1941 Kansas Jayhawks football team

The 1941 Kansas Jayhawks football team was an American football team that represented the University of Kansas in the Big Six Conference during the 1941 college football season. In their third season under head coach Gwinn Henry, the Jayhawks compiled a 3–6 record (2–3 against conference opponents), finished in fourth place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 222 to 74.^[1][2]

1941 Kansas Jayhawks football
Conference	Big Six Conference
Record	3–6 (2–3 Big 6)
Head coach	Gwinn Henry (3rd season)
Captain	Hub Ulrich
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1940 1942 →

1941 Big Six Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 7 Missouri $	5	–	0	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Nebraska	3	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Oklahoma	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Kansas	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Kansas State	1	–	3	–	1			2	–	5	–	2
Iowa State	0	–	4	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The team's statistical leaders included Ray Niblo with 241 rushing yards and 657 passing yards, Ray Evans with 235 receiving yards, and Denzel Gibbens with 18 points scored (three touchdowns).^[3] The Jayhawks had two players on the team more well known for accomplishments off the football field, politician Bob Dole and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Ralph Miller.

End Hub Ulrich was the team captain;^[2] Ulrich was also selected by the United Press as a first-team player on the 1941 All-Big Six Conference football team. Two other Kansas players (quarterback Ralph Miller and end Fred Preston) were named to the second team.^[4]

Kansas was ranked at No. 158 (out of 681 teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.^[5]

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 26	at Temple*	Temple Stadium Philadelphia, PA	L 9–31	23,000	[6]
October 4	Washington University*	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	W 19–6		[7]
October 11	at Nebraska	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	L 0–32	28,000	[8]
October 18	at Marquette*	Marquette Stadium Milwaukee, WI	L 7–33	10,000	[9]
October 25	Iowa State	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	W 13–0	5,000	[10]
November 1	at Oklahoma	Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	L 0–38	11,000	[11]
November 8	at West Virginia*	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	L 0–21	9,300	[12]
November 15	Kansas State	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (Sunflower Showdown)	W 20–16	10,463	[13]
November 22	No. 8 Missouri	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (Border War)	L 6–45	14,000	[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

After the season

NFL draft

Main article: 1942 NFL draft

The following Jayhawks were selected in the National Football League draft following the season.^[15]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
9	72	Hub Ulrich	End	Cleveland Rams
16	147	Ralph Miller	Back	Brooklyn Dodgers

References

1. "1941 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
2. 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 183.
3. 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, pp. 127-138.
4. "Missouri's Champs Place 5 Men on All Big Six Team". Ames Daily Tribune. December 1, 1941. p. 6.
5. 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.
6. Stan Baumgartner (September 27, 1941). "23,000 See Temple Down Kansas, 31 to 9". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Jayhawks Slide To 19-6 Victory Over Washington". The Morning Chronicle. October 5, 1941. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
8. John Bentley (October 12, 1941). "Nebraska overpowers Jayhawks, 32-0". Sunday Journal and Star. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Hiltoppers Whip Kansas in Mud, 12 to 6". Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1941.
10. "Jayhawks End Their Famine: Defeat Iowa 13-0 To Cut Defeat String". The Morning Chronicle (Manhattan, Kansas). October 26, 1941. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
11. John Cronley (November 2, 1941). "Sooners Swarm Over Kansas, 38-0". The Daily Oklahoman. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "West Virginia Wins, 21 to 0, Over Kansas". The Pittsburgh Post. November 9, 1941 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Fighting Jayhawks Upset Wildcats 20-16". The Manhattan Mercury. November 16, 1941. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Missouri Smothers Jayhawks". The Morning Chronicle, Manhattan, Kansas. November 23, 1941. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "1942 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.