Florida Gators football, 1940–1949

The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The University of Florida fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall of 1906, and has fielded a team every season since then, with the exception of 1943. During the 1940s, the Gators competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Florida Field on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.

This article includes a game-by-game list of the Florida Gators' ten football seasons from 1940 to 1949. During the 1940s, the Gators were coached by Thomas J. "Tom" Lieb (1940–1945) and Raymond "Bear" Wolf (1946–1949). Lieb and Wolf compiled an overall record of 33–50–3 (.401) during the decade.

Contents:	1940  · 1941  · 1942  · 1943  · 1944  · 1945  · 1946  · 1947  · 1948  · 1949

1940

1940 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1940 record	5–5 (2–3 8th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1939 1941 »

Season overview

The 1940 college football season was the first of four for Thomas J. "Tom" Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Lieb was the former coach of the Loyola Lions, and had previously served as Knute Rockne's primary assistant and on-the-field replacement while Rockne was in the hospital during most of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's 1930 national championship season. The highlights of the Gators' 1940 season included victories over the Maryland Terrapins (19–0), the Georgia Bulldogs (18–13), the Miami Hurricanes (46–6) and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (16–7). Lieb's 1940 Florida Gators finished with a 5–5 overall record and a 2–3 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing eighth among thirteen SEC teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–28–1940	Mississippi State	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 7–27
10–5–1940	Tampa*	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	W 23–0
10–11–1940	Villanova*	Villanova Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	L 0–28
10–19–1940	Maryland*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	W 19–0
10–26–1940	#5 Tennessee	Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee	L 0–14
11–9–1940	Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	W 18–13
11–16–1940	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	W 46–6
11–23–1940	Georgia Tech	Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	W 16–7
11–30–1940	Auburn	Memorial Stadium • Columbus, Georgia	L 7–20
12–7–1940	Texas*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 0–26
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1941

1941 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1941 record	4–6 (1–3 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1940 1942 »

Season overview

The 1941 college football season was Tom Lieb's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlights of the season included a 14–0 road win over the Miami Hurricanes in Miami, Florida, and a hard-fought 14–7 Homecoming victory the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. After the season was over, end Fergie Ferguson was named the Gators' first-ever first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and an honorable mention All-American for the second year in a row. Lieb's 1941 Florida Gators finished with a 4–6 overall record and a 1–3 record in the SEC, placing tenth among twelve conference teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–20–1941	Randolph-Macon*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 26–0
9–27–1941	Mississippi State	Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi	L 0–6
10–4–1941	Tampa*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 46–6
10–11–1941	Villanova*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 0–6
10–18–1941	Maryland*	Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland	L 12–13
10–25–1941	Louisiana State	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	L 7–10
11–8–1941	Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 3–19
11–15–1941	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	W 14–0
11–22–1941	Georgia Tech	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	W 14–7
12–20–1941	UCLA*	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 27–30
*Non-conference game.

1942

1942 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1942 record	3–7 (1–3 9th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1941 1943 »

Season overview

The 1942 college football season was Tom Lieb's third as Florida's head coach. By the autumn of 1942, World War II had begun to affect many college football programs. Florida lost several players and most of its coaching staff to the war effort before the season,^[2] and lost several more players during the season^[3], leading to diminishing success as the schedule progressed. The highlight of the campaign was the Gators' 6–0 edging of the Auburn Tigers on Florida Field, the Gators' only Southeastern Conference (SEC) victory of the year. They also suffered through a crushing 75–0 defeat by coach Wally Butts' SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville, Florida, the worst defeat in the history of Florida's football program.

The Gators began the season 3-1 but lost their final six contests to finish with a 3–7 overall record. Their 1–3 conference record placed ninth among twelve teams in the SEC^[1].

