List of Northwestern Wildcats football seasons

This is a list of seasons completed by the Northwestern Wildcats football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since the team's creation in 1882, the Wildcats have participated in more than 1,100 officially-sanctioned games, including 9 bowl games.

Northwestern originally competed as a football independent. As one of the founding members, Northwestern joined the Big Ten conference, then known as the Western Conference, in 1896, where it has been a member ever since.

The Wildcats have experienced futility for much of its existence. The team has several winless seasons, including setting a NCAA Division I record for consecutive losses when it lost 34 straight games from 1979 to 1982.[1][2] The Wildcats have not won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl. Northwestern has also experienced success, winning 8 conference titles.[2]

Contents

Seasons

Conference Champions Bowl game berth
Year Coach(es) Conference Record[3][2] Bowl AP Postseason
Wins Losses Ties
Northwestern Wildcats
1882 none Ind 1 1 0 —
1883 Ind N/A N/A N/A —
1884 Ind N/A N/A N/A —
1885 Ind N/A N/A N/A —
1886 Ind 0 1 0 —
1887 Ind N/A N/A N/A —
1888 Ind 2 1 0 —
1889 Ind 2 2 0 —
1890 Ind 4 1 1 —
1891 Knowlton Ames Ind 2 2 3 —
1892 Ind 6 4 2 —
1893 Paul Noyes Ind 2 5 3 —
1894 A. A. Ewing Ind 4 5 0 —
1895 Alvin Culver Ind 6 5 0 —
1896 Western 6 1 2 —
1897 Jesse Van Doozer Western 5 3 0 —
1898 W. H. Bannard Western 9 4 1 —
1899 Charles Hollister Western 7 6 0 —
1900 Western 7 2 3 —
1901 Western 8 2 1 —
1902 Western 6 6 0 —
1903 Walter McCornack Western 10 1 3 —
1904 Western 8 2 0 —
1905 Western 8 2 1 —
1908 Alton Johnson Western 2 2 0 —
1909 Bill Horr Western 1 3 1 —
1910 Charles Hammett Western 1 3 1 —
1911 Western 3 4 0 —
1912 Western 2 3 1 —
1913 Dennis Grady Western 1 6 0 —
1914 Fred Murphy Western 1 6 0 —
1915 Western 2 5 0 —
1916 Western 6 1 0 —
1917 Western 5 2 0 —
1918 Western 2 2 1 —
1919 Charlie Bachman Western 2 5 0 —
1920 Elmer McDevitt Western 3 4 0 —
1921 Western 1 6 0 —
1922 Glenn Thistlethwaite Western 3 3 1 —
1923 Western 2 6 0 —
1924 Western 4 4 0 —
1925 Western 5 3 0 —
1926 Western 7 1 0 —
1927 Dick Hanley Western 4 4 0 —
1928 Western 5 3 0 —
1929 Western 6 3 0 —
1930 Western 7 1 0 —
1931 Western 7 1 1 —
1932 Western 3 4 1 —
1933 Western 1 5 2 —
1934 Western 3 5 0 —
1935 Pappy Waldorf Western 4 3 1 —
1936 Western 7 1 0 7
1937 Western 4 4 0 —
1938 Western 4 2 2 17
1939 Western 3 4 1 —
1940 Western 6 2 0 8
1941 Western 5 3 0 11
1942 Western 1 9 0 —
1943 Western 6 2 0 9
1944 Western 1 7 1 —
1945 Western 4 4 1 —
1946 Western 4 4 1 —
1947 Robert Voigts Western 3 6 0 —
1948 Western 8 2 0 Won 1949 Rose Bowl vs. California, 20-14 7
1949 Western 4 5 0 —
1950 Western 6 3 0 —
1951 Western 5 4 0 —
1952 Western 2 6 1 —
1953 Big Ten 3 6 0 —
1954 Big Ten 2 7 0 —
1955 Lou Saban Big Ten 0 8 1 —
1956 Ara Parseghian Big Ten 4 4 1 —
1957 Big Ten 0 9 0 —
1958 Big Ten 5 4 0 —
1959 Big Ten 6 3 0 —
1960 Big Ten 5 4 0 —
1961 Big Ten 4 5 0 —
1962 Big Ten 7 2 0 —
1963 Big Ten 5 4 0 —
1964 Alex Agase Big Ten 3 6 0 —
1965 Big Ten 4 6 0 —
1966 Big Ten 3 6 1 —
1967 Big Ten 3 7 0 —
1968 Big Ten 1 9 0 —
1969 Big Ten 3 7 0 —
1970 Big Ten 6 4 0 —
1971 Big Ten 7 4 0 —
1972 Big Ten 2 9 0 —
1973 John Pont Big Ten 4 7 0 —
1974 Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1975 Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1976 Big Ten 1 10 0 —
1977 Big Ten 1 10 0 —
1978 Rick Venturi Big Ten 0 10 1 —
1979 Big Ten 1 10 0 —
1980 Big Ten 0 11 0 —
1981 Dennis Green Big Ten 0 11 0 —
1982 Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1983 Big Ten 2 9 0 —
1984 Big Ten 2 9 0 —
1985 Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1986 Francis Peay Big Ten 4 7 0 —
1987 Big Ten 2 8 1 —
1988 Big Ten 2 8 1 —
1989 Big Ten 0 11 0 —
1990 Big Ten 2 9 0 —
1991 Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1992 Gary Barnett Big Ten 3 8 0 —
1993 Big Ten 2 9 0 —
1994 Big Ten 3 7 1 —
1995 Big Ten 10 2 0 Lost 1996 Rose Bowl vs. USC, 32-41 8
1996 Big Ten 9 3 -[A 1] Lost 1996 Citrus Bowl vs. Tennessee, 28-48 15
1997 Big Ten 5 7 - —
1998 Big Ten 3 9 - —
1999 Randy Walker Big Ten 3 8 - —
2000 Big Ten 8 4 - Lost 2000 Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska, 17-66 —
2001 Big Ten 4 7 - —
2002 Big Ten 3 9 - —
2003 Big Ten 6 7 - Lost 2003 Motor City Bowl vs. Bowling Green, 24-28 —
2004 Big Ten 6 6 - —
2005 Big Ten 7 5 - Lost 2005 Sun Bowl vs. UCLA, 38-50 —
2006 Pat Fitzgerald Big Ten 4 8 - —
2007 Big Ten 6 6 - —
2008 Big Ten 9 4 - Lost 2008 Alamo Bowl vs. Missouri, 23-30 (OT) —
2009 Big Ten 8 5 - Lost 2010 Outback Bowl vs. Auburn, 35-38 (OT) —
2010 Big Ten 7 6 - Lost 2011 TicketCity Bowl vs. Texas Tech, 38-45 —
2011 Big Ten 6 6 - Lost 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas vs. Texas A&M, 22-33
Total 475 621 40 (all games)

Notes

  1. ^ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[4]

References

  1. ^ Pomerantz, Gary (September 26, 1982). "Northwestern: Paradise Found After 34 Lost Weekends". Washington Post. 
  2. ^ a b c Northwestern Wildcats Index. Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  3. ^ 2008 Football Media Guide. nusports.com. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  4. ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2006-08-24-overtime_x.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-29. 

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