1941 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1941 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1941 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 5–3–1 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 19 to 7 score. In inter-sectional play, the team lost to Santa Clara (7–0) and defeated Temple (46–0) and West Virginia (14–12).^[1][2]

1941 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Independent
Record	5–3–1
Head coach	Charlie Bachman (9th season)
MVP	Anthony Arena
Captain	Wilford D. Davis, William Rupp
Home stadium	Macklin Field
Seasons ← 1940 1942 →

1941 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Western Michigan			–					8	–	0	–	0
No. 3 Notre Dame			–					8	–	0	–	1
Youngstown			–					7	–	0	–	1
Xavier			–					9	–	1	–	0
Detroit			–					7	–	2	–	0
Ohio			–					5	–	2	–	1
Dayton			–					7	–	3	–	0
Cincinnati			–					6	–	3	–	0
Akron			–					5	–	3	–	1
Michigan State			–					5	–	3	–	1
Central Michigan			–					4	–	3	–	0
Ohio Wesleyan			–					5	–	4	–	0
Marquette			–					4	–	5	–	0
Carthage			–					1	–	5	–	2
Wayne			–					2	–	6	–	0
Miami (OH)			–					2	–	7	–	0
Western Ontario			–					1	–	4	–	0
Wichita			–					1	–	6	–	1
Michigan State Normal			–					0	–	5	–	2
Detroit Tech			–					0	–	6	–	1

Michigan State was ranked at No. 43 (out of 681 teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 27	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	L 7–19	67,079	[4]
October 11	Marquette	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 13–7	15,000	[5]
October 18	at Santa Clara	Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	L 0–7	18,000	[6]
October 25	Wayne	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 39–6	15,200	[7]
November 1	Missouri	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 0–19	15,750	[8]
November 8	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	T 0–0	17,000	[9]
November 15	Temple	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 46–0	10,123	[10]
November 22	Ohio Wesleyan	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 31–7	10,000	[11]
November 29	at West Virginia	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 14–12	10,126	[12]
Homecoming

Game summaries

Michigan

Michigan State at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan State 7 0 0 0 7 • Michigan 0 7 12 0 19 Date: September 27, 1941 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 67,079

On September 27, 1941, Michigan State lost Michigan by a 19 to 7 score. The game was Michigan's first without Tom Harmon, who had led the Wolverines from 1938 to 1940. Sophomore tailback Tom Kuzma, from Harmon's home town of Gary, Indiana, took over Harmon's spot and scored two touchdowns in his first game for the Wolverines. Michigan State took the lead on the third play from scrimmage with a 74-yard sweep around left end by halfback Jack Fenton. Michigan came back with a touchdown in the second quarter and two more in the third quarter. In addition to Kuzma's two touchdowns, fullback Bob Westfall also scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter. Bob Ingalls kicked for one point after touchdown for Michigan. Michigan out-gained Michigan State on the ground with 235 rushing yards to 104 for the Spartans. Wilfrid Smith of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the key to Michigan's victory was its veteran line that "completely outplayed" the Spartans' line.^[13][14]

References

1. "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 153. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
2. "1941 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 26, 1941). "Gophers Grid Kings Over 6-Year Span: Tennessee 2d, Pitt 3d Over Period Litkenhous Ratins Are Published". The Courier-Journal. p. Sports 4 – via Newspapers.com.
4. John N. Sabo (September 28, 1941). "U-M Beats State, 19-7; Titans Win". Detroit Free Press. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. George S. Alderton (October 12, 1941). "Lansing Backs Lead Spartans in 13-7 Victory". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 17 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Bill Tobitt (October 19, 1941). "'Lucky' Broncs Defeat Spartans, 7 to 0". Oakland Tribune. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Charles P. Ward (October 26, 1941). "Wayne Tallies at the Gun as State Wins, 39 to 6". Detroit Free Press. pp. Sports 1, 5 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Missouri Eleven Spoils State Homecoming, 19-0". The Lansing State Journal. November 2, 1941. pp. 17, 19 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Harold Harrison (November 9, 1941). "Purdue In 0-0 Tie: Boilermaker Threats Fail". The Muncie Sunday Star. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Dale Stafford (November 16, 1941). "State Drubs Temple, 46-0: Defeat Worst in History for Owls". Detroit Free Press. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Wesleyan Crushed by State, 31-7". Lansing State Journal. November 23, 1941. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Michigan State Noses Out West Virginia, 14 To 12". The Pittsburgh Press. November 30, 1941. p. III-12 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Wilfrid Smith (September 28, 1941). "Wolverines Top State, 19-7, By 3d Period Drive: Spartans Score on 74 Yard Run". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
14. "Michigan Rallies for 19-7 Triumph: 67,079 See Fenton's 74-Yard Run in First Two Minutes Put Michigan State Ahead". The New York Times (AP story). September 28, 1941.