1946 Iowa Conference football season

The 1946 Iowa Conference football season was the season of college football played by the 13 member schools of the Iowa Conference as part of the 1946 college football season. The Central Dutch and Upper Iowa Peacocks were co-champions of the conference, each compiling perfect 6–0 records against conference opponents. None of the Iowa Conference teams was ranked in the Associated Press poll or played in a bowl game.

1946 Iowa Conference football season
Sport	Football
Number of teams	13
Co-champions	Central (IA), Upper Iowa

1946 Iowa Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Central (IA) +	6	–	0	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
Upper Iowa +	6	–	0	–	0			6	–	0	–	0
St. Ambrose	1	–	0	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Parsons	4	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Dubuque	4	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Luther	3	–	2	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Simpson (IA)	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	5	–	1
Iowa Wesleyan	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Buena Vista	1	–	4	–	0			1	–	6	–	0
Wartburg	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	5	–	0
Western Union	0	–	1	–	0			5	–	2	–	0
Loras	0	–	1	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
William Penn	0	–	4	–	0			0	–	6	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

Conference overview

Conf. rank	Team	Head coach	Conf. record	Overall record	Points scored	Points against
1 (tie)	Central (IA)	Richard Tysseling	6–0	7–1	223	38
1 (tie)	Upper Iowa	John "Doc" Dorman	6–0	6–0	139	31
3	St. Ambrose	Ennio Arboit	1–0	5–3	101	77
4	Parsons	Phillip E. Young	4–2	4–4	116	104
5	Dubuque	Kenneth E. Mercer	4–3	5–4	92	76
6	Luther	Robert Bungum	3–2	3–6	81	136
7	Simpson (IA)	Frank Casey	2–3	3–5	79	135
8 (tie)	Iowa Wesleyan	Olan Ruble	1–4	3–6	75	159
8 (tie)	Buena Vista	Harland Riebe	1–4	1–6	38	103
10	Wartburg	Stanley Hall	1–5	2–5	85	124
11 (tie)	Western Union	Dick Crayne	0–1	5–2	117	70
11 (tie)	Loras	Vince Dowd	0–1	1–7	43	181
13	William Penn	Roland Ortmayer	0–4	0–6	12	174

^[1]

Teams

Central

1946 Central Dutch football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	7–1 (6–0 Iowa)
Head coach	Richard Tysseling (8th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Central Dutch football team was an American football team that represented Central College of Pella, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by eight-year head coach Richard Tysseling, the Dutch compiled a 7–1 record, shared the Iowa Conference championship with Upper Iowa, and outscored opponents by a total of 223 to 38.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
September 20	Tarkio*	Pella, IA	W 44–0
September 27	at Grinnell*	Grinnell, IA	L 0–6	[2]
October 4	Wartburg	Pella, IA	W 33–7	[3][4]
October 12	at Parsons	Fairfield, IA	W 26–6	[5]
October 19	at Dubuque	Dubuque, IA	W 33–7	[6]
October 25	Iowa Wesleyan	Pella, IA	W 45-0	[7]
November 2	Simpson (IA)	Pella, IA	W 21–6	[8]
November 18	at Luther	Decorah, IA	W 21–6	[9]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

Upper Iowa

1946 Upper Iowa Peacocks football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	6–0 (6–0 Iowa)
Head coach	John "Doc" Dorman (37th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Upper Iowa Peacocks football team was an American football team that represented Upper Iowa University as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their 37th season under head coach John "Doc" Dorman, the Peacocks compiled a 6–0 record, shared the Iowa Conference championship with Central Central (IA), and outscored opponents by a total of 139 to 31.^[10]

Upper Iowa end Melvin Harms was a unanimous choice by the United Press for the 1946 All-Iowa Conference football team. Quarterback Sam Turner and guard Ralph Bartlett also received first-team honors.^[11]

The university had an enrollment of 500 students in the fall of 1946, at least 300 of whom were freshmen.^[12]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
September 28	Buena Vista	Dorman Field Fayette, IA	W 39–6	[13][14]
October 11	at William Penn	Oskaloosa, IA	W 33–6	[15]
October 19	Luther	Dorman Field Fayette, IA	W 28–0	[16]
October 26	at Parsons	Fairfield, IA	W 7–6	[17]
November 2	Dubuque	Dorman Field Fayette, IA	W 12–0	[18]
November 9	Wartburg	Dorman Field Fayette, IA	W 20–13	[19]
Homecoming

