1946 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1946 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Big Nine champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 45–14 vs. UCLA
ConferenceBig Nine Conference
Ranking
APNo. 5
Record8–2 (6–1 Big Nine)
Head coach
MVPAlex Agase
CaptainMac Wenskunas
Home stadiumMemorial 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 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois in the 1946 Big Nine Conference football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled an 8–2 record (6–1 against Big Nine opponents) and won the Big Nine championship. They finished the season ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll and were invited to play in the 1947 Rose Bowl where they defeated No. 4 UCLA, 45–14.[1][2] Center Mac Wenskunas was the team captain.[2]

Guard Alex Agase was a consensus first-team selection on the 1946 All-America college football team.[3] Agase also received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Nine's most valuable player.[4] Four Illinois players received honors from the Associated Press (AP) or United Press (UP) on the 1946 All-Big Nine Conference football team: Agase (AP-1, UP-1); ends Ike Owens (UP-1) and Sam Zatkoff (UP-2); and halfback Jules Rykovich (UP-2).[5][6]

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

  1. ^ "1946 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  4. ^ "Alex Agase Is Most Valuable". Journal and Courier. December 16, 1946. p. 12 – 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 2, 2022.
  6. ^ "Michigan Gets Three Places On UP Team". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (UP story). November 30, 1946. p. 13.