowl_end | |
| champion | [Notre Dame](1946-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) ([AP](1946-college-football-rankings)) |
| [Army](1946-army-cadets-football-team) (various) | |
| [Delaware](1946-delaware-fightin-blue-hens-football-team) (small college) | |
| heisman | Glenn Davis (halfback, Army) |
Army (various) Delaware (small college) 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.
The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1946 were:
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Four conferences began football play in 1946:
- College Conference of Illinois – an active NCAA Division III conference; now known as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
- Dakota-Iowa Athletic Conference – a conference active through the 1948 season
- Mason-Dixon Conference – an NCAA Division III conference active through the 1974 season
- Mid-America Conference – an active NCAA Division I / FBS conference; now known as the Mid-American Conference
Membership changes
| School | 1945 Conference | 1946 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Cougars | *Program Established* | Lone Star |
Season timeline
September
Significant games played in September 1946 included the following:
September 21
- Indiana was upset by Cincinnati, 15–6, at home in Bloomington. Indiana had won the Big Ten championship in 1945 with a No. 4 ranking in the final AP Poll.
- Houston played its first ever football game, losing by a 13–7 score against Southwestern Louisiana.
September 27–28
- Oklahoma A&M, AFCA national champion in 1945, was tied 21–21 by Arkansas
- Army defeated Oklahoma, 21–7, at West Point.
- Notre Dame won at Illinois, 26–6. Illinois went on to win the Big Nine championship.
- Georgia defeated Clemson, 35–12, in their annual rivalry game.
- Indiana lost again, 21–0 at Michigan.
- Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech, 13–9, in their annual rivalry game.
- UCLA beat Oregon State, 50–7. UCLA and Oregon State finished the season in first and second place in the Pacific Coast Conference.
October
October 5
- Army beat Cornell 46–21.
- Navy lost at Columbia and dropped the rest of its games, finishing 1–8–0.
- Oklahoma A&M lost 54–6 at Texas and would finish at 3–7–1.
- Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 33–0.
- Michigan beat Iowa 14–7.
- UCLA won at Washington, 39–13.
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
- In Dallas, No. 1 Texas beat Oklahoma 20–13.
- No. 2 Army and No. 4 Michigan met in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the visiting Cadets won 20–13.
- No. 3 Notre Dame beat Purdue 49–6.
- No. 5 UCLA beat No. 17 Stanford 26–6.
The next poll featured No. 1 Army, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Michigan.
October 19
- No. 1 Army beat No. 11 Columbia 48–14.
- No. 2 Notre Dame was idle.
- No. 3 Texas beat No. 14 Arkansas 20–0.
- No. 4 UCLA won at California 13–6.
- No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Northwestern played to a 14–14 tie.
- No. 9 Tennessee beat No. 7 Alabama 12–0.
Army, Notre Dame, and Texas stayed as the top three, ahead of No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 UCLA.
October 26
- At the Polo Grounds in New York, No. 1 Army beat No. 13 Duke 19–0. * No. 2 Notre Dame won at No. 17 Iowa, 49–6.
- In Houston, No. 3 Texas lost to No. 16 Rice, 18–13.
- No. 4 Tennessee lost to unranked Wake Forest, 19–6.
- No. 5 UCLA beat Santa Clara 33–7.
- No. 6 Penn beat Navy 32–19
- No. 7 Georgia won at Furman, 70–7.
The next poll was No. 1 Army, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Penn, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Georgia.
November
November 2
- No. 1 Army beat West Virginia, 19–0.
- In Baltimore, No. 2 Notre Dame defeated Navy, 28–0.
- No. 3 Penn lost to Princeton, 17–14.
- No. 5 Georgia beat No. 15 Alabama, 14–0.
- No. 4 UCLA beat St. Mary's, 46–20, in a Friday night game.