St. Ambrose

1946 St. Ambrose Bees football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	5–3 (1–0 Iowa)
Head coach	Ennio Arboit (1st season)
Home stadium	Davenport Municipal Stadium
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 St. Ambrose Bees football team was an American football team that represented St. Ambrose University of Davenport, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Ennio Arboit in his first and only season as head coach, the Bees compiled a 5–3 record, finished in third place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 101 to 77.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 20	at Drake*	Drake Stadium Des Moines, IA	L 13–26	12,000	[20][21]
September 29	at Xavier*	Xavier Stadium Cincinnati, OH	W 3–0	8,000–10,000	[22][23]
October 6	Loras	Davenport Municipal Stadium Davenport, IA	W 32–6	6,000	[24]
October 12	at Augustana (IL)	Rock Island High School stadium Rock Island, IL	W 19–0	3,500	[25]
October 20	at St. Thomas*	Saint Paul, MN	W 13–12	4,000	[26]
October 27	Saint Joseph's*	Davenport Municipal Stadium Davenport, IA	W 14–7	5,000	[27]
November 10	St. Norbert	Davenport Municipal Stadium Davenport, IA	L 7–19	5,500	[28][29]
November 15	Bradley	Davenport Municipal Stadium Davenport, IA	L 0–7	6,000	[30]
*Non-conference game

Parsons

1946 Parsons Wildcats football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	4–4 (4–2 Iowa)
Head coach	Phillip E. Young (1st season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Parsons Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Parsons College of Fairfield, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Phillip E. Young, the Wildcats compiled a 4–4 record, finished in fourth place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 116 to 104.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	at Monmouth*	Monmouth, IL	L 0–26
	Kirksville		L 6–25
	Central		L 6–26
	Simpson (IA)		W 20–14
	Upper Iowa		L 6–7
	Iowa Wesleyan		W 20–0
	William Penn		W 45–0
	Buena Vista		W 13–6
*Non-conference game

Dubuque

1946 Dubuque Spartans football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	5–4 (4–3 Iowa)
Head coach	Kenneth E. Mercer (6th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Dubuque Spartans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Dubuque of Dubuque, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach Kenneth E. Mercer, the Spartans compiled a 5–4 record, finished in fifth place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 92 to 76.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
	Buena Vista		W 7–0
September 2	Knox*	Dubuque, IA	W 2–0	[31]
	William Penn		W 43–0
	Wartburg		W 13–0
	Central (IA)		L 7–33
	Luther		L 7–19
	Upper Iowa		L 0–12
	Iowa Wesleyan		W 13–6
	Culver-Stockton		T 0–0
*Non-conference game

Luther

1946 Luther Norse football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	3–6 (3–2 Iowa)
Head coach	Robert Bungum (1st season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Luther Norse football team was an American football team that represented the Luther College of Decorah, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Robert Bungum, the Spartans compiled a 3–6 record, finished in sixth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 136 to 81.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 20	at North Dakota*	Memorial Stadium Grand Forks, ND	L 6–12		[32]
	Hamline		L 0–26
October 5	at Coe*	Cedar Rapids, IA	L 6–10		[33]
	St. Olaf		L 13–19
	Upper Iowa		L 0–28
	Dubuque		W 19–7
	Wartburg		W 24–13
	Simpson (IA)		W 7–0
	Central (IA)		L 6–21
*Non-conference game

Simpson

1946 Simpson Redmen football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	3–5 (2–3 Iowa)
Head coach	Frank Casey (5th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Simpson Redmen football team was an American football team that represented the Simpson College of Indianola, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Frank Casey, the Redmen compiled a 3–5 record, finished in seventh place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 135 to 79.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 20	Doane*	Indianola, IA	W 14–0		[34]
September 28	at Nebraska Wesleyan	O. N. Magee Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	T 6–6	4,000	[35]
October 4	Missouri Valley*		L 6–34
October 12	at Cornell College*	Mount Vernon, IA	L 0–27		[36]
	Parsons		L 14–20
	Wartburg		W 20–8
	Central (IA)		L 5–21
	Luther		L 0–7
	Iowa Wesleyan		W 13–12
*Non-conference game

Iowa Wesleyan

1946 Iowa Wesleyan Tigers football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	3–6 (1–4 Iowa)
Head coach	Olan Ruble (4th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Iowa Wesleyan Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the Iowa Wesleyan University of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Olan Ruble, the Tigers compiled a 3–6 record, tied for eighth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 159 to 75.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
	Kirksville		L 0–19
	Culver-Stockton		W 12–9
	Drake "B" team		W 13–7
	Washburn		L 6–27
	Penn		W 26–6
	Central (IA)		L 0–45
	Parsons		L 0–20
	Dubuque		L 6–13
	Simpson (IA)		L 12–13

