1946 Wisconsin Badgers football team

1946 Wisconsin Badgers football
ConferenceBig Nine Conference
Record4–5 (2–5 Big Nine)
Head coach
MVPFred Negus
CaptainClarence Esser
Home stadiumCamp Randall 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 Wisconsin Badgers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1946 Big Nine Conference football season. The team compiled a 4–5 record (2–5 against conference opponents) and finished in eighth place in the Big Nine Conference. Harry Stuhldreher was in his 11th year as Wisconsin's head coach.[1][2] The team averaged 253.1 yards per game of total offense, 179.8 by rushing, and 73.3 by passing.[3]

The team's statistical leaders included Earl Maves with 538 rushing yards, Lisle Blackbourn, Jr., with 175 passing yards, Tom Bennett with 124 receiving yards, and Ben Bendrick with 30 points scored.[4] Center Fred Negus received the team's most valuable player award.[5] T. A. Cox led the Big Nine with an average of 43.0 yards per punt.[6] Clarence Esser was the team captain.[7]

Earl Maves rushed for 155 yards against Marquette on September 21, 1946.[8] In the same game, he set a Wisconsin school record with an 86-yard touchdown run. That record stood until 1957.[9] Also in the Marquette game, Gene Evans set a school record with three interceptions, a record that stood until 1954.[10] The defense held Marquette to five rushing yards in the game.[11]

On September 28, 1946, Wisconsin set a school record by holding California to 71 yards (24 rushing, 47 passing). That record stood until 2005.[11]

Wisconsin was ranked at No. 29 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.[12]

The team played its home games at Camp Randall Stadium. During the 1946 season, the average attendance at home games was 45,000.[13]

  1. ^ "1946 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. March 13, 2017.
  2. ^ "Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book" (PDF). University of Wisconsin. 2016. pp. 212, 220. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  3. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 146.
  4. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, pp. 134-136.
  5. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 181.
  6. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 131.
  7. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 185.
  8. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 103.
  9. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 105.
  10. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 127.
  11. ^ a b Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 143.
  12. ^ Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 15, 1946). "Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. p. B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 258.