| 1941Minnesota Golden Gophers football | |
|---|---|
Consensus national champion Big Ten champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 8–0 (5–0 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | Single-wing |
| MVP | Bob Sweiger |
| Captain | Bruce Smith |
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1Minnesota $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5Michigan | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13Ohio State | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11Northwestern | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented theUniversity of Minnesota in the1941 Big Ten Conference football season. In their tenth year under head coachBernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 186 to 38.[1] The team's national championship run in the days before theattack on Pearl Harbor was chronicled in journalist Danny Spewak's book, "From the Gridiron to the Battlefield: Minnesota's March to a College Football Title and into World War II," published in 2021 byRowman & Littlefield.[2]
The team was selected national champion by eleven NCAA-designated major selectors inAssociated Press,Billingsley,Boand,DeVold,Dunkel,Football Research,Helms,Litkenhous,National Championship Foundation,Poling,Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess).[3]: 112
HalfbackBruce Smith was named an All-American by theWalter Camp Football Foundation, INS,Time-Life,United Press (UP),Associated Press (AP) andLook Magazine.[4] Smith was also awarded theHeisman Trophy, the only Golden Gopher to win the award.[5]
TackleDick Wildung was named an All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, INS, Time Life, AP and UPI.[4] Wildung, Smith, halfback Bill Daley, end Bob Fitch and guardLen Levy were named All-Big Ten.[6]
BackBob Sweiger was awarded the team most valuable player award.[7]
Total attendance for the season was 239,227, which averaged to 47,845. The season high for attendance was againstNorthwestern.[8]
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 27 | atWashington* | W 14–6 | 43,000 | [9] | ||
| October 11 | Illinois | W 34–6 | 50,435 | [10] | ||
| October 18 | Pittsburgh* | No. 1 |
| W 39–0 | 35,000 | [11] |
| October 25 | at No. 3Michigan | No. 1 | W 7–0 | 85,753 | [12] | |
| November 1 | No. 9Northwestern | No. 1 |
| W 8–7 | 64,464 | [13] |
| November 8 | Nebraska* | No. 2 |
| W 9–0 | 42,893 | [14] |
| November 15 | atIowa | No. 1 | W 34–13 | 43,200 | [15] | |
| November 22 | Wisconsin | No. 1 |
| W 41–6 | 52,984 | [16] |
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| Week | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Final |
| AP | 1(66) | 1(69) | 1т(60) | 2(34.5) | 1(99) | 1(112) | 1(95) | 1(84.5) |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Minnesota | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On October 25, 1941, Minnesota, ranked #1 in the AP Poll, played Michigan, ranked #3 in the country. Minnesota won the game by a 7 to 0 score on a five-yard touchdown run by halfback Herman Frickey in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 78-yard punt and a 43-yard pass, both by 1941Heisman Trophy winnerBruce Smith. Minnesota gained 179 rushing yards in the game, while Michigan tallied 135 rushing yards. In the fourth quarter, Michigan twice drove deep into Minnesota territory, but both drives ended with pass interceptions by Minnesota's quarterbackBill Garnaas. The loss was the eighth in a row for the Wolverines against the Golden Gophers. The crowd of 85,753 at Michigan Stadium was the largest to that date to see a football game between twoBig Ten Conference teams.[17][18]