1946 Detroit Titans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–4
Head coach
CaptainWilbur Hintz, Bob Ivory
Home stadiumUniversity of Detroit Stadium
1946 Midwestern major college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Notre Dame   –  8 –0 –1
Detroit   –  6 –4 –0
Michigan State   –  5 –5 –0
Marquette   –  4 –5 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1946 Detroit Titans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Detroit as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their second season under head coach Chuck Baer, the Titans compiled a 6–4 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 214 to 134.[1]

The team featured one of the top rushing offenses in the country. The Titans' backs tallied 2,632 rushing yards for the third highest total in the nation. Their average of 263.2 yards per game ranked fourth nationally.[2] The team's backfield included halfbacks Bill Haley, Joe Wright, and Jack Kurkowski, quarterback Gene Malinowski, and fullbacks Al Schmidt and Len Rittof.[3]

The team's assistant coaches were Lloyd Brazil (backfield coach and athletic director), John Shada (line coach), Ed J. Barbour (backfield coach), and Dr. Raymond D. Forsyth (team physician and trainer).[4] End Wilbur Hintz and guard Bob Ivory were the team's co-captains.[5]

Detroit was ranked at No. 61 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.[6]

The team played its home games at University of Detroit Stadium, which had a capacity of 20,000 persons. In the fall of 1946, the university had an enrollment of 5,000 men and 1,200 women.[7]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 20Wayne
W 31–023,800[8]
September 27Scranton
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 32–1318,650[9]
October 5at Holy Cross
L 14–1620,000[10]
October 13at San Francisco
W 18–620,000[11]
October 18 No. 20 Tulsa
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 20–1420,200[12]
October 25Drake
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 33–616,572[13]
November 1Marquette
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 21–2010,350[14]
November 8Villanova
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 6–2319,350[15]
November 17at Saint Louis
W 33–148,712[16]
November 29at Miami (FL)
L 7–2124,747[17]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

After the season

The 1947 NFL Draft was held on December 16, 1946. The following Titans were selected.[18]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
967Gene MalinowskiBackBoston Yanks
1186Pete SullivanTackleDetroit Lions
17148Jack HartTackleWashington Redskins
28256Arch KellyEndDetroit Lions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "1946 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 74.
  3. ↑ "Detroit vs. Tulsa game program". University of Detroit. October 18, 1946. p. 18.
  4. ↑ "Detroit vs. Tulsa game program". University of Detroit. October 18, 1946. pp. 5, 31.
  5. ↑ Detroit vs. Tulsa program, p. 7.
  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.
  7. ↑ Tulsa game program, p. 31.
  8. ↑ W. W. Edgar (September 21, 1946). "U-D Overwhelms Tartars, 31 to 0". Detroit Free Press. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Detroit Gallops To Beat Scranton, 32-13". Detroit Free Press. September 28, 1946. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Edgar, W.W. (October 6, 1946). "Last-Second Field Goal Sends U-D to Defeat; Holy Cross Wins, 16-14". The Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Mich. sect. 4, p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ W. W. Edgar (October 14, 1946). "Titans End Road Jinx with 18-6 Triumph over San Francisco". Detroit Free Press. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ W. W. Edgar (October 19, 1946). "Titan TD in Last 90 Seconds Upsets Tulsa, 20-14". Detroit Free Press. p. 12.
  13. ↑ W. W. Edgar (October 26, 1946). "Titans Keep Drake in Doghouse with 33-6 Victory". Detroit Free Press. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ W. W. Edgar (November 2, 1946). "Titans Upset, 21-20, As Clipping Costs Touchdown". Detroit Free Press. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ W. W. Edgar (November 9, 1946). "Villanova's Wildcats Feast on Titan Eleven, 23 to 6". Detroit Free Press. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ James L. Toomey (November 18, 1946). "Detroit Back's 90-Yard Run Features 33-14 Billiken Loss". St. Louis Star-Times. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Miami Turns Heat on U-D to Win, 21-7". Detroit Free Press. November 30, 1946. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "1947 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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