Buena Vista

1946 Buena Vista Beavers football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	1–6 (1–4 Iowa)
Head coach	Harland Riebe (1st season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Buena Vista Beavers football team was an American football team that represented the Buena Vista University of Storm Lake, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Harland Riebe in his first and only season as head coach, the Beavers compiled a 1–6 record, tied for eighth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 103 to 38.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
	Dubuque		W 0–7
	Upper Iowa		L 6–39
	Huron		L 0–12
	Wartburg		L 7–12
	Western Union		W 14–6
	Yankton		L 6–14
	Parsons		L 6–13

Wartburg

1946 Wartburg Knights football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	2–5 (1–5 Iowa)
Head coach	Stanley Hall (1st season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Wartburg Knights football team was an American football team that represented the Wartburg College of Waverly, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Stanley Hall in his first and only season as head coach, the Knights compiled a 2–5 record, finished in tenth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 124 to 85.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	Carthage*	Waverly, IA	W 32–7
October 4	at Central (IA)	Pella, IA	L 7–33		[3][4]
	Dubuque		L 0–13
	Buena Vista		W 12–7
	Simpson (IA)		L 8–20
	Luther		L 13–24
November 9	at Upper Iowa	Dorman Field Fayette, IA	L 13–20		[19]
*Non-conference game

Western Union

1946 Western Union Eagles football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	5–2 (0–1 Iowa)
Head coach	Dick Crayne (5th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Western Union Eagles football team was an American football team that represented Western Union College of LeMars, Iowa (later renamed Westmar University), as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Dick Crayne, the Eagles compiled a 5–2 record, finished in a tie for 11th place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 117 to 70.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
	South Dakota (East.)		W 31–6
	Dakota Wesleyan		W 7–6
	Yankton		W 8–0
	Sioux Falls		W 33–0
	Huron		W 26–0
	Buena Vista		L 6–13
November 2	at Arkansas Tech*	Russellville, AR	L 6–45
*Non-conference game

Loras

1946 Loras Duhawks football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	1–7 (0–1 Iowa)
Head coach	Vince Dowd (4th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Loras Duhawks football team was an American football team that represented Loras College of Dubuque, Iowa as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Vince Dowd in his fourth and final season as head coach, the Duhawks compiled a 1–7 record, finished in a tie for 11th place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored opponents by a total of 181 to 43.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 21	South Dakota State*	Dubuque, IA	W 23–18	4,500	[37]
September 28	at St. John's (MN)*	Collegeville, MN	L 0–27
October 6	at St. Ambrose	Davenport Municipal Stadium Davenport, IA	L 6–32	6,000	[24]
October 13	St. Joseph's*	Dubuque, IA	L 0–13	4,000	[38]
October 19	St. Norbert*	J. R. Minahan Stadium De Pere, WI	L 7–20	3,300	[39]
October 27	St. Mary's (MN)*	Dubuque, IA	L 0–26	5,000	[40]
November 3	St. Thomas*	Dubuque, IA	L 7–19		[41]
November 9	Wheaton*		L 0–26
*Non-conference game

William Penn

1946 William Penn Quakers football
Conference	Iowa Conference
Record	0–6 (0–4 Iowa)
Head coach	Roland Ortmayer (1st season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 William Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented William Penn University of Oskaloosa, Iowa as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Roland Ortmayer, the Quakers compiled a 0–6 record, finished in last place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored opponents by a total of 174 to 12.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
	Dubuque		L 0–43
	Upper Iowa		L 6–33
	Iowa Wesleyan		L 6–26
	Burlington JC*		L 0–27
	Parsons		L 0–45
*Non-conference game

All-conference team

The following players were selected by the United Press to the 1946 All-Iowa Conference football team:

• Quarterback: Sam Turner, Upper Iowa
• Halfbacks: Bill Schumaker, Parsons; Galen Cheuvront, Central
• Fullback: Bob Sellgren, Dubuque
• Ends: Melvin Harms, Upper Iowa; Howard Lowe, Central
• Tackles: Floyd Lundquist, Parsons; Chet Cross, Central
• Guards: Bob Berg, Parsons; Ralph Bartlett, Upper Iowa
• Center: Bob Kuefler, Dubuque

^[42]