- No. 8 Rice beat Texas Tech 41–6
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
- A crowd of 74,000 turned out at New York's Yankee Stadium to watch No. 1 Army and No. 2 Notre Dame in a meeting of the nation's two unbeaten and untied teams. Both teams missed scoring opportunities. In the opening quarter, Army recovered a fumble on the Irish 24, but was stopped on fourth down at the 13 yard line. The Irish drove to the Army three yard line in the second quarter but no further. Army reached the Irish 20 yard line in the third quarter, but Notre Dame's Terry Brennan picked off a pass from Glenn Davis. In the last quarter, a bad punt was returned by Davis to the Irish 39 yard line, but Notre Dame forced a fumble and stopped any further scoring chances. The game ended in a scoreless tie, 0–0. .
- In Jacksonville, No. 3 Georgia beat Florida 33–14.
- In Portland, No. 4 UCLA beat Oregon 14–0.
- No. 5 Rice lost in Little Rock to Arkansas, 7–0.
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
- In its third meeting against a Top Five team, No. 1 Army beat No. 5 Penn in Philadelphia, 34–7.
- No. 2 Notre Dame beat Northwestern, 27–0.
- No. 3 Georgia beat Auburn 41–0 in a neutral site in Columbus, Georgia.
- No. 4 UCLA beat Montana 61–7.
- No. 9 Illinois beat No. 13 Ohio State 16–7 and replaced Penn at No. 5.
November 23
- No. 1 Army was idle.
- No. 2 Notre Dame beat Tulane in New Orleans, 41–0.
- No. 3 Georgia won at Chattanooga, 48–27.
- No. 4 UCLA defeated No. 10 USC 13–6.
- No. 5 Illinois won at Northwestern, 20–0, to close its season with an 8–1–0 record.
- No. 8 Michigan defeated Ohio State, 58–6, in Columbus.
The top five remained the same.
November 30
- No. 1 Army barely beat a 1–7–0 Navy team, 21–18
- No. 2 Notre Dame beat No. 16 USC 26–6. Army still had a 9–0–1 record and had been ranked No. 1 in 22 of the last 23 AP Polls dating back to 1944, but the results of the final games convinced the voters to move the Irish up to first place in the postseason poll and the Cadets down to second.
- No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 7 Georgia Tech 35–7
- No. 4 UCLA beat Nebraska, 18–0, and accepted an invitation to face No. 5 Illinois in the Rose Bowl.
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:
- December 7: Tennessee A&I defeated West Virginia State, 27–7, in the Derby Bowl
- December 7: Lincoln (PA) defeated Florida A&M, 20–14, in the Orange Blossom Classic
- December 7: Southern defeated Xavier of Louisiana, 35–0, in New Orleans
- December 7: Allen defeated Fayetteville State, 40–6, in the Piedmont Tobacco Bowl.
- December 14: Muhlenberg defeated St. Bonaventure, 26–25, in the Tobacco Bowl
- December 21: USC defeated Tulane, 20–13, in New Orleans
- December 23: Stanford defeated Hawaii, 18–7, in Honolulu.
- December 25: Southern defeated Tuskegee, 64–7, in the Yam Bowl
- December 28: Florida A&M and Wiley played to a 6–6 tie in the Angel Bowl.
