1946 Wisconsin Badgers football team

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]

1946 Wisconsin Badgers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1946 record4–5 (2–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPFred Negus
CaptainClarence Esser
Home stadiumCamp Randall Stadium
1946 Big Nine Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW 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 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]

The team played its home games at Camp Randall Stadium. During the 1946 season, the average attendance at home games was 45,000.[12]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 21Marquette*
W 34–045,000
September 28at California*
W 28–750,000
October 5at Northwestern
L 0–2845,000
October 12No. 14 Ohio State
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
W 20-745,000
October 19at IllinoisNo. 20
L 21–2762,597
November 2at PurdueNo. 18
W 24–2032,000
November 9IowaNo. 15
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI (rivalry)
L 7–2145,000
November 16at No. 10 Michigan
L 6–2863,415
November 23Minnesota
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI (rivalry)
L 0–645,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

[1][2]

References
  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.
  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. Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 143.
  12. Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book, p. 258.
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