| 1942Wisconsin Badgers football | |
|---|---|
National champion (HAF) | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 3 |
| Record | 8–1–1 (4–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| MVP | Dave Schreiner |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Camp Randall Stadium |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1Ohio State $ | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3Wisconsin | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9Michigan | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19Minnesota | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1942 Wisconsin Badgers football team was anAmerican football team that represented theUniversity of Wisconsin in the1942 Big Ten Conference football season. The team compiled an 8–1–1 record (4–1 against conference opponents), finished in second place in theBig Ten Conference, led the conference in scoring defense (6.8 points allowed per game),[1] and was ranked No. 3 in the finalAP Poll.Harry Stuhldreher was in his seventh year as Wisconsin's head coach.[2][3]
TheHelms Athletic Foundation selected Wisconsin as the 1942 national champion at the end of the season, giving the program its only national championship.[4][5] Ohio State, a team that Wisconsin defeated, was selected as national champion in the AP Poll.[6][7][8]
The team played its home games atCamp Randall Stadium. During the 1942 season, the average attendance at home games was 29,026.[9]
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 19 | Camp Grant* | W 7–0 | [10] | |||
| September 26 | Notre Dame* |
| T 7–7 | 23,243 | ||
| October 3 | Marquette* |
| W 35–7 | 35,000 | [11] | |
| October 10 | Missouri* |
| W 17–9 | |||
| October 17 | atGreat Lakes Navy* | No. 7 | W 13–7 | 30,000 | [12] | |
| October 24 | atPurdue | No. 7 | W 13–0 | 20,000 | ||
| October 31 | No. 1Ohio State | No. 6 |
| W 17–7 | 45,000 | |
| November 7 | atIowa | No. 2 | L 0–6 | |||
| November 14 | atNorthwestern | No. 7 | W 20–19 | |||
| November 21 | No. 10Minnesota | No. 7 |
| W 20–6 | 46,000 | |
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| Week | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Final |
| AP | 7 | 7(2) | 6(1) | 2(20.33) | 7 | 7 | 4(2) | 3(4) |
EndDave Schreiner received theChicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's most valuable player.[13] Schreiner was also selected as a unanimous first-team player on the1942 College Football All-America Team.[14] Schreiner and tackle Bob Baumann joined theUnited States Marine Corps and were killed in action during theBattle of Okinawa in June 1945.[15]
Journalist and author Terry Frei, the son of Wisconsin guard and decorated P-38 pilot Jerry Frei, wrote a critically acclaimed 2007 book, Third Down and a War to Go, about the '42 Badgers and the team's virtually universal heroism in World War II in both theaters.
In addition to Schreiner, other Wisconsin players receiving All-America or All-Big Ten honors in 1942 were:
Three players from the 1942 Wisconsin team have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame: Dave Schreiner in 1955;[19] Elroy Hirsch in 1974;[20] and Pat Harder in 1993.[21]
Dave Schreiner received the team's most valuable player award.[22] Schreiner and Mark Hoskins were the teamcaptains.[23]
In 1948, the Helms Athletic Foundation decided to name a national champion … and name past champions. The director of Helms since its beginning, Bill Schroeder, did the work, and he now heads the committee that selects No. 1 after the bowl games. 'A committee of one – me,' he says.