1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team

The 1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team represented the United States Navy's Great Lakes Naval Training Station (Great Lakes NTS) during the 1943 college football season. The team compiled a 10–2 record, outscored opponents by a total of 257 to 108, and was ranked No. 6 in the final AP Poll.[1] Tony Hinkle, who coached at Butler University before the war, was in his second season as head coach.

1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 6
Record10–2
Head coach
Home stadiumRoss Field
Seasons
← 1942
1944 →
1943 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 17 Bainbridge     7 0 0
Bunker Hill NAS     6 0 0
Greensboro     4 0 0
Memphis NATTC     2 0 0
No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight     9 1 0
No. 10 March Field     9 1 0
No. 8 Del Monte Pre-Flight     7 1 0
Randolph Field     9 1 1
Georgia Pre-Flight     5 1 0
No. 6 Great Lakes Navy     10 2 0
Lubbock AAF     5 1 0
Ottumwa NAS     5 1 0
Camp Davis     8 2 0
Sampson NTS     7 2 0
San Diego NTS     7 2 0
Keesler Field     3 1 0
Wright Field     1 0 1
Camp Lejeune     6 2 1
Fort Riley     6 2 1
Kearns Field     5 2 0
Fort Knox     4 2 0
Cherry Point Marines     4 2 1
Alameda Coast Guard     4 2 1
Fort Douglas     4 2 1
300th Infantry     5 3 0
176th Infantry     4 3 0
Blackland AAF     4 3 0
Fort Sheridan     4 3 0
Fort Warren     4 3 0
Norman NAS     4 3 0
Charleston Coast Guard     5 4 0
Salt Lake AAB     4 3 2
124th Infantry     2 2 0
Camp Kilmer     2 2 0
Camp Lee     5 5 0
Logan Navy     2 2 0
Spokane Air Service     2 2 0
Camp Edwards     4 5 0
Curtis Bay Coast Guard     4 5 0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     3 4 1
Jacksonville NATTC     3 4 0
Richmond AAB     4 6 1
Atlantic City NAS     2 3 0
North Carolina Pre-Flight     2 4 1
Patterson Field     2 4 1
Bowman Field     2 4 0
Kirtland Field     1 2 0
Lakehurst NAS     2 4 0
Camp Grant     2 6 2
Lowry Field     1 3 0
Fort Monroe     3 7 0
Daniel Field     2 7 0
Camp Gordon     1 4 0
South Plains AAF     1 4 0
Greenville AAB     1 5 0
Ward Island Marines     1 5 0
Bryan AAF     1 6 0
Pocatello AAB     0 3 0
Norfolk Fleet Marines     0 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The Bluejackets played multiple games against teams that were ranked in the final AP Poll, including an upset of national champion Notre Dame in the final game of the season. The team's two losses were to Purdue and Northwestern, which finished the season ranked No. 5 and No 9, respectively, in the final AP Poll.

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Great Lakes Navy ranked seventh among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 112.3.[2]

Schedule

edit
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12Fort Riley
W 20–1915,000[3]
September 18Purdue
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
L 13–2322,000[4]
September 25Iowa
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
W 21–7[5]
October 2Pittsburgh
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
W 40–022,000[6]
October 9 No. 18 Ohio StateNo. 12
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
W 13–622,000[7]
October 16at NorthwesternNo. 14L 0–1335,000[8]
October 24at MarquetteW 41–715,000[9]
October 30at Western MichiganNo. 18W 32–69,500[10]
November 6Camp Grant
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
W 12–020,000[11]
November 13at IndianaW 21–77,500[12]
November 20Marquette
  • Ross Field
  • Great Lakes, IL
W 25–622,000[13]
November 27vs. No. 1 Notre DameW 19–1423,000[14]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[15]

Rankings

edit
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked ( ) = First-place votes
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP1214186 (1)

References

edit
  1. ^ "1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  2. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1943). "Litkenhouse Selects U. S. Grid Leaders". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. 18. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  3. ^ "Great Lakes Defeats Fort Riley, 20 to 19". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 13, 1943. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Boilermakers Triumph, 23-13, at Great Lakes". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 19, 1943. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Bluejackets' 3 Brilliant Plays Top Iowa, 21-7". Chicago Sunday Tribune. September 26, 1943. p. II-1, II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Lach Leads Bluejackets to 3rd Victory". Chicago Sunday Tribune. October 3, 1943. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Bluejackets Beat Youthful Buckeyes, 13-6". Chicago Sunday Tribune. October 10, 1943. pp. II-1, II-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "N. U. Wins: Graham Leads 13 to 0 Victory Over Sailors". Chicago Sunday Tribune. October 17, 1943. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Great Lakes Wins, 41 to 7, at Marquette". Chicago Daily Tribune. October 25, 1943. pp. 25–26 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Sailors Hang 32 to 6 Defeat on W. Michigan". Chicago Sunday Tribune. October 31, 1943. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Bluejackets Whip Warriors, 12-0, on Juzwik's Two Scores". Chicago Sunday Tribune. November 7, 1943. p. II-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Great Lakes Triumphs, 21 to 7; Indiana's Weak Line Is a Help". Chicago Sunday Tribune. November 14, 1943. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Sailors Hand Hilltoppers a 25-6 Defeat". Chicago Sunday Tribune. November 21, 1943. p. II-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Sailors Defeat Notre Dame, 19-14". Chicago Daily Tribune. November 28, 1943. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Daye, John (2014). Encyclopedia of Armed Forces Football. Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-937943-21-9.