New Year's Day bowl games
Major bowls
Wednesday, January 1, 1947
| Bowl game | Winning team | Losing team |
|---|---|---|
| [Rose Bowl](1947-rose-bowl) | No. 5 [Illinois](1946-illinois-fighting-illini-football-team) | 45 |
| [Sugar Bowl](1947-sugar-bowl) | No. 3 [Georgia](1946-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | 20 |
| [Orange Bowl](1947-orange-bowl) | No. 10 [Rice](1946-rice-owls-football) | 8 |
| [Cotton Bowl](1947-cotton-bowl-classic) | No. 16 [Arkansas](1946-arkansas-razorbacks-football) | 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 game | Winning team | Losing team |
|---|---|---|
| [Sun Bowl](1947-sun-bowl) | [Cincinnati](1946-cincinnati-bearcats-football-team) | 18 |
| [Gator Bowl](1947-gator-bowl) | No. 14 [Oklahoma](1946-oklahoma-sooners-football-team) | 34 |
| [Tangerine Bowl](1947-tangerine-bowl) | [Catawba](1946-catawba-indians-football-team) | 31 |
| [Oil Bowl](1947-oil-bowl) | No. 11 [Georgia Tech](1946-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-football-team) | 41 |
| [Raisin Bowl](1947-raisin-bowl) | [Utah State](1946-utah-state-aggies-football-team) | 0 |
| [Harbor Bowl](1947-harbor-bowl) | [Montana State](1946-montana-state-bobcats-football-team) | 13 |
| [Alamo Bowl](1947-alamo-bowl) ^ | [Hardin–Simmons](1946-hardin-simmons-cowboys-football-team) | 20 |
| Cigar Bowl | No. 19 [Delaware](1946-delaware-fightin-blue-hens-football-team) | 20 |
:^ The Alamo Bowl was postponed three days due to weather (ice).
- January 1: Tennessee A&I defeated Louisville Municipal, 32–0, in the Vulcan Bowl
- January 1: Lincoln (MO) defeated Prairie View A&M, 14–0, in the Prairie View Bowl.
- January 1: Arkansas AM&N defeated Lane, 7–0, in the Cattle Bowl.
- January 1: Pepperdine defeated Nebraska Wesleyan, 38–13, in the Will Rogers Bowl.
Conference standings
Major conference standings
Major independents
Minor conferences
| Conference | Champion(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](1946-delaware-fightin-blue-hens-football-team) | 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 |
Small colleges conference standings
Non-major independents
Rankings
Main article: 1946 college football rankings
Award and honors
Heisman Trophy voting
The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Glenn Davis** | **[Army](1946-army-cadets-football-team)** | **HB** | **792** |
| Charley Trippi | [Georgia](1946-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | HB | 435 |
| Johnny Lujack | [Notre Dame](1946-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) | QB | 379 |
| Doc Blanchard | Army | FB | 267 |
| Arnold Tucker | Army | QB | 257 |
| Herman Wedemeyer | [St. Mary's (CA)](1946-saint-mary-s-gaels-football-team) | HB | 101 |
| Burr Baldwin | [UCLA](1946-ucla-bruins-football-team) | E | 49 |
| Bobby Layne | [Texas](1946-texas-longhorns-football-team) | QB | 45 |
All-America Team
Main article: 1946 College Football All-America Team
Statistical leaders
Team leaders
Total offense