References

1. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company.
2. Roy McHugh (September 28, 1946). "Pioneers Win Opener from Central, 6-0". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Central Wallops Wartburg, 33-7". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 5, 1946. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Dutch Crown Knights, 33-7". The Des Moines Register. October 5, 1946. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Central Raps Parsons, 26-6". The Des Moines Register. October 13, 1946. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Central Surprises Dubuque U., 33-7". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 20, 1946. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Central Routs Wesleyan, 45-0". The Des Moines Register. October 26, 1946. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Central Keeps Clean League Record, 21-6". The Des Moines Register. November 3, 1946. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Central Conks Luther, 21-6". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. November 17, 1946. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "1946 - Upper Iowa". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
11. "3 Peacocks on Conference Team: M. Harms Is Unanimous Choice; Is Honorary Captain". Fayette County Leader. November 28, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Upper Iowa to Open Monday". Fayette County Leader. September 19, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Bob Heath (October 3, 1946). "Peacocks Swamp Buena Vista, 39-6: Heavy Aerial Attack Is Deciding Factor; Meet Penn, Oct. 11". Fayette County Leader. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Peacocks Open Season Saturday: Opening Kickoff at 2 P.M.; Buena Vista Provides Opposition". Fayette County Leader. September 26, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Peacocks Meet Luther Saturday: Dorman Field Scene of Annual Clash With Norsemen". Fayette County Leader. October 17, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Peacocks Wallop Luther; Play at Parsons Saturday: Upper Iowa Line Holds Norsemen to Minus 15 Yards". Fayette County Leader. October 24, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Peacocks Slip Past Parsons: Capt. Turner, Byers Sidelined by Injuries in Game at Fairfield". Fayette County Leader. October 31, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Herb Claus (November 7, 1946). "Peacocks Down Dubuque, 12-0: U.I.U. Aerial Attack Is Deciding Factor; Play Wartburg Saturday". Fayette County Leader. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Peacocks Win Championship, Beat Wartburg Knights, 20-13: Upper Iowa Finishes Season Undefeated and Untied; Greco Stars". Fayette County Leader. November 14, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Drake Downs St. Ambrose, 26-13". The Daily Times. September 21, 1946. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
21. Frank Brody (September 21, 1946). "Drake Whips St. Ambrose, 26-13: Vaughn Races 62 Yards for First Score; Bees Muff Chances, Rally Late". The Des Moines Register. pp. 9, 10 – via Newspapers.com.
22. Dick Forbes (September 30, 1946). "St. Ambrose Winner Over Xavier, 3 To 0: Field Goal In Opening Quarter Booted By Sub Tackle Is Only Score Made". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 15.
23. George Fornero (September 30, 1946). "St. Ambrose Upsets Xavier: Leech Boots 15-Yard Goal For 3-0 Win". The Daily Times. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
24. George Formero (October 7, 1946). "Bees Bury Loras, 32-6: Loras Errors Enable Saints To Romp, 32-6". The Daily Times. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
25. John O'Donnell (October 13, 1946). "St. Ambrose Rolls Over Augustana by 19 to 0 Score". The Democrat and Leader. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
26. George Fornero (October 21, 1946). "Bees Nip St. Thomas, 13-12". The Daily Times. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "St. Ambrose Smashes St. Joseph Winning Streak, 14-7". The Daily Times. October 28, 1946. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
28. Dave Yuenger (November 11, 1946). "Bees Toppled By St. Norbert in 19-7 Battle". The Rock Island Argus. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "St. Norbert Trims St. Ambrose, 19-7". The Daily Times. Davenport, Iowa. November 11, 1946. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
30. George Fornero (November 16, 1946). "Bradley Dumps Ambrose, 7-0". The Daily Times. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "Dubuque Gets by Knox, 2-0". Des Moines Register. September 29, 1946. p. S7 – via Newspapers.com.
32. "North Dakota Trips Luther". The Daily Argus-Leader. September 21, 1946 – via Newspapers.com.
33. Roy McHugh (October 6, 1946). "Blocked Punt by Genz, 30-Yard Skip by Kinney Win for Kohawks, 10-6: Bernatz' Run Erases Early Crimson Lead". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
34. Frank Miles Jr. (September 21, 1946). "Doane Fed 14 to 0 Pill By Redmen". The Des Moines Register. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
35. Jim May (September 29, 1946). "Plainsmen, Simpson in 6-6 Deadlock". The Nebraska State Journal. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Cornell Clubs Simpson For Initial Win, 27-0". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 13, 1946. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "Loras Downs State 23-18: Outfight Jackrabbits in Wild Fourth 16-12 After 18-7 Halftime". The Daily Argus-Leader. September 22, 1946. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
38. "St. Joseph's Beats Loras Gridders By 13-To-0 Count". The Indianapolis Star. October 14, 1946. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
39. Dave Yuenger (October 21, 1946). "St. Norbert Crushes Loras, 27-7, in Homecoming Collision: 3,300 See Knights Post 4th Straight Win; LaCrosse Next". The Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
40. "Loras Passes Fail, Loses 26-0 Battle". The Des Moines Register. October 28, 1946. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
41. "Tommies Hit Early, Defeat Loras, 19-7". The Des Moines Register. November 4, 1946. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
42. "Name All-Iowa Conference Grid Team". The Courier. November 26, 1946. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.