Wayne Tartars football, 1940–1949

The 1940 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1940 college football season. In their ninth year under head coach Joe Gembis, the Tartars compiled a 4–1–3 record and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 79 to 69.^[1]

Wayne was ranked at No. 225 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.^[2]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 27	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 7–42	21,200	[3]
October 5	at Western State Teachers (MI)	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	W 13–6		[4]
October 12	at Ohio Wesleyan	Delaware, OH	T 0–0		[5]
October 19	Akron	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	T 7–7		[6]
November 2	Central Michigan	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	T 7–7	3,500	[7]
November 9	at Michigan State Normal	Briggs Field Ypsilanti, MI	W 19–7		[8]
November 16	at Buffalo	Rotary Field Buffalo, NY	W 6–0		[9]
November 21	Bowling Green	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	W 19–0	6,000	[10]
Homecoming

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The 1941 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1941 college football season. The Tartars compiled a 2–6 record and were outscored by opponents, 204 to 24. The Tartars two victories were over Central Michigan (6–0) and Michigan State Normal (12–0).^[11]

The team's head coach was Joe Gembis in his tenth season. His assistant coaches were Joseph Truskowski and Ox Emerson.^[12]

Prior to the season, Wayne conducted its preseason training camp at Mio, Michigan. Coach Gembis had expected 15 lettermen to return from his 1940 team that had compiled a 4–1–3 record. However, the military draft intervened, and seven of the team's 15 returning lettermen were in the Army at the start of the 1941 season with two more waiting to be inducted. Another had joined the Michigan State Police.^[12]

After the team lost its first three games without scoring a point, Gembis came under fire for the team's poor performance, despite coaching at a school with approximately 10,000 students.^[13]

Tom Kennedy played at the tackle position for the 1941 Wayne team. In 1944, he played two games for the Detroit Lions, the first Wayne alumnus to play in the National Football League.^[14]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 3	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–54	17,659	[15]
October 11	at Cincinnati	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	L 0–37	6,700	[16]
October 18	Ohio Wesleyan	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	L 0–21	3,500	[17]
October 25	at Michigan State	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 6–39	15,200	[18]
November 1	Central Michigan	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	W 6–0		[19]
November 8	Michigan State Normal	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	W 12–0	1,500	[20]
November 15	Western Michigan	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	L 0–34	10,000	[21]
November 20	at Bowling Green	Bowling Green, OH	L 0–19	6,000	[22]
Homecoming

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The 1942 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1942 college football season. The team compiled a 1–6–1 record and was outscored by opponents, 144 to 52.^[23] It played its home games at the University of Detroit Stadium.^[24]

Joe Gembis was in his 11th year as head coach. His assistant coaches, Joseph Truskowski and Ox Emerson, were lost to military service for the 1942 season.^[25] In the absence of Truskowski and Emerson, two Wayne alumni Laurence "Lefty" Russell and Ralph Betker served as assistant coaches.^[26]

Before the season began, the team held a 10-day training camp in Charlevoix, Michigan.^[26]

The team's statistical leaders included Doug Rutherford, a sophomore from Denby High School, with 58 pass completions.^[27][28] Frank Chorney and Donald Kennedy were the team captains.^[29]

Wayne was ranked at No. 306 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.^[30]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 2	vs. Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–27	15,670	[31]
October 10	at Michigan State	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 6–46		[32]
October 17	Bowling Green	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 6–20		[33]
October 24	at Michigan State Normal	Briggs Field Ypsilanti, MI	T 12–12		[34]
October 27	Grosse Ile NAS	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 3–7	5,139	[35]
October 30	at Central Michigan	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	L 0–13		[36]
November 7	Akron	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 25–6	3,500	[37]
November 14	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	L 0–13		[38]
Homecoming

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The 1943 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1943 college football season. The team compiled a 0–3 record and was outscored by opponents, 64 to 0.^[39]

Joe Gembis was in his 12th year as head coach. Frank Bielman, Jr., was the team captain.^[29]

As the fall semester began, there was uncertainty as to whether Wayne would be able to field a football team. Many schools had cancelled the football season due to the loss of students to wartime military service. Because Wayne had no Navy or Marine program, and the prior year's players were in the military, the team would have to be formed from incoming freshmen. Coach Gembis noted at the time: "We want to have a football team, even if we play only two games."^[40]

In late September 1943, a team was formed with 35 players. Coach Gembis arranged for a home and home series with Michigan State Normal and wrote to the commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference in search of other opponents.^[41]

A fourth game was arranged with Otterbein College, but it was cancelled when Otterbein was unable to field a team.^[42]

At the end of the season, 16 players received varsity letters, and Marshall Chrisjohn was selected as the team's most valuable player. The players receiving varsity letters were: Wallace Bagozzi, Frank Bielman, Francis Blake, Marshall Chrisjohn, Thomas Connor, Fred Cuthrell, Allan Dow, Andrew Edgerton, James Fears, Masis Godoshian, James Hannan, Richard Hartley, Allen Henderson, John Hochstein, Don Olson, and Tony Yangovyian.^[43]

