1938 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1938 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1938 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 6–3 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 14 to 0 score. In inter-sectional play, the team defeated West Virginia (26–0), Syracuse (19–12), and Temple (10–0), and lost to Santa Clara (7–6).^[1][2]

1938 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Independent
Record	6–3
Head coach	Charlie Bachman (6th season)
Offensive scheme	Notre Dame Box
MVP	John Pingel
Captain	Allen O. Diebold, Dave Diehl
Home stadium	Macklin Field
Seasons ← 1937 1939 →

1938 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 5 Notre Dame			–					8	–	1	–	0
Central Michigan			–					7	–	1	–	0
Michigan State Normal			–					6	–	1	–	1
Xavier			–					7	–	2	–	0
Akron			–					6	–	3	–	0
Michigan State			–					6	–	3	–	0
Detroit Tech			–					6	–	3	–	0
Detroit			–					6	–	4	–	0
Western State Teachers (MI)			–					4	–	3	–	0
Cincinnati			–					4	–	5	–	0
Haskell			–					2	–	6	–	0
Wayne			–					2	–	6	–	0
DePaul			–					2	–	7	–	0
Marquette			–					1	–	7	–	0
Rankings from AP poll

Halfback John Pingel was selected by the Associated Press (AP), International News Service (INS) and Detroit Times as a first-team player, on the 1938 College Football All-America Team.^[3][4] Pingel was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 24	Wayne	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 34–6	22,000	[5]
October 1	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	L 0–14	82,500	[6]
October 8	Illinois Wesleyan	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 18–0	12,000	[7]
October 15	at West Virginia	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 26–0	9,000	[8][9]
October 22	Syracuse	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 19–12	18,000	[10]
October 29	Santa Clara	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 6–7	21,000	[11]
November 5	at Missouri	Memorial Stadium Columbia, MO	L 0–6	10,000	[12]
November 12	at Marquette	Marquette Stadium Milwaukee, WI	W 20–14	13,000	[13]
November 19	Temple	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 10–0	12,000	[14]
Homecoming

Game summaries

Michigan

Michigan State at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan State 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 0 7 0 7 14 Date: October 1, 1938 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 82,500 Referee: J. S. Getschell (St. Thomas)

On October 1, 1938, the Spartans lost to Michigan by a 14 to 0 score. The game, the 33rd between the two programs,^[15] was played at Michigan Stadium before 82,500 spectators.^[16] Sophomore halfback Paul Kromer, appearing in his first game for the Wolverines, scored both touchdowns. Michigan's first points were scored after Fred Trosko intercepted a John Pingel pass at the end of the first quarter, giving Michigan possession at the Spartans' 47-yard line. Kromer scored the touchdown on fourth down from the two-yard line. Michigan's second touchdown was also set up by an interception, with Norm Purucker intercepting a Pingel pass. Kromer again scored on a two-yard run.^[16]

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. "1938 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1174. ISBN 1401337031. (AP, INS)
4. "All-America Addendum" (PDF). College Football Historical Society Newsletter. May 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2010. (Detroit Times)
5. Tod Rockwell (September 25, 1938). "Spartans Rout Wayne: Spartans Show Better Than '37; Wayne Scores but Is Routed, 34 to 6". Detroit Free Press. pp. Sports 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
6. George S. Alderton (October 2, 1938). "Spartans Stopped Short By Charging Wolverine Attack". The Lansing State Journal. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. E.L. Warner Jr. (October 9, 1938). "Spartans Win, 18 to 0: Reserve Power Conquers Foe in Second Half". Detroit Free Press. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Ciolek's Back Injured as Spartans Crush West Virginia". Detroit Free Press. October 16, 1938. pp. Sports 1, 6 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Spartans find stride in routing W. Virginia, 26–0". The State Journal. October 16, 1938. Retrieved July 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. George S. Alderton (October 23, 1938). "Spartans Pull Syracuse Off Unbeaten List". The Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 13 – via Newspapers.com.
11. George S. Alderton (October 30, 1938). "Spartans Give Broncs Battle But Lose, 7-6". The Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 15 – via Newspapers.com.
12. George Alderton (November 6, 1938). "Spartans Succumb to Hard-Fighting Tigers, 6-0". The Lansing State Journal. pp. 13–14.
13. E.L. Warner Jr. (November 13, 1938). "Pingel's Passes Beat Marquette: Johnny's Arm Rescues M.S.C. from 14-0 Loss". Detroit Free Press. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Michigan State Trips Temple, 10-0: Pingel's Career As Spartan Ends". The Enquirer and Evening News. November 20, 1938. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Michigan vs. Michigan St". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
16. "Michigan Scores 14-0, Before 82,500: Beats Michigan State First Time in 5 Years; Kroner [sic] Gets Both Touchdowns". The New York Times. October 2, 1938.