| Rank | Team | Games played | Total plays | Yards gained | Yards per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Notre Dame](1946-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) | 9 | 690 | 3972 | 441.3 |
| 2 | [Georgia](1946-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | 10 | 622 | 3946 | 394.6 |
| 3 | [Nevada](1946-nevada-wolf-pack-football-team) | 8 | 484 | 3114 | 389.3 |
| 4 | [UCLA](1946-ucla-bruins-football-team) | 10 | 646 | 3779 | 377.9 |
| 5 | [Michigan](1946-michigan-wolverines-football-team) | 9 | 588 | 3122 | 366.9 |
| 6 | [Hardin–Simmons](1946-hardin-simmons-cowboys-football) | 10 | 642 | 3594 | 359.4 |
| 7 | [Boston College](1946-boston-college-eagles-football-team) | 9 | 598 | 3159 | 351.0 |
| 8 | [Yale](1946-yale-bulldogs-football-team) | 9 | 598 | 3095 | 343.9 |
| 9 | [Utah](1946-utah-redskins-football-team) | 8 | 531 | 2747 | 343.4 |
| 10 | [Penn](1946-penn-quakers-football-team) | 8 | 503 | 2720 | 340.0 |
| 11 | [William & Mary](1946-william-mary-indians-football-team) | 10 | 601 | 3383 | 338.3 |
| 12 | [Army](1946-army-cadets-football-team) | 10 | 608 | 3355 | 335.5 |
| 13 | [Chattanooga](1946-chattanooga-moccasins-football-team) | 10 | 592 | 3299 | 329.9 |
| 14 | [Arizona](1946-arizona-wildcats-football-team) | 10 | 674 | 3289 | 328.9 |
| 15 | [Texas](1946-texas-longhorns-football-team) | 10 | 614 | 3281 | 328.1 |
Total defense
| Rank | Team | Games played | Total plays | Yards gained | Yards per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Notre Dame](1946-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) | 9 | 465 | 1275 | 141.7 |
| 2 | [Oklahoma](1946-oklahoma-sooners-football-team) | 10 | 539 | 1550 | 155.0 |
| 3 | [Penn State](1946-penn-state-nittany-lions-football-team) | 8 | 454 | 1271 | 158.9 |
| 4 | [NC State](1946-nc-state-wolfpack-football-team) | 10 | 501 | 1621 | 162.1 |
| 5 | [Rice](1946-rice-owls-football-team) | 10 | 547 | 1663 | 166.3 |
| 6 | [Davidson](1946-davidson-wildcats-football-team) | 9 | 432 | 1498 | 166.4 |
| 7 | [Hardin–Simmons](1946-hardin-simmons-cowboys-football) | 10 | 537 | 1673 | 167.3 |
| 8 | [Mississippi State](1946-mississippi-state-maroons-football-team) | 10 | 502 | 1695 | 169.5 |
| 9 | [Harvard](1946-harvard-crimson-football-team) | 9 | 501 | 1536 | 1707 |
| 10 | [Texas](1946-texas-longhorns-football-team) | 10 | 562 | 1760 | 176.0 |
| 11 | [Boston College](1946-boston-college-eagles-football-team) | 9 | 469 | 1591 | 176.8 |
| 12 | [LSU](1946-lsu-tigers-football-team) | 10 | 520 | 1786 | 178.6 |
| 13 | [Holy Cross](1946-holy-cross-crusaders-football-team) | 9 | 467 | 1609 | 178.8 |
| 14 | [Indiana](1946-indiana-hoosiers-football-team) | 9 | 459 | 1619 | 179.9 |
| 15 | [William & Mary](1946-william-mary-indians-football-team) | 10 | 521 | 1816 | 181.6 |
Rushing offense
| Rank | Team | Games | Rushes | Yards gained | Yards per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Notre Dame](1946-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-team) | 9 | 567 | 3061 | 340.1 |
