1939 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season

The 1939 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the season of college football played by the six member schools of the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) as part of the 1939 college football season.

1939 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season
Sport	Football
Number of teams	6
Champion	Maryville

1939 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Maryville (MO) $	5	–	0	–	0			9	–	0	–	0
Springfield (MO)	3	–	1	–	1			7	–	1	–	1
Missouri Mines	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Warrensburg	1	–	2	–	2			3	–	3	–	3
Cape Girardeau	1	–	3	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Kirksville	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The Maryville Bearcats from Maryville, Missouri, led by head coach Ryland Milner, compiled a perfect 9–0 record, shut out seven of nine opponents, and won the MIAA championship.The 1939 season was part of a 21-game winning streak for Maryville that began with an undefeated 1938 season and ended in October 1940.

Conference overview

Conf. rank	Team	Head coach	Conf. record	Overall record	Points scored	Points against
1	Maryville	Ryland Milner	5–0	9–0	167	20
2	Springfield	Red Blair	3–1–1	7–1–1	129	75
3	Rolla	Gale Bullman	3–2	5–4	111	120
4	Warrensburg	Carl Voltmer	1–2–2	3–3–3
5	Cape Girardeau	Abe Stuber	1–3–1	5–3–1
6	Kifksville	Malcolm Eiken	0–5	2–6	54	100

Teams

Maryville

1939 Maryville Bearcats football
MIAA champion
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	9–0 (5–0 MIAA)
Head coach	Ryland Milner (3rd season)
Captain	Bill Bernau
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Maryville Bearcats football team was an American football team that represented Maryville State Teachers College (later renamed as Northwest Missouri State University) at Maryville, Missouri. In their third season under head coach Ryland Milner, the Bearcats compiled a perfect 9–0 record (5–0 against MIAA opponents), shut out seven of nine opponents, and won the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) championship.

Guard Marion Rogers was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the 1939 Little All-America college football team.^[1] Four Northwest Missouri players received first-team honors on the 1939 all-conference team: Bill Bernau at back; Green at tackle; and M. Rogers and R. Rogers at guard.^[2]

Maryville was ranked at No. 155 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
September 22	Tahlequah*	Maryville, MO	W 7–0	[4]
September 30	at Washington University*	Francis Field St. Louis, MO	W 9–7	[5][6]
October 6	at Sioux Falls*	Sioux Falls, SD	W 48–0	[7]
October 13	Southwest Missouri State*	Maryville, MO	W 21–0	[8]
October 20	at Rolla	Rolla, MO	W 17–0	[9]
October 27	Chadron State*	Maryville, MO	W 27–0	[10]
November 3	at Cape Girardeau	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	W 7–0	[11]
November 10	Kirksville	Maryville, MO	W 19–13	[12]
November 17	at Warrensburg	Warrensburg, MO	W 12–0	[13]
*Non-conference game

Springfield

1939 Springfield Bears football
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	7–1–1 (3–1–1 MIAA)
Head coach	Red Blair (2nd season)
Home stadium	STC Stadium
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Springfield Bears football team represented the Springfield State College (later renamed Missouri State University) at Springfield, Missouri. In their second season under head coach Red Blair, the Bears compiled a 7–1–1 record (3–1–1 against MIAA opponents) and finished in second place in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).

Two Springfield players received first-team honors on the 1939 all-conference team: quarterback Dwight Bumpus and end Russell Kaminsky.^[2]

Springfield was ranked at No. 201 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Tahlequah*	STC Stadium Springfield, MO	W 12–0		[14][15]
October 6	Durant*	STC Stadium Springfield, MO	W 19–14		[16]
October 13	at Maryville	Maryville, MO	L 0–21		[8]
October 21	Kirksville	STC Stadium Springfield, MO	W 27–0		[17]
October 28	at Rolla	Rolla, MO	W 20–6	2,500	[18]
November 11	at Warrensburg	Warrensburg, MO	T 13–13	4,000	[19]
November 17	Cape Girardeau	STC field Springfield, MO	W 6–0		[20]
November 23	Hastings	Springfield, MO	W 25–21	3,000	[21]
November 30	Arkansas A&M*	Springfield, MO	W 7–0		[22]
*Non-conference game

^[23]

Rolla

1939 Rolla Miners football
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	5–4 (3–2 MIAA)
Head coach	Gale Bullman (3rd season)
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Rolla Miners football team represented the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (later renamed as Missouri University of Science and Technology) at Rolla, Missouri. In their third year under head coach Gale Bullman, the Miners compiled a 5–4 record (3–2 against MIAA opponents), finished in third place in the MIAA, and were outscored by a total of 120 to 111.

