Wikipedia

1939 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

The 1939 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1939 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 3–4–1 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 154 to 82.[1]

1939 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record3–4–1 (2–3–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
MVPHal Van Every
CaptainWin Pedersen
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →
1939 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Ohio State $ 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
No. 9 Iowa 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 1 – 1
No. 20 Michigan 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Purdue 2 – 1 – 2 3 – 3 – 2
Northwestern 3 – 2 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Illinois 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 4 – 1
Minnesota 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Indiana 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 4 – 2
Wisconsin 0 – 5 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
Chicago 0 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Minnesota was not ranked in the final AP poll, but it was ranked at No. 9 in the Litkenhous Ratings for 1939,[2] and at No. 32 in the 1939 Williamson System ratings.[3]

Tackle Win Pederson was named All-Big Ten first team.[4] Halfback Hal Van Every was awarded the Team MVP Award.[5]

Total attendance for the season was 229,954, which averaged to 45,991. The season high for attendance was against Northwestern.[6]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Arizona*
W 62–042,875[7]
October 7at Nebraska*
L 0–633,000[8]
October 14Purdue
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
T 13–1335,000[9]
October 21No. 10 Ohio State 
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
L 20–2352,000[10]
November 4Northwestern
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
L 7–1453,200[11]
November 11at No. 10 Michigan
W 20–764,945[12]
November 18at No. 15 IowaNo. 20
L 13–950,000[13]
November 25Wisconsin
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)
W 23–640,000[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

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Michigan

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Week 6: Minnesota at Michigan
1 234Total
• Minnesota 7 067 20
Michigan 0 007 7

On November 11, 1939, Minnesota defeated Michigan by a 20 to 7 score. The game was the 30th between the programs, with Minnesota having won the previous five games under head coach Bernie Bierman.[15] Minnesota jumped to a 20 to 0 lead with touchdowns in the first, third and fourth quarters. Minnesota's touchdown in the third quarter came on a 59-yard run by halfback George Franck. In the fourth quarter, Michigan finally scored on touchdown pass from Tom Harmon to Paul Kromer. Harmon kicked for the PAT.[16][17]

Michigan's starting lineup against Minnesota was Joe Rogers (left end), Roland Savilla (left tackle), Ralph Fritz (left guard), Archie Kodros (center), Milo Sukup (right guard), William Smith (right tackle), John Nicholson (right end), Ingalls (quarterback), Paul Kromer (left halfback), Harmon (right halfback), and Bob Westfall (fullback).[16]

References

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  1. ^ "1939 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ^ E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Paul Williamson (December 8, 1941). "Texas Aggies Ranked Nation's Top". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 180[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 181[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Charles Johnson (October 1, 1939). "Gopher Touchdowns Parade Engulfs Arizona, 62 to 0". Sunday Star-Journal. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ John Bentley (October 8, 1939). "Nebraska Beats Minnesota, 6-0". Sunday Journal and Star. p. A1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Charles Johnson (October 15, 1939). "Purdue Ties Gophers, 13-13, on 4th Period Touchdown Gamble". Minneapolis Star-Journal. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Charles Johnson (October 22, 1939). "Ohio State Storms Back to Topple Gophers, 23-20". Sunday Star-Journal. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "De Correvont Leads Wildcats to 14-7 Victory: Bill's 61 Yard Sprint Beats Minnesota". Chicago Tribune. November 5, 1939. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Tod Rockwell (November 12, 1939). "Gophers Whip Michigan, 20-7; Jug Retained by Minnesota for Sixth Year". Detroit Free Press. pp. Sports 1, 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "WOW! Hawkeyes Defeat Minnesota, 13 to 9". Des Moines Register. November 19, 1939. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Charles Johnson (November 26, 1939). "Gophers Rip Badgers, 23-6: Gophers Turn in Their Best Game to Close Season". Minneapolis Star-Journal. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Michigan vs. Minnesota". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Minnesota Triumphs and Drops Michigan Out of Running for Big Ten Title: 64,945 See Gophers Spring Upset, 20-7". The New York Times. November 12, 1939.
  17. ^ Wilfrid Smith (November 12, 1939). "Gophers Rout Michigan on Power, 20-7". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
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