| 2 | [Hardin–Simmons](1946-hardin-simmons-cowboys-football-team) | 10 | 540 | 2906 | 290.6 |
| 3 | [Utah](1946-utah-redskins-football-team) | 8 | 418 | 2108 | 263.5 |
| 4 | [Detroit](1946-detroit-titans-football-team) | 10 | 510 | 2632 | 263.2 |
| 5 | [UCLA](1946-ucla-bruins-football-team) | 10 | 508 | 2598 | 259.8 |
| 6 | [Oklahoma](1946-oklahoma-sooners-football-team) | 10 | 499 | 2354 | 235.4 |
| 7 | [North Carolina](1946-north-carolina-tar-heels-football-team) | 10 | 452 | 2341 | 234.1 |
| 8 | [Yale](1946-yale-bulldogs-football-team) | 9 | 452 | 2100 | 233.3 |
| 9 | [Penn](1946-penn-quakers-football-team) | 8 | 378 | 1865 | 233.1 |
| 10 | [Army](1946-army-cadets-football-team) | 10 | 454 | 2242 | 224.2 |
| 11 | [Georgia](1946-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | 10 | 416 | 2209 | 220.9 |
| 12 | [Northwestern](1946-northwestern-wildcats-football-team) | 9 | 396 | 1958 | 217.6 |
| 13 | [Mississippi State](1946-mississippi-state-maroons-football-team) | 10 | 487 | 2163 | 216.3 |
| 14 | [William & Mary](1946-william-mary-indians-football-team) | 10 | 455 | 2118 | 211.8 |
| 15 | [Davidson](1946-davidson-wildcats-football-team) | 9 | 428 | 1904 | 211.6 |
Rushing defense
| Rank | Team | Games | Rushes | Yards gained | Yards per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 10 | 359 | 580 | 58.0 |
| 2 | Mississippi State | 10 | 334 | 664 | 66.4 |
| 3 | Harvard | 9 | 330 | 679 | 75.4 |
| 4 | [South Carolina](1946-south-carolina-gamecocks-football-team) | 8 | 292 | 637 | 79.6 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 9 | 321 | 753 | 83.7 |
Passing offense
| Rank | Team | Games | Att. | Compl. | Int. | Pct. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compl. | Yards | Yds/Game | TD passes | ||||||
| 1 | [Nevada](1946-nevada-wolf-pack-football-team) | 8 | 156 | 68 | 14 | .436 | 1569 | 198.1 | 20 |
| 2 | [Georgia](1946-georgia-bulldogs-football-team) | 10 | 206 | 112 | 9 | .544 | 1737 | 173.7 | 23 |
| 3 | [Texas](1946-texas-longhorns-football-team) | 10 | 186 | 99 | 19 | .532 | 1569 | 156.9 | 12 |
| 4 | [Oklahoma A&M](1946-oklahoma-a-m-cowboys-football-team) | 11 | 252 | 107 | 25 | .425 | 1652 | 150.2 | 13 |
| 5 | [Michigan](1946-michigan-wolverines-football-team) | 9 | 162 | 73 | 22 | .451 | 1322 | 146.9 | 10 |
| 6 | [Boston College](1946-boston-college-eagles-football-team) | 9 | 175 | 82 | 14 | .469 | 1266 | 140.7 | 14 |
| 7 | [Indiana](1946-indiana-hoosiers-football-team) | 9 | 185 | 95 | 15 | .514 | 1264 | 140.4 | 8 |
| 8 | [Marquette](1946-marquette-hilltoppers-football-team) | 9 | 189 | 90 | 19 | .476 | 1243 | 138.1 | 13 |
| 9 | [Princeton](1946-princeton-tigers-football-team) | 8 | 167 | 68 | 14 | .407 | 1096 | 137.0 | 4 |
| 10 | [Washington & Lee](1946-washington-and-lee-generals-football-team) | 8 | 165 | 87 | 20 | .527 | 1085 | 135.6 | 12 |
| 11 | [Arizona](1946-arizona-wildcats-football-team) | 10 | 210 | 91 | 20 | .433 | 1321 | 132.1 | 11 |