Rolla was ranked at No. 299 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	at Saint Louis*	Walsh Memorial Stadium St. Louis, MO	L 0–13		[24]
October 7	Arkansas State*	Rolla, MO	W 39–6		[25][26]
October 13	Warrensburg	Warrensburg, MO	W 13–7		[27]
October 20	Northwest Missouri State	Rolla, MO	L 0–17		[9]
October 28	Springfield	Rolla, MO	L 6–20	2,500	[18]
November 4	Arkansas A&M*	Rolla, MO	W 28–13		[28]
November 10	at Cape Girardeau	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	W 12–6		[29]
November 18	Kirksville	Rolla, MO	W 13–6		[30]
November 25	at Washington University*	Francis Field St. Louis, MO	L 0–32	6,000	[31]
*Non-conference game

Warrensburg

1939 Warrensburg Mules football
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	3–3–3 (1–2–2 MIAA)
Head coach	Carl Voltmer (5th season)
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Warrensburg Mules football team represented the Warrensburg State College (later renamed University of Central Missouri) at Warrensburg, Missouri. In their fifth year under head coach Carl Voltmer, the Mules compiled a 3–3–3 record (1–2–2 against conference opponents), and finished in fourth place in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).

Warrensburg was ranked at No. 290 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Kansas Wesleyan*	Warrensburg, MO	W 14–0		[32]
October 6	at Central*	Fayette, MO	T 6–6		[33]
October 13	Rolla	Warrensburg, MO	L 7–13		[27]
October 20	at Cape Girardeau	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	T 0–0		[34]
October 27	at Rockhurst*	Kansas City, MO	W 13–12		[35]
November 3	at Kirksville	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	W 20–6		[36][37]
November 11	Springfield	Warrensburg, MO	T 13–13	4,000	[19]
November 17	Maryville	Warresnburg, MO	L 0–12		[13][38]
*Non-conference game

Cape Girardeau

1939 Cape Girardeau Indians football
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	5–3–1 (1–3–1 MIAA)
Head coach	Abe Stuber (8th season)
Home stadium	Houck Field Stadium
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Cape Girardeau Indians football team represented Cape Girardeau State College (later renamed as Southeast Missouri State University) at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In their eighth season under head coach Abe Stuber, the Indians compiled a 5–3–1 record (1–3–1 against conference opponents) and finished in fifth place in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).

Cape Girardeau was ranked at No. 298 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Southern Illinois*	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	W 9–2		[39][40]
October 13	at Kirksville	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	W 9–3		[41]
October 28	Carthage		W 27–6
November 3	Maryville	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	L 0–7		[11]
November 10	Rolla	Houck Field Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	L 6–12		[29]
November 17	at Springfield	STC field Springfield, MO	L 0–6		[20]
November 23	at Southern Illinois	McAndrew Stadium Carbondale, IL	W 24–0		[42]
*Non-conference game

Kirksville

1939 Kirksville Bulldogs football
Conference	Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	2–6 (0–5 MIAA)
Head coach	Malcolm Eiken (1st season)
Home stadium	Stokes Stadium
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Kirksville Bulldogs football team represented the Kirksville State Teaches College (also known as Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, later renamed as Truman State University) at Kirksville, Missouri. In their first year under head coach Malcolm Eiken, the Bulldogs compiled a 2–6 record (0–5 against conference opponents) and finished in last place out of six teams in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Kirksville was ranked at No. 367 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	at Iowa State Teachers	Cedar Falls, IA	L 0–12		[43][44]
September 30	Culver–Stockton	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	W 3–0		[45]
October 6	Chillicothe	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	W 14–0	2,200	[46]
October 13	Cape Girardeau	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	L 3–9		[41]
October 21	at Springfield	STC Stadium Springfield, MO	L 9–27
November 3	Warrensburg	Stokes Stadium Kirksville, MO	L 6–20		[36][37]
November 10	at Maryville	Maryville, MO	L 13–19		[12]
November 18	at Rolla	Rolla, MO	L 6–13		[30]
Homecoming

All-conference team

At the end of the season, the conference coaches selected an all-conference team consisting of the following first-team players:

• Backs: Bill Bernau, Maryville; Harvey Ladd, Rolla; Dwight Bumpus, Springfield; Keith Gooch, Warrensburg
• Ends: Russell Kaminsky, Springfield; William Kies, Cape Girardeau
• Tackles: John Green, Maryville; Hay, Cape Girardeau
• Guards: Marion Rogers, Maryville; Richard Rogers, Maryville
• Center: Joe Spafford, Rolla

^[2][47]

