1946 Utah State Aggies football team

1946 Utah State Aggies football
MSC co-champion
ConferenceMountain States Conference
Record7–2–1 (4–1–1 MSC)
Head coach
Home stadiumAggie Stadium
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Mountain States Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Utah State $ 4 1 1 7 2 1
Denver $ 4 1 1 5 5 1
Utah 4 2 0 8 3 0
Colorado 3 2 1 5 4 1
BYU 3 2 1 5 4 1
Colorado A&M 1 5 0 2 7 0
Wyoming 0 6 0 1 8 1
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1946 Utah State Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Utah State Agricultural College in the Mountain States Conference (MSC) during the 1946 college football season. In their 27th season under head coach Dick Romney, the Aggies compiled a 7–2–1 record (4–1–1 against MSC opponents), tied for the MSC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 220 to 75.[1][2] The 1946 squad continues to hold the school records for: most rushing yards per attempt (5.9); lowest pass completion percentage allowed (.330); fewest touchdown passes allowed (zero); and fewest total offense attempts allowed per game (50.6).[3]

After losing only one game during the regular season, the team played in the school's first bowl game – the 1947 Raisin Bowl on January 1, 1947, in Fresno, California. The Aggies were defeated by San Jose State, 20-0.[4]

Four Utah State players were named to the all-conference team selected by the Associated Press: center Ralph Maughan (first team), tackle George Nelson (first team), halfback Jay Van Noy (second team), and end Norvel Hansen (second team).[5][6] Van Noy went on to play six games in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals.[7]

Utah State was ranked at No. 91 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.[8]

  1. ^ "1946 Utah State Aggies Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "2018 Utah State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Utah State University. 2018. pp. 189, 195.
  3. ^ 2018 Media Guide, p. 140.
  4. ^ 2018 Media Guide, p. 172.
  5. ^ 2018 Media Guide, p. 161.
  6. ^ "Associated Press Announces Its All-Big Seven Football Squad". The Casper Tribune-Herald. December 2, 1946. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Jay Van Noy". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 15, 1946). "Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.