| 12 | [Purdue](1946-purdue-boilermakers-football-team) | 9 | 183 | 86 | 17 | .470 | 1182 | 131.3 | 7 |
| 13 | [Clemson](1946-clemson-tigers-football-team) | 9 | 152 | 68 | 18 | .447 | 1181 | 131.2 | 8 |
| 14 | [Wake Forest](1946-wake-forest-demon-deacons-football-team) | 9 | 149 | 71 | 14 | .477 | 1151 | 127.9 | 8 |
| 15 | [William & Mary](1946-william-mary-indians-football-team) | 10 | 146 | 77 | 15 | .527 | 1265 | 126.5 | 19 |
Passing defense
| Rank | Team | Games | Att. | Compl. | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compl. | Yards | Yds/Game | |||||
| 1 | [Holy Cross](1946-holy-cross-crusaders-football-team) | 9 | 107 | 35 | .327 | 483 | 53.7 |
| 2 | [West Texas State](1946-west-texas-state-buffaloes-football-team) | 10 | 124 | 43 | .347 | 570 | 57.0 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 9 | 144 | 54 | .375 | 522 | 58.0 |
| 4 | Indiana | 9 | 127 | 39 | .307 | 538 | 59.8 |
| 5 | [Florida](1946-florida-gators-football-team) | 9 | 84 | 39 | .464 | 557 | 61.9 |
Individual leaders
Total offense
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Plays | Rush Yds | Pass Yds | Total Yds | Avg Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per Play | ||||||||
| 1 | Travis Tidwell | Auburn | 10 | 339 | 772 | 943 | 1715 | 5.06 |
| 2 | Bobby Layne | Texas | 10 | 221 | 338 | 1122 | 1460 | 6.61 |
| 3 | Harry Gilmer | Alabama | 11 | 293 | 497 | 930 | 1427 | 4.98 |
| 4 | Charley Trippi | Georgia | 10 | 185 | 744 | 622 | 1366 | 7.38 |
| 5 | Bob Chappuis | Michigan | 9 | 180 | 531 | 734 | 1265 | 7.02 |
| 6 | Rudy Mobley | Hardin-Simmons | 10 | 227 | 1262 | 0 | 1262 | 5.56 |
| 7 | Herman Wedemeyer | St. Mary's | 8 | 204 | 625 | 595 | 1220 | 5.98 |
| 8 | Charlie Justice | North Carolina | 10 | 181 | 943 | 270 | 1213 | 6.70 |
| 9 | Bill Mackrides | Nevada | 8 | 142 | - 70 | 1254 | 1184 | 8.34 |
| 10 | Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts | Chattanooga | 9 | 168 | 1113 | 9 | 1122 | 6.68 |
| 11 | Glenn Davis | Army | 1108 | 6.52 | ||||
| 12 | Fred Enke | Arizona | 1069 | 5.66 | ||||
| 13 | George Guerre | Michigan State | 1029 | 6.86 | ||||
| 14 | Nick Sacrinty | Wake Forest | 1013 | 5.89 | ||||
| 15 | Clark | Texas Mines | 967 | 4.48 | ||||
| 16 | Clyde LeForce | Tulsa | 950 | 5.16 | ||||
| 17 | Joe Golding | Oklahoma | 923 | 7.05 | ||||
| 18 | Ben Raimondi | Indiana | 908 | 4.59 | ||||
| 19 | Case | UCLA | 907 | 7.26 | ||||
| 20 | Jackson | Yale | 888 | 6.00 |
Rushing
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Rushes | Yds Gained | Yds Lost | Net Yds | Avg Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per Play | ||||||||
| 1 | Rudy Mobley | Hardin-Simmons | 10 | **227** | **1306** | 44 | **1262** | 5.56 |
| 2 | Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts | Chattanooga | 10 | 167 | 1147 | 34 | 1113 | 6.66 |
| 3 | Charlie Justice | North Carolina | 10 | 131 | 1024 | 81 | 943 | 7.20 |
| 4 | Joe Golding | Oklahoma | 10 | 126 | 960 | 58 | 902 | 7.16 |
| 5 | Levi Jackson | Yale | 9 | 134 | 851 | 45 | 806 | 6.01 |
