1946 Northwestern Wildcats football team

1946 Northwestern Wildcats football
ConferenceBig Nine Conference
Record4–4–1 (2–3–1 Big Nine)
Head coach
MVPEd Hirsch
CaptainBill Ivy[1]
Home stadiumDyche Stadium
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Big Nine Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Illinois $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 6 Michigan 5 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
No. 20 Indiana 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Iowa 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Minnesota 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Ohio State 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 3 – 2
Northwestern 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Wisconsin 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Purdue 0 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1946 Northwestern Wildcats team was an American football team that represented Northwestern University during the 1946 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 12th and final year under head coach Pappy Waldorf, the Wildcats compiled a 4–4–1 record (2–3–1 against conference opponents), finished in seventh place in the Big Nine Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 156 to 136.[2]

The team ranked first in the Big Nine, and ninth nationally, in rushing offense with an average of 217.6 rushing yards per game.[3] It was ranked at No. 17 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings.[4]

Halfback Vic Schwall was selected by both the Associated Press and United Press as a first-team player on the 1946 All-Big Nine Conference football team.[5][6] Guard Ed Hirsch was selected by the Central Press Association as a first-team player on the 1946 All-America college football team.[7]

  1. ^ "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2007. p. 147. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "1946 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  3. ^ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 74.
  4. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 15, 1946). "Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Indiana Places Three on Big Ten All-Stars". The Milwaukee Journal (AP story). November 26, 1946. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "Michigan Gets Three Places On UP Team". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (UP story). November 30, 1946. p. 13.
  7. ^ "Army, Irish Place Two Each On Captains' All American". Wisconsin State Journal. December 3, 1946.