1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Consensus national champion
Big Ten champion
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
APNo. 1
Record8–0 (5–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
MVPBob Sweiger
CaptainBruce Smith
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1941 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Minnesota $ 5 –0 –08 –0 –0
No. 5 Michigan 3 –1 –16 –1 –1
No. 13 Ohio State 3 –1 –16 –1 –1
No. 11 Northwestern 4 –2 –05 –3 –0
Wisconsin 3 –3 –03 –5 –0
Iowa 2 –4 –03 –5 –0
Purdue 1 –3 –02 –5 –1
Indiana 1 –3 –02 –6 –0
Illinois 0 –5 –02 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1941 Big Ten Conference football season. In their tenth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 186 to 38.[1] The team's national championship run in the days before the attack on Pearl Harbor was chronicled in journalist Danny Spewak's book, "From the Gridiron to the Battlefield: Minnesota's March to a College Football Title and into World War II," published in 2021 by Rowman & Littlefield.[2]

The team was selected national champion by eleven NCAA-designated major selectors in Associated Press, Billingsley, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess).[3]: 112 

Halfback Bruce Smith was named an All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, INS, Time-Life, United Press (UP), Associated Press (AP) and Look Magazine.[4] Smith was also awarded the Heisman Trophy, the only Golden Gopher to win the award.[5]

Tackle Dick Wildung was named an All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, INS, Time Life, AP and UPI.[4] Wildung, Smith, halfback Bill Daley, end Bob Fitch and guard Len Levy were named All-Big Ten.[6]

Back Bob Sweiger was awarded the team most valuable player award.[7]

Total attendance for the season was 239,227, which averaged to 47,845. The season high for attendance was against Northwestern.[8]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 27at Washington*
W 14–643,000[9]
October 11Illinois
W 34–650,435[10]
October 18Pittsburgh*No. 1
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 39–035,000[11]
October 25at No. 3 MichiganNo. 1
W 7–085,753[12]
November 1No. 9 NorthwesterndaggerNo. 1
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 8–764,464[13]
November 8Nebraska*No. 2
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)
W 9–042,893[14]
November 15at IowaNo. 1
W 34–1343,200[15]
November 22WisconsinNo. 1
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)
W 41–652,984[16]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes
Week
Poll1234567Final
AP1 (66)1 (69)1т (60)2 (34.5)1 (99)1 (112)1 (95)1 (84.5)

Game summaries

Michigan

Week 5: Minnesota at Michigan
1 234Total
• Minnesota 0 700 7
Michigan 0 000 0

On October 25, 1941, Minnesota, ranked #1 in the AP Poll, played Michigan, ranked #3 in the country. Minnesota won the game by a 7 to 0 score on a five-yard touchdown run by halfback Herman Frickey in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 78-yard punt and a 43-yard pass, both by 1941 Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith. Minnesota gained 179 rushing yards in the game, while Michigan tallied 135 rushing yards. In the fourth quarter, Michigan twice drove deep into Minnesota territory, but both drives ended with pass interceptions by Minnesota's quarterback Bill Garnaas. The loss was the eighth in a row for the Wolverines against the Golden Gophers. The crowd of 85,753 at Michigan Stadium was the largest to that date to see a football game between two Big Ten Conference teams.[17][18]

References

  1. ↑ "1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ↑ Danny Spewak. From the Gridiron to the Battlefield: Minnesota's March to a College Football Title and into World War II. Rowman.com. ISBN 9781538157626. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 179
  5. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 182
  6. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 180
  7. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 181
  8. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160
  9. ↑ Charles Johnson (September 28, 1941). "Smith and Daley Star as Gophers Rip Huskies, 14–6: Halfback Scoots to 2 Scores". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Charles Johnson (October 12, 1941). "Gophers Crush Illini, 34–6: Minnesota Tallies 4 Times in First Half". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Charles Johnson (October 19, 1941). "Gophers Pound Pitt, 39–0: Higgins Is Sensation in Victory". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ John N. Sabo (October 26, 1941). "Minnesota Edges Out Michigan on Second-Period Score, 7 to 0, as Crowd of 85,753 Looks On". Detroit Free Press. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Charles Johnson (November 2, 1941). "Gophers Cage Wildcats, 8–7". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Charles Johnson (November 9, 1941). "Gophers Held To 9–0 Win". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1–2.
  15. ↑ Bert McGrane (November 16, 1941). "Minnesota Mauls Iowa, 34–13". The Des Moines Register. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Charles Johnson (November 23, 1941). "Gophers Tip Badgers, 41–6, Win Big Ten, U.S. Titles: Smith Heroic in Last Game". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Arch Ward (October 26, 1941). "Minnesota Bears Michigan, 7–0: Gophers Score Touchdown in Second Period; 85,753 See Losers' Line Outplayed". Chicago Tribune. pp. 2–1.
  18. ↑ Allison Danzig (October 26, 1941). "85,753 See Gophers; Bruce Smith Hurt After Punting 78 Yards and Hurling Pass for 43". The New York Times.
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