1943 North Texas Aggies football team

1943 North Texas Aggies football
ConferenceIndependent
Record3–4–1
Head coach
Seasons
← 1942
1944 →
1943 Southern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Navy   –   8 – 1 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   5 – 1 – 0
West Virginia   –   4 – 3 – 0
North Texas Aggies   –   3 – 4 – 1
Virginia   –   3 – 4 – 1
Texas Tech   –   4 – 6 – 0
Tennessee Tech   –   1 – 5 – 0
Sewanee   –   0 – 3 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1943 North Texas Aggies football team represented North Texas Agricultural College (NTAC)—now known as the University of Texas at Arlington—as an independent during the 1943 college football season. In their ninth year under head coach Klepto Holmes, the Aggies compiled a 3–4–1 record and were ranked at No. 69 among the nation's college and military service teams in the final 1943 Litkenhous Ratings.[1]

Prior to World War II, the North Texas Aggies were a junior college team that did not compete at the highest level in football. During the war, the school became a military training center, and the football team was rebuilt with United States Marine Corps trainees. Texas columnist Flem R. Hall in September 1943 described the Aggies as a Cinderella team that went "from rags to riches" when the Marine Corps waved a magic wand that sent players from major Texas universities "tumbling onto" the Aggies' Arlington campus. Hall continued: "The unknown kitchen maid became the queen of the ball and won the prince."[2]

The Aggies gained 11 players who were transferred from TCU, including tailback Pete Stout, center James Woodfin, Sam Weatherford, and Don Hughes. Other notable transferees included fullback Howard "Red" Maley, tackle Burnie Smith, blocking back "Peck" McMinn and center Jim Sid Wright (all from SMU); lineman Harold Crossen, Doyle Caraway, James Reid, lineman P. A. Wynn and Joe Beavers (all from Texas Tech).[2][3][4][5]

  1. ^ E. E. Litkenhous (December 17, 1943). "Litkenhouse Selects U.S. Grid Leaders: Notre Dame Named Top Team for 1943; Minnesota Does Fadeout". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 18. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Flem Hall (September 15, 1943). "The Sport Tide". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 21. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "North Texas Aggies Polish Up Defensive Line That Will Try To Hold Southwestern". The Austin American. October 14, 1943. p. 11. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Three Former Techsans To Face Red Raiders Saturday". Lubbock Morning Avalanche. November 9, 1943. p. 4. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ponies Tackle NTAC Today". Fort Worth Star-Telegraph. October 2, 1943. p. 9. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.