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–19–1942	Jacksonville Naval Air Station*	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 7–20
9–26–1942	Randolph-Macon*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 45–0
10–3–1942	Tampa*	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	W 26–6
10–10–1942	Auburn	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 6–0
10–16–1942	Villanova*	Villanova Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	L 3–13
10–24–1942	#16 Mississippi State	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	L 12–26
10–31–1942	Maryland*	Griffith Stadium • Washington, D.C.	L 0–13
11–7–1942	#1 Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 0–75
11–14–1942	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	L 0–12
11–21–1942	#2 Georgia Tech	Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	L 7–20
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1943

1943 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1943 record	0–0 (0–0 SEC)
Head coach
Seasons « 1942 1944 »

No team

For the first and only autumn since the school was established in Gainesville in 1906, the University of Florida did not field an official varsity football team during the 1943 college football season because most able-bodied men of college age were serving in the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Florida was one of eight Southeastern Conference schools that did not field a squad that season.^[4]

1944

1944 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1944 record	4–3 (0–3 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1943 1945 »

Season overview

The 1944 college football season was the fourth for Tom Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlights of the season included the Gators' 13–6 Homecoming victory over the Maryland Terrapins and their 13–0 shutout of the in-state rival Miami Hurricanes on the Hurricanes' home field. The Gators also scored solid victories over teams from two U.S. Naval Air Stations in nearby Jacksonville. Lieb's 1944 Florida Gators finished with a 4–3 overall record and a 0–3 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing tenth among twelve SEC teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–23–1944	Mayport Naval Air Station*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 36–6
9–30–1944	Mississippi	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 6–26
10–7–1944	Jacksonville Naval Air Station*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 26–20
10–14–1944	#15 Tennessee	Sheilds-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee	L 0–40
10–28–1944	Maryland*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	W 13–6
11–3–1944	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	W 13–0
11–11–1944	Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 12–38
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1945

1945 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1945 record	4–5–1 (1–3–1 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1944 1946 »

Season overview

The 1945 college football season was the fifth and last for Tom Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Among the season's highlights was the Gators' 26–13 neutral site victory over the Ole Miss Rebels played in Jacksonville, Florida. The Gators also split a pair of games against teams from two U.S. military training bases. Lieb's 1945 Florida Gators finished with a 4–5–1 overall record and a 1–3–1 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing ninth among twelve SEC teams.^[1] After Lieb's coaching contract was not renewed, he became the track & field coach and an assistant football coach at the University of Alabama, where his old Notre Dame teammate Frank Thomas was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–22–1945	Camp Blanding*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 31–2
9–29–1945	Mississippi	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	W 26–13
10–6–1945	Tulane	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	T 6–6
10–13–1945	Vanderbilt	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	L 0–7
10–19–1945	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	L 6–7
10–27–1945	Southwestern Louisiana*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 45–0
11–3–1945	Auburn	Auburn Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	L 0–19
11–10–1945	Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 0–34
11–17–1945	Presbyterian*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 41–0
11–24–1945	U.S. Amphibious*	Norfolk, Virginia	L 0–12
*Non-conference game.

1946

1946 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1946 record	0–9 (0–5 12th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1945 1947 »

Season overview

The 1946 college football season was Raymond "Bear" Wolf's first of four as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Wolf's first Gators squad was composed mostly of college freshmen and returning World War II veterans who had not played football in several years. The winless 0–9 season was also the worst win-loss record in the history of Gators football to date, surpassing the winless 0–5 record of the overmatched 1916 Gators. Wolf's 1946 Florida Gators finished 0–5 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing twelfth of twelve SEC teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–28–1946	Mississippi	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 7–13
10–5–1946	Tulane	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	L 13–27
10–12–1946	Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	L 0–20
10–19–1946	Miami*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	L 13–20
10–26–1946	#10 North Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, North Carolina	L 19–40
11–9–1946	#5 Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 14–33
11–16–1946	Villanova*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 20–27
11–23–1946	North Carolina State*	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	L 6–37
11–30–1946	Auburn	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 12–47
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1947

1947 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1947 record	4–5–1 (0–3–1 12th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1946 1948 »