The 1944 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1944 college football season. The team compiled a 1–1 record, defeating the team from Otterbein College and losing to Michigan State.^[47]

Joe Gembis was in his 13th year as head coach.^[48][49] John Rice was the team captain.^[29] Harold Vogler was selected as the most valuable player.^[50][51]

The team was originally scheduled to play five games, but three of the games were cancelled. Wayne had scheduled a home-and-away series with Michigan State Normal on October 21 and November 11, but Normal's coach cancelled, claiming not to have enough manpower. A third game against Muskingum was also cancelled.^[52]

The 1945 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1945 college football season. The team compiled a 2–5–1 record.^[58]

Joe Gembis was in his 14th and final year as head coach. Nicholas Cherup was the team captain.^[29] Cherup was also selected as the most valuable player.^[50]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 6	at Ohio Wesleyan	Delaware, OH	L 6–27		[59]
October 13	Central Michigan	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–26	1,000	[60]
October 20	at Michigan State	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 7–27		[61][62]
October 27	at Albion	Albion, MI	W 7–6	1,000	[63]
November 2	Hillsdale	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 38–0	2,348	[64]
November 9	Michigan State Normal	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 13–14	2,683	[65]
November 16	at Michigan State Normal	Briggs Field Ypsilanti, MI	T 0–0		[66]
November 22	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 13–33	8,622	[67]
Homecoming

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The 1946 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) in the Mid-America Conference (MAC) during the 1946 college football season. Under first-year head coach John P. Hackett, the team compiled a 4–5 record.^[68]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 20	at Detroit*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–31	23,800	[69]
September 28	at Michigan State*	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 0–42	19,106	[70]
October 5	Ohio Wesleyan*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 13–0	3,025	[71]
October 12	at Western Reserve	Shaw Stadium East Cleveland, OH	L 0–7		[72]
October 19	at George Washington*	Washington, DC	L 6–20		[73]
October 25	at Buffalo*	Civic Stadium Buffalo, NY	W 25–20	4,500	[74]
November 2	Springfield*	Keyworth Stadium Detroit, MI	W 12–6	1,794	[75]
November 11	at Toledo*	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 6–14	10,000	[76]
November 16	Case Tech*	Keyworth Stadium Detroit, MI	W 37–6	2,157	[77]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

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The 1947 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1947 college football season. In its second season under head coach John P. Hackett, the team compiled a 5–2 record.^[78] The team divided its home games between the University of Detroit Stadium and Keyworth Stadium.

John Hazeley led the team with 475 rushing yards and was selected as the team's most valuable player.^[79] Allen Griffiths and Stephen Zukowski were the team captains.^[80]

In the final Litkenhous Ratings released in mid-December, Wayne was ranked at No. 122 out of 500 college football teams.^[81]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 27	at Great Lakes Navy	Great Lakes, IL	W 33–7		[82]
October 3	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 7–40	24,375	[83]
October 17	Western Reserve	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 20–13	6,613	[84]
October 25	Buffalo	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	W 33–12	6,200	[85][86]
November 1	at Springfield	Springfield, MA	W 14–10		[87][88]
November 8	Toledo	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	L 0–7		[89]
November 15	George Washington	Keyworth Stadium Hamtramck, MI	W 7–6	1,097	[90][91]
Homecoming

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The 1948 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1948 college football season. Under first-year head coach Herbert L. Smith, the team compiled a 4–4 record.^[92]

Wayne was ranked at No. 128 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System ratings for 1948.^[93]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 25	Southern Illinois	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 26–0	8,000	[94]
October 2	at Niagara	Niagara Falls, NY	W 13–7		[95]
October 9	at Quantico Marines	Quantico, VA	L 0–7		[96]
October 16	St. Bonaventure	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–13	9,000	[97]
October 22	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–13	24,321	[98]
October 30	at Central Michigan	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	W 27–12		[99]
November 6	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 14–27	5,000	[100]
November 13	Omaha	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 46–20	3,012	[101]
Homecoming

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^[102]

The 1949 Wayne Tartars football team represented Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1949 college football season. Under first-year head coach Louis F. Zarza, the team compiled a 3–5 record.^[103]

Schedule

More information Date, Opponent ...

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 24	Southern Illinois	Detroit, MI	W 48–8
October 1	at Western Illinois	Macomb, IL	W 33–14		[104]
October 8	at St. Bonaventure	Forness Stadium Olean, NY	L 7–25		[105]
October 14	Quantico Marines	Detroit, MI	L 14–33
October 21	at Detroit	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 0–41	22,359	[106]
October 29	Niagara	Detroit, MI	L 6–14
November 5	Toledo	Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	L 7–37
November 12	Omaha	Detroit, MI	W 38–26
Homecoming

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^[107]