References

1. "Far West Sets Pace for Little Colleges". The Commercial Appeal. December 8, 1939. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Bumpus, Kaminsky Win Posts On Coaches' All-MIAA Team". Springfield Daily News. December 5, 1939. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
3. E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Bearcats Defeat Tahlequah, Okla., Redmen, 7 to 0: Utilize Deceptive Play to Capture Their Opening Grid Game". The Maryville Daily Forum. September 23, 1939. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
5. J. Roy Stockton (October 1, 1939). "Washington U. Handles Stunning Upset by Maryville Team, 9 to 7". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1E, 3E – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Maryville Scores 9 to 7 Upset Over Washington Bears". St. Joseph News-Press. October 1, 1939. p. 12.
7. Harold Detlie (October 8, 1939). "SFC Falls To Maryville, 48-0: Missourians Impress With Sound Attack". The Daily Argus-Leader. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Bernau Steers 'Cats to 21-0 Win Over Bears: Maryville Teachers Show Class in Defeating Touted Springfield". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 14, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Maryville In Front: Bearcats Beat Rolla, 17-0, to Gain M.I.A.A. Lead". The St. Joseph News-Press. October 22, 1939. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Bearcats Resort To Air Lanes to Defeat Chadron". The Maryville Daily Forum. October 28, 1939. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Stubborn Cape Defense Holds Bearcats 7-0". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 4, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Bearcats Rally To Defeat Kirksville For 17th Win". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 11, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Bearcats Defeat Warrensburg For 18th Straight Win". The Maryville Daily Forum. November 18, 1939. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Teachers Need Stout Defense For Tahlequah". Springfield Leader and Press. September 25, 1939. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Bears Humble Husky Tahlequah Team in 12-0 Brawl". Springfield Daily News. September 30, 1939. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Triumphant Bears Invade Maryville Next Week! Teachers Pass Their Way To Victory Over Oklahoma". Springfield Leader and Press. October 7, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Springfield T.C. Wins 27-0 Over Bulldogs: Outclassed K.T.S.C. For First Conference Victory". Kirksville Daily Express. October 22, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Perry E. Smith. "Teachers Smash Rolla Miners For 20-6 Victory!". Sunday News Leader. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Warrensburg Surprises Bears With 13-13 Tie: Rimmer Races 70 Yards To Get Opening Points". Sunday News Leader. November 12, 1939. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "STC Turns Attention To Hard-Hitting Nebraskans: Bears Clinch Second Place In MIAA Lineup". Springfield Leader and Press. November 18, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Bears Trip Favored Hastings In 25-21 Thriller". Springfield Daily News. November 24, 1939. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Rain Grounds Monticello Aerials, Bears Win, 7-0". Springfield Daily News. December 1, 1939. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Missouri State Football 2023 Media Guide" (PDF). Missouri State University Athletics. p. 63. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
24. W.J. McGoogan (September 30, 1939). "Billikens Defeat an Improved Rolla Eleven by 13 to 0". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
25. "Rolla Lambasts Arkansas 39-6". The Sedalia Democrat and Capital. October 8, 1939. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "Rolla runs over Arkansas State". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. October 8, 1939. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "Rolla 13, Warrensburg 7, Victory in Late Runs". The Kansas City Times. October 14, 1939. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "Rolla Miners in Victory, Trounce Arkansas A. and M. 28-13, in Non-Conference Tilt". The St. Joseph News-Press. November 5, 1939. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "Miners Squeeze by Cape, 12-6". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. November 11, 1939. p. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Rolla Defeats Cellar Eleven". Sunday News Leader. November 19, 1939. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
31. W. Vernon Tietjen (November 24, 1939). "Jack Warner On Crutches After Bears' 32-0 Defeat of Rolla". St. Louis Star-Times. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
32. "Mules Turn Back Kansas Wesleyan". Star-Journal. October 3, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
33. "Breaks Against Mules in 6-6 Tie: Central Recovered Fumble To Score Early -- Teachers Muff Chance to Win When Placekick is Missed". Star-Journal. October 10, 1939. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
34. "Listless Game At Cape Girardeau: Mules on Alert to Recover Fumbles -- Repulsed Three Times". Star-Journal. October 24, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
35. "Mule Victory In Placekick: Teachers Defeat Rockhurst Hawks Friday Night In Kansas City". Star-Journal. October 31, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Hunderds [sic] at KSTC Fete; Bulldogs Lose". The Weekly Graphic. November 10, 1939. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "Warrensburg Smothers KSTC Bulldogs 20-6". Kirksville Daily Express. November 5, 1939. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
38. "Maryville Displays Power To Win 12-0: Stubborn Mule Line Holds After Bearcats Score on 73-Yard Run Early". Star-Journal. November 21, 1939. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
39. "SINU Loses To Cape Girardeau Last Night, 9-2: Southern Leads At Half 2-0: Lost In Fourth". The Carbondale Free Press. September 30, 1939. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
40. "Mules opened football season with 14 to 0 victory over Kansas". The Warrensburg Standard-Herald. October 6, 1939. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
41. "Cape Downs Bulldogs By Score of 9-3". Kirksville Daily Express. October 15, 1939. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
42. "Cape Downs Maroons Here 24-0 Thursday". The Carbondale Daily Free Press. November 24, 1939. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
43. "Iowa Teachers Down Bulldogs By 12-0 Score". Kirksville Daily Express. September 24, 1939. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
44. "Iowa Teachers Whip KSTC Eleven 12-0". The Weekly Graphic. September 29, 1939. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
45. "Bulldog Field Goal Defeats Stockton 3-0". Kirksville Daily Express. October 1, 1939. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
46. "Bulldogs Win 14 To 0 From Chillicothe". Kirksville Daily Express. October 8, 1939. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
47. "All-Star MIAA Players". Springfield Leader and Press. December 5, 1939. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.