Season overview

The 1947 college football season was Bear Wolf's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The Gators broke a thirteen-game post-war losing streak, dating back to the 1945 and 1946 seasons, when they upset the eighteenth-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack 7–6 on the Wolfpack's home field in Raleigh, North Carolina. Among the other highlights of the season, the Gators beat the in-state rival Miami Hurricanes in Miami, Florida, and ended the season with a 25–7 intersectional victory versus the Kansas State Wildcats. Wolf's 1947 Florida Gators finished with a 4–5–1 overall record and a 0–3–1 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing twelfth among twelve SEC teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–27–1947	Mississippi	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 6–14
10–4–1947	North Texas State*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 12–20
10–11–1947	Auburn	Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama	L 14–20
10–18–1947	#18 North Carolina State*	Riddick Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina	W 7–6
10–25–1947	North Carolina*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	L 7–35
11–1–1947	Furman*	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	W 34–7
11–8–1947	Georgia	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 6–34
11–15–1947	Tulane	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	T 7–7
11–21–1947	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	W 7–6
11–29–1947	Kansas State*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 25–7
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1948

1948 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1948 record	5–5 (1–5 T-10th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1947 1949 »

Season overview

The 1948 college football season was the third for Bear Wolf's as the Florida Gators football team's head coach. The season's highlights included the Gators' 16–9 win against the Auburn Tigers and their 27–13 Homecoming victory over the Miami Hurricanes. Wolf's 1948 Florida Gators finished with a 5–5 overall record and a 1–5 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing tenth among twelve SEC teams.^[1] Several members of the Florida Board of Control and a number of Florida alumni called for Wolf to step down after the 1948 season, but football player-led student rallies in his support ended with Wolf's contract being extended for another year.

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–25–1948	Mississippi	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 0–14
10–2–1948	Tulsa*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 28–14
10–9–1948	Auburn	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	W 16–9
10–16–1948	Rollins*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 41–12
10–23–1948	#6 Georgia Tech	Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	L 7–42
10–30–1948	Furman*	Greenville, South Carolina	L 14–39
11–6–1948	#13 Georgia	Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 12–20
11–13–1948	Kentucky	McLean Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	L 15–34
11–20–1948	Miami*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	W 27–13
11–27–1948	Alabama	Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 28–34
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

1949

1949 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1949 record	4–5–1 (1–4–1 10th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1948 1950 »

Season overview

The 1949 college football season was Bear Wolf's fourth and last as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The highlight of the season was the Gators' 28–7 upset of the Georgia Bulldogs.^[5] Led by halfback Chuck Hunsinger, who rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and team captain Jimmy Kynes, who was the defensive star and played every minute of the sixty-minute game,^[5] the Gators beat the Dawgs for the first time since 1940. Wolf's 1949 Florida Gators finished 4–5–1 overall and 1–4–1 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing tenth of twelve SEC teams,^[1] and ending the Gators' ironically-named "Golden Era." After Wolf left Gainesville, he returned to his alma mater, Texas Christian University, where he became a long-time administrator.

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
9–24–1949	The Citadel*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 13–0
10–1–1949	Tulsa*	Skelly Stadium • Tulsa, Oklahoma	W 40–7
10–8–1949	Auburn	Ladd Memorial Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	T 14–14
10–15–1949	Vanderbilt	Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 17–22
10–22–1949	Georgia Tech	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (Homecoming)	L 14–43
10–29–1949	Furman*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	W 28–27
11–5–1949	Georgia	Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	W 28–7
11–12–1949	#14 Kentucky	Phillips Field • Tampa, Florida	L 0–35
11–18–1949	Miami*	Burdine Stadium • Miami, Florida	L 13–28
11–26–1949	Alabama	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida	L 13–35
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

See also

• Auburn–Florida football rivalry
• Florida Gators
• Florida–LSU football rivalry
• Florida–Miami football rivalry
• Florida–Tennessee football rivalry
• Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic
• History of the University of Florida
• List of Florida Gators football players
• List of Florida Gators head football coaches

References

Bibliography

• 2010 Southeastern Conference Football Media Guide, Florida Year-by-Year Records, Southeastern Conference, Birmingham, Alabama, p. 60 (2010).
• 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 116–125 (2011).
• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0794822983.
• Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
• Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
• McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
• McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
• Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196x.
• Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida, South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). ISBN 0-938637-00-2.

External links

• College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results: 1940–1944. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
• College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results: 1945–1949. Retrieved August 14, 2010.

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