1943 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team

The 1943 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as a member the Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference during the 1943 college football season. The Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference has no league play in 1943 because of World War II. Led by second-year head coach Louis Whitman, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 5–0–1, and outscored their opponents 172 to 40. In the Oil Bowl, Southwestern Louisiana defeated Arkansas A&M on a muddy field, a team that had tied them 20–20 earlier in the season.^[1][2] The Bulldogs played their home games at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana.

1943 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football
Oil Bowl, W 24–7 vs. Arkansas A&M
Conference	Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference
Record	5–0–1 (0–0 LIC)
Head coach	Louis Whitman (2nd season)
Home stadium	McNaspy Stadium
Seasons ← 1942 1944 →

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Southwestern ranked 12th among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 104.3.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 15	8:00 p.m.	176th Infantry*		McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA	W 20–7		[4][5]
October 23		at No. 11 Southwestern (TX)*		Georgetown, TX	W 27–6
November 6	2:30 p.m.	vs. No. T–17 Arkansas A&M*	No. 15	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	T 20–20	2,000	[6][7][8]
November 13		Lake Charles Army Air Field*		McNapsy Stadium Lafayette, LA	W 75–0
November 27		at No. 18 Randolph Field*		Alamo Stadium San Antonio, TX	W 6–0	5,000	[9]
January 1, 1944	1:30 p.m.	vs. Arkansas A&M*		Rice Field Houston, TX (Oil Bowl)	W 24–7	12,000	[10][11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Rankings

See also: 1943 NCAA football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked

	Week
Poll	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Final
AP	—	—	—	14	15	—	—	—	—

References

1. "Louisiana-Lafayette Game by Game Results". September 5, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
2. "Football 1943 - Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns Athletic Network". www.athleticnetwork.net. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
3. 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 .
4. "Louisiana Team's V-12s Rate '176th; Game as 'Warm Up'". The Columbus Ledger. Columbus, Georgia. Associated Press. October 15, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
5. "Southwestern Beats 176th Infantry 20-7". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. Associated Press. October 16, 1943. p. 7. Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
6. Bloom, David (November 6, 1943). "Undefeated College Teams Clash At Crump Stadium Today". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 12. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
7. Bloom, David (November 7, 1943). "S.L.I. and Aggies Tie At 20-20 In Thriller Played In Mud, Rain". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 5, section II. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
8. Bloom, David (November 7, 1943). "S.L.I. and Aggies Tie At 20-All In Thriller (continued)". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 6, section II. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
9. "Ramblers Toppled As Gambling Pass Turns Into SLI Touchdown". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. November 28, 1943. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Arkansas Ags, SLI Meet Again". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. January 1, 1944. p. 11. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
11. Murphy, Jack (January 2, 1944). "SLI Beats Arkansas Ags In Oil Bowl, 24-7". Tulsa Daily World. Tulsa, Oklahoma. p. 2, sports section. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .