Florida Gators football, 1940–49

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.

1940

1940 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1940 record	5–5 (2–3 8th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Captain	Bud Walton
Home stadium	Florida Field

1940 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#4 Tennessee $	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
#9 Mississippi State	4	–	0	–	1			10	–	0	–	1
Ole Miss	3	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Alabama	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Auburn	3	–	2	–	1			6	–	4	–	1
LSU	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Georgia	2	–	3	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Florida	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Kentucky	1	–	2	–	2			5	–	3	–	2
Tulane	1	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	5	–	1			3	–	6	–	1
Georgia Tech	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Sewanee	0	–	1	–	0			3	–	5	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1941

1941 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1941 record	4–6 (1–3 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Captain	Bill Robinson
Home stadium	Florida Field

1941 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#16 Mississippi State $	4	–	0	–	1			8	–	1	–	1
#18 Tennessee	3	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
#20 Alabama	5	–	2	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#14 Georgia	3	–	1	–	1			9	–	1	–	1
#17 Ole Miss	2	–	1	–	1			6	–	2	–	1
Vanderbilt	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
LSU	2	–	2	–	2			4	–	4	–	2
Tulane	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Georgia Tech	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Florida	1	–	3	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Auburn	1	–	3	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Kentucky	0	–	4	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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, 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' second-ever first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and an honorable mention All-American by Grantland Rice in Collier's magazine.^[2] He led the team in both points scored (36) and minutes played (420). Ferguson scored both touchdowns on receptions of 45 and 74 yards in the upset of Miami, while totaling 123 yards; The Miami Herald reported the game score as "Forrest Ferguson 14; University of Miami 0."^[3][4]

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 (HC)	W 14–7
12–20–1941	UCLA*	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 27–30
*Non-conference game.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1942

1942 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1942 record	3–7 (1–3 9th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Captain	Bill Corry O'Neal Hill
Home stadium	Florida Field

1942 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#2 Georgia $	6	–	1	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#5 Georgia Tech	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#7 Tennessee	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	1
#18 Mississippi State	5	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
#10 Alabama	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
LSU	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
#16 Auburn	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	1
Vanderbilt	2	–	4	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Florida	1	–	3	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Tulane	1	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Kentucky	0	–	5	–	0			3	–	6	–	1
Ole Miss	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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,^[5] and lost several more players during the season,^[6] 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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1943

1943 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1943 record	0–0 (0–0 SEC)

No team

For the first and only autumn since the modern University of Florida opened its Gainesville campus in 1906, the university 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 seven Southeastern Conference schools that did not field a squad during the 1943 season.^[7]

1944

1944 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1944 record	4–3 (0–3 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Captain	Joe Graham
Home stadium	Florida Field

1944 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#13 Georgia Tech $	4	–	0	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
#12 Tennessee	5	–	0	–	1			7	–	1	–	1
Georgia	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Alabama	3	–	1	–	2			5	–	2	–	2
Mississippi State	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
LSU	2	–	3	–	1			2	–	5	–	1
Ole Miss	2	–	3	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Tulane	1	–	2	–	0			4	–	3	–	0
Kentucky	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Florida	0	–	3	–	0			4	–	3	–	0
Auburn	0	–	4	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Vanderbilt	0	–	0	–	0			3	–	0	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1945

1945 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1945 record	4–5–1 (1–3–1 10th SEC)
Head coach	Tom Lieb
Captain	Hugo Miller
Home stadium	Florida Field

1945 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#2 Alabama $	6	–	0	–	0			10	–	0	–	0
#14 Tennessee	3	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
#15 LSU	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
#18 Georgia	4	–	2	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Ole Miss	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Georgia Tech	2	–	2	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Mississippi State	2	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Auburn	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Vanderbilt	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Florida	1	–	3	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Tulane	1	–	3	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
Kentucky	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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. 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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1946

1946 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1946 record	0–9 (0–5 12th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Offensive scheme	Double-wing
Captain	William Raborn
Home stadium	Florida Field

1946 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#3 Georgia +	5	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	0
#7 Tennessee +	5	–	0	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#8 LSU	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	1
#11 Georgia Tech	4	–	2	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
Mississippi State	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Alabama	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Vanderbilt	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Kentucky	2	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Tulane	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Auburn	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Ole Miss	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Florida	0	–	5	–	0			0	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

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] Despite the winless record, the Gators developed the seventh best passing attack in the nation, with end Broughton Williams leading the nation in receiving.^[8][9] Harold Griffin led the nation in punt return average.

The 1946 season was at the center of a school record 13-game losing streak which stretched from the last game of the 1945 campaign until the fourth contest of 1947. The players on these squads ironically dubbed their time at Florida the "Golden Era," and members of the "Golden Era Gang" regularly held reunions and raised funds for scholarships and facilities improvements at UF for many subsequent years.^[10] Players on these teams included future Florida attorney general James W. Kynes and College Football Hall of Fame coach Marcelino Huerta.

Schedule and results

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
9–28–1946		Mississippi	Fairfield Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida	L 7–13
10–5–1946		Tulane	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	L 13–27	30,000
10–12–1946		Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	L 0–20
10–19–1946		Miami*	Florida Field • Gainesville, Florida (HC)	L 13–20
10–26–1946	2:30 p. m.	#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	15,000
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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1947

1947 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1947 record	4–5–1 (0–3–1 12th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Offensive scheme	Double-wing
Captain	Charlie Fields
Home stadium	Florida Field

1947 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#13 Ole Miss $	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#10 Georgia Tech	4	–	1	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
#6 Alabama	5	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Mississippi State	2	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Georgia	3	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	1
Vanderbilt	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Tulane	2	–	3	–	2			2	–	5	–	2
LSU	2	–	3	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Kentucky	2	–	3	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Tennessee	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Auburn	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Florida	0	–	3	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1948

1948 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1948 record	5–5 (1–5 T-10th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Offensive scheme	T-formation
Captain	Fletcher Groves
Home stadium	Florida Field

1948 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#8 Georgia $	6	–	0	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#15 Ole Miss	6	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
#13 Tulane	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
#12 Vanderbilt	4	–	2	–	1			8	–	2	–	1
Georgia Tech	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Alabama	4	–	4	–	1			6	–	4	–	1
Mississippi State	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	4	–	1
Tennessee	2	–	3	–	1			4	–	4	–	2
Kentucky	1	–	3	–	1			5	–	3	–	2
Florida	1	–	5	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
LSU	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Auburn	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

1949

1949 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1949 record	4–5–1 (1–4–1 10th SEC)
Head coach	Raymond Wolf
Offensive scheme	T-formation
Captain	Jimmy Kynes
Home stadium	Florida Field

1949 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Tulane $	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	1
#11 Kentucky	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
#17 Tennessee	4	–	1	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
Georgia Tech	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
#9 LSU	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Alabama	4	–	3	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Vanderbilt	4	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Auburn	2	–	4	–	2			2	–	4	–	3
Ole Miss	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
Florida	1	–	4	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Georgia	1	–	4	–	1			4	–	6	–	1
Mississippi State	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

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.^[11] 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,^[11] 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 (HC)	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.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide.^[1]

See also

• Auburn–Florida football rivalry
• Florida Gators
• Florida–Georgia football rivalry
• Florida–LSU football rivalry
• Florida–Miami football rivalry
• Florida–Tennessee football rivalry
• History of the University of Florida
• List of Florida Gators head football coaches

References

1. 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 111 (2015). Retrieved August 17, 2015.
2. Grantland Rice, "The All-America Football Team," Collier's, p. 78 (December 13, 1941). Retrieved September 26, 2014.
3. 1942 Seminole (University of Florida yearbook), approximately p. 166.
4. Associated Press, "Funeral Rites Held For Forrest Ferguson, Gator Grid All-America," St. Petersburg Times, p. 14 (May 20, 1954). Retrieved September 25, 2014.
5. Associated Press, "Tom Lieb Must Develop Not Only a Football Team but a Coaching Staff," St. Petersburg Times, p. 11 (September 3, 1944). Retrieved November 8, 2011.
6. Lieb Expects Good Gator Grid Prospects," The Palm Beach Post, (May 27, 1944). Retrieved November 8, 2011.
7. Associated Press, "New Colleges Set Grid Hopes: Florida And Kentucky To Field Elevens," Tuscaloosa News, (January 12, 1944). Retrieved November 8, 2011.
8. "Florida Hopes For Triumph Over Georgia". The Anniston Star. November 8, 1946. p. 10. Retrieved November 11, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
9. See ESPN College Football Encyclopedia.
10. Great Teams and Eras: The Golden Era - GatorZone.com
11. Noel Nash, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois, pp. 11–13 (1998).

Bibliography

• 2010 Southeastern Conference Football Media Guide, Florida Year-by-Year Records, Southeastern Conference, Birmingham, Alabama, p. 60 (2010).
• 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2015).
• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
• 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 1-57167-196-X.
• 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 July 29, 2015.
• College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results: 1945–1949. Retrieved July 29, 2015.