| 6 | Roger Stephens | Cincinnati | 10 | 101 | 796 | 22 | 774 | **7.66** |
| 7 | Travis Tidwell | Auburn | 10 | 181 | 926 | 154 | 772 | 4.27 |
| 8 | Charley Trippi | Georgia | 10 | 115 | 846 | 102 | 744 | 6.47 |
| 9 | Hodges | Wichita | 10 | 152 | 775 | 42 | 733 | 4.82 |
| 10 | Glenn Davis | Army | 10 | 123 | 824 | 112 | 712 | 5.79 |
| 11 | Carl F. "Buddy" Russ | Rice | 10 | 130 | 710 | 20 | 690 | 5.31 |
| 12 | Lloyd Merriman | Stanford | 9 | 140 | 728 | 56 | 672 | 4.80 |
| 13 | George Guerre | Michigan State | 10 | 90 | 699 | 66 | 633 | 7.03 |
| 14 | Herman Wedemeyer | Saint Mary's | 8 | 104 | 704 | 79 | 625 | 6.01 |
| 15 | Joseph Rogers | Villanova | 10 | 90 | 669 | 49 | 620 | 6.89 |
| 16 | Doc Blanchard | Army | 10 | 120 | 633 | 20 | 613 | 5.11 |
| 17 | Walter Kretz | Cornell | 9 | 89 | 613 | 11 | 602 | 6.76 |
| 18 | Carpenter | Ohio State | 9 | 141 | 612 | 23 | 589 | 4.18 |
| 19 | Forrest Hall | San Francisco | 9 | 89 | 615 | 36 | 579 | 6.51 |
| 20 | Barney Hafen | Utah | 9 | 132 | 609 | 32 | 577 | 4.37 |
Passing
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Att. | Compl. | Int. | Pct. Compl. | Yds. | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Tidwell | Auburn | 10 | 158 | **79** | 10 | .500 | 943 | 5 |
| 2 | Bobby Layne | Texas | 10 | 144 | 77 | 14 | .550 | 1122 | 6 |
| 3 | Ben Raimondi | Indiana | 9 | 138 | 74 | 8 | .536 | 956 | 7 |
| 4 | Harry Gilmer | Alabama | 11 | **160** | 69 | 10 | .431 | 930 | 5 |
| 5 | Bobby Thomason | VMI | 10 | 126 | 66 | 4 | .524 | 833 | 10 |
| 6 | Charlie Conerly | Ole Miss | 9 | 124 | 64 | 13 | .516 | 641 | 3 |
| 7 | Clark | Texas Mines | 8 | 107 | 61 | 8 | **.570** | 604 | 6 |
| 8 | Clyde LeForce | Tulsa | 10 | 125 | 61 | 7 | .488 | 807 | 7 |
| 9 | Bob DeMoss | Purdue | 8 | 122 | 59 | 9 | .484 | 814 | 6 |
| 10 | Working | Washington & Lee | 7 | 108 | 56 | 14 | .519 | 741 | 8 |
| 11 | Bill Mackrides | Nevada | 8 | 115 | 56 | 7 | .487 | **1254** | **17** |
| 12 | Nick Sacrinty | Wake Forest | 9 | 109 | 51 | 12 | .468 | 822 | 6 |
| 13 | Olsen | BYU | 8 | 100 | 50 | 10 | .500 | 719 | 2 |
| 14 | Frank Payne | SMU | 10 | 107 | 50 | 11 | .467 | 580 | 4 |
| 15 | Johnny Lujack | Notre Dame | 9 | 100 | 49 | 8 | .490 | 778 | 6 |
| 16 | Furse | Yale | 9 | 100 | 49 | 6 | .490 | 735 | 8 |
| 17 | John Rauch | Georgia | 10 | 87 | 48 | 4 | .552 | 779 | 14 |
| 18 | John Burns | Cornell | 9 | 105 | 48 | 8 | .457 | 624 | 3 |
| 19 | Tommy Mont | Maryland | 9 | 92 | 45 | 6 | .489 | 410 | 3 |
| 20 | Y. A. Tittle | LSU | 10 | 95 | 45 | 8 | .474 | 781 | 11 |
Receiving
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Receptions | Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards | |||||
| 1 | Neill Armstrong | Oklahoma A&M | 10 | **32** | 479 |
| 1 | Montgomery | Arizona (Tempe) | 11 | **32** | 399 |
| 3 | Broughton Williams | Florida | 8 | 29 | **490** |
| 3 | Red O'Quinn | Wake Forest | 9 | 29 | 441 |
| 5 | Barney Poole | Ole Miss | 9 | 28 | 277 |
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.
