1944 Georgia Pre-Flight Skycrackers football team

The 1944 Georgia Pre-Flight Skycrackers football team represented the United States Navy pre-flight aviation training school at the University of Georgia during the 1944 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Ducky Pond, the Skycrackers compiled a record of 4–5. The team's roster included Ronnie Cahill, Pat Harder, Elmer Jones, and Ted Scruggs.

1944 Georgia Pre-Flight Skycrackers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–5
Head coach
Home stadiumSanford Stadium
Seasons
← 1943
1944 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Randolph Field     11 0 0
No. 5 Bainbridge     10 0 0
No. 18 Fort Pierce     9 0 0
No. 13 Norman NAS     6 0 0
No. 6 Iowa Pre-Flight     10 1 0
No. 16 El Toro Marines     8 1 0
Hondo AAF     7 1 0
Bunker Hill NAS     6 1 0
Lincoln AAF     6 1 0
Blackland AAF     7 1 1
Keesler Field     8 1 2
No. 17 Great Lakes Navy     9 2 1
No. 10 March Field     7 2 2
Third Air Force     8 3 0
North Carolina Pre-Flight     6 2 1
Atlantic City NAS     5 2 0
Camp Peary     5 2 0
Tonopah AAF     5 2 0
Daniel Field     7 3 0
No. 20 Second Air Force     10 4 1
San Francisco Coast Guard     4 2 1
Ellington Field     6 3 2
Amarillo AAF     5 3 0
Alameda Coast Guard     4 2 2
Coronado Amphibious     2 1 1
Olathe NAS     4 2 2
Selman Field     4 2 2
Galveston AAF     5 3 2
Fleet City     6 4 1
Jacksonville NAS     4 3 0
San Diego NTS     4 3 1
Camp Beale     5 4 0
Lubbock AAF     5 4 0
Fort Warren     5 4 1
Fort Monroe     5 5 0
Klamath Falls Marines     2 2 1
Maxwell Field     5 5 0
Minter Field     3 3 0
No. 19 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     4 4 0
Fourth Infantry     3 4 2
Georgia Pre-Flight     4 5 0
Third Infantry     4 5 0
Bergstrom Field     3 4 0
Ottumwa NAS     3 4 0
Camp Lee     3 5 0
Cherry Point Marines     3 6 0
Chatham Field     2 8 1
Sampton NTS     2 7 0
Miami NTC     2 8 0
Bryan AAF     1 7 0
Fairfield-Suisun AAB     1 7 0
Richmond AAB     0 10 1