1946 Syracuse Orangemen football team

1946 Syracuse Orangemen football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–5
Head coach
CaptainRichard Whitesell[1][2]
Home stadiumArchbold Stadium
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Eastern major college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Army     9 0 1
Penn State     6 2 0
Boston College     6 3 0
Holy Cross     6 4 0
NYU     5 3 0
Villanova     6 4 0
Colgate     4 4 0
Syracuse     4 5 0
Pittsburgh     3 5 1
Temple     2 4 2
Merchant Marine     4 7 0
Bucknell     3 6 0
Fordham     0 7 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1946 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1946 college football season. The Orangemen were led by head coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, in his first and only year with the team. Munn left to take the head coaching position at Michigan State, where he would later win several national titles. The Orangemen compiled a record of 4–5 under Munn.[3]

During the season Miami Hurricanes cancelled a scheduled game against the Penn State team as Miami officials felt that Penn State fielding their two African American in Miami could have led to "unfortunate incidents".[4] Miami reportedly invited Syracuse to replace Penn State. This invitation was promptly declined and rebuked in an editorial in The Daily Orange, titled "No Thanks, Miami".[5]

Syracuse was ranked at No. 63 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.[6]

  1. ^ 2017 Syracuse football media guide. pg. 147.
  2. ^ Jones, Johnny (December 12, 1971). "When the Hudson Valley Roared in Orange". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York. p. 4B. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ "Students Beg Munn to Stay". The Des Moines Register. AP. December 13, 1946. p. 13. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  4. ^ "Penn State-Miami U. Grid Game Is Latest Victim of 'Racial Problem'". The Gazette and Daily. York, Pennsylvania. AP. November 6, 1946. p. 25. Retrieved November 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Syracuse Turns Down Miami Offer to Sub for Penn State". The Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. November 13, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved November 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 15, 1946). "Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.