| Rank | Player | Team | TD | PAT | FG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Carter | [Florida N&I](1946-florida-n-i-lions-football-team) | 21 | 26 | 0 | 152 |
| 2 | Andy Victor | [Oklahoma City](1946-oklahoma-city-chiefs-football-team) | 14 | 40 | 0 | 124 |
| 3 | Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts | [Chattanooga](1946-chattanooga-moccasins-football-team) | 18 | 9 | 0 | 117 |
| 4 | Rudy Mobley | [Hardin–Simmons](1946-hardin-simmons-cowboys-football-team) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 96 |
| 5 | Jack Crider | [Muhlenberg](1946-muhlenberg-mules-football-team) | 15 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 6 | Forrest Hall | [San Francisco](1946-san-francisco-dons-football-team) | 13 | 9 | 0 | 87 |
| 7 (tie) | Charley Trippi | Georgia | 14 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| 7 (tie) | Baker | [Missouri Valley](1946-missouri-valley-vikings-football-team) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| 7 (tie) | Dan Roskos | [East Stroudsburg State](1946-east-stroudsburg-warriors-football-team) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| 7 (tie) | Phillipi | [Southern](1946-southern-jaguars-football-team) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| 11 (tie) | Art Hering | [Rutgers](1946-rutgers-queensmen-football-team) | 12 | 8 | 0 | 80 |
| 11 (tie) | Dixon | [Abilene Christian](1946-abilene-christian-wildcats-football-team) | 13 | 3 | 0 | 80 |
| 11 (tie) | Johnny Hickman | San Angelo | 12 | 8 | 0 | 80 |
| 14 | Glenn Davis | [Army](1946-army-cadets-football-team) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 15 (tie) | Larry Bruno | Geneva | 12 | 2 | 0 | 74 |
| 15 (tie) | Spoon | Southwestern Kansas | 12 | 2 | 0 | 74 |
| 17 (tie) | Charlie Justice | [North Carolina](1946-north-carolina-tar-heels-football-team) | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 17 (tie) | Young | Hillsdale | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 17 (tie) | Brady | [Ohio](1946-ohio-bobcats-football-team) | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 17 (tie) | Ward | Hillsdale | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 17 (tie) | Washington | [Tennessee A&I](1946-tennessee-a-i-tigers-football-team) | 12 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 22 | Clyde LeForce | [Tulsa](1946-tulsa-golden-hurricane-football-team) | 5 | 34 | 1 | 67 |
| 23 (tie) | Jack Cloud | [William & Mary](1946-william-mary-indians-football-team) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Pudge Camarata | [Iowa Teachers](1946-iowa-state-teachers-panthers-football-team) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Lingenfelder | Missouri Valley | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Preston | Missouri Valley | 6 | 30 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Hughes | Ottawa | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Carl Giordana | Lawrence | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 23 (tie) | Anthony Georgiana | Catawba | 11 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
Rules Committee
- Earl Krieger, secretary
- W. J. Bingham (Harvard), chairman
- Amos Alonzo Stagg (Pacific), life member
- William Alexander (Georgia Tech), member-at-large
- Tuss McLaughry (Dartmouth), 1st District
- Biff Jones (Army), 2nd District
- Wallace Wade (Duke), 3rd District
- Fritz Crisler (Michigan), 4th District
- Ernest C. Quigley (Kansas), 5th District
- Dana X. Bible (Texas), 6th District
- Harry W. Hughes (Colorado A&M), 7th District
- Willis O. Hunter (USC), 8th District
References
References
- "Fighting Irish Battle Army to 0-0 Stalemate", ''The Post-Standard'' (Syracuse), Nov. 10, 1946, p13
- (January 2, 1947). "Ice postpones Alamo Bowl game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- (January 5, 1947). "Cowboys blank Denver, 20-0". Pittsburgh Press.
- (December 4, 1946). "Davis wins Heisman cup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- (December 4, 1946). "Glenn Davis honored". St. Petersburg Times.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
- (1947). "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947". A.S. Barnes and Company.
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