Wikipedia

1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

The 1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented the University of New Hampshire as a member of the New England Conference during the 1942 college football season. In its first year under head coach Charles M. Justice, the team compiled a 6–0 record, outscoring their opponents 101–46. The team played its home games at Lewis Field (also known as Lewis Stadium) in Durham, New Hampshire.

1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football
Team photo; Theo "Tuffy" Fitanides is number 36 in the front row
ConferenceNew England Conference
Record6–0 (3–0 New England)
Head coach
CaptainCharles "Pappy" Judd[1]
Home stadiumLewis Field
Seasons
← 1941
1944 →
1942 New England Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
New Hampshire + 3 – 0 – 0 6 – 0 – 0
Connecticut + 2 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Northeastern 0 – 1 – 0 0 – 5 – 1
Rhode Island State 0 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 0
Maine 0 – 2 – 0 2 – 4 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The team's prior head coach, George Sauer, enlisted in the Navy in April 1942.[2] Justice, who had been the team's line coach, was named as Sauer's successor in early May.[3]

New Hampshire was ranked at No. 197 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.[4]

After the 1942 season, the Wildcats' football program would be idle due to World War II until a four-game limited schedule in 1944, with their next full season being 1946.

Highlights

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This was the Wildcats' first undefeated football season in school history.[1] New Hampshire averaged 310 yards rushing per game, while holding their opponents to a 225-yard average, and completed 47% of their passes while holding opponents to 25% pass completion.[1] Running back Theo "Tuffy" Fitanides gained 735 yards on 144 carries,[1] while missing the final game of the season due to an injury sustained during military training on campus.[5] Fitanides was later selected to captain New Hampshire's 1943 team;[6] however, the season was cancelled due to the war.[7] Fitanides became the first Wildcat drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team, being selected in the fifth round of the 1944 NFL draft by the New York Giants.[8]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 26 Colby* Cancelled‡ [9]
October 3 Bates* Cancelled‡ [9]
October 10 Maine
W 20–75,000 [10]
October 17 Springfield*
  • Lewis Field
  • Durham, NH
W 20–7 [11][12]
October 24 Rhode Island State 
  • Lewis Field
  • Durham, NH
W 14–13 [13][14]
October 31 at Norwich*
W 16–13 [15][16]
November 7 at Tufts*
W 13–6 [17]
November 14 Northeastern
  • Lewis Field
  • Durham, NH
W 18–0 [18]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Source: [19]

‡ Games against Colby and Bates were cancelled due to an expected delay in players arriving at the university due to "working in war industries during the summer".[9]

The 1942 game remains the last time that the New Hampshire and Norwich football programs have met.[20]

Wildcat captain Charles Judd became a high school teacher and restaurant owner; he died in July 2006 at age 89.[21] Tuffy Fitanides died in March 2012 at age 90.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d The Granite. Durham, New Hampshire: University of New Hampshire. 1944. pp. 134–137. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via library.unh.edu.
  2. ^ "George Sauer enlists in U. S. navy". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. April 17, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Justice Selected As Head Coach Of UNH Gridsters". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. May 5, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 16, 1942). "Litkenhous Rates Georgia No. 1, Ohio State No. 2". Twin City Sentinel. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Birtwell, Roger (November 14, 1942). "Tuffy Fitanides Steps Into Hole During Military Drill". The Boston Globe. p. 7. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Theo Fitanides to Lead Wildcat 1943 Grid Team". The Boston Globe. December 12, 1942. p. 9. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "UNH Drops Intercollegiate Athletics". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. September 1, 1943. p. 18. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Colleges Beginning With N". DraftHistory.com. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "New Hampshire Eleven Plays Opener Today". Hartford Courant. October 10, 1942. p. 11. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "New Hampshire Wins Over Maine, 20 to 7". Hartford Courant. AP. October 11, 1942. p. 54. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Wildcats Come From Behind To Trim Springfield 20-7". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 19, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "New Hampshire Beats Springfield, 20 to 7". Hartford Courant. AP. October 18, 1942. p. 48. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Rhode Island State In Durham Saturday". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 21, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "N. H. Trips Rhode Island St. 14-13". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 26, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "NHU Comes From Behind To Defeat Norwich 16-13". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 2, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "New Hampshire Uses Field Goal To Topple Norwich Horsemen, 16-13". Hartford Courant. AP. November 1, 1942. p. 53. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "UNH Wildcats Win 5th Straight Defeating Tufts 13-6". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 9, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Wildcats Swamp Northeastern 18-0 To Conclude First Undefeated Season In History". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 16, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "New Hampshire Game by Game Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2019 – via Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ "New Hampshire vs Norwich (VT)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
  21. ^ "Charles Levi Judd". East Bay Times. July 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Legacy.com.
  22. ^ "Theophilus A. 'Tuffy' Fitanides". Portland Press Herald. March 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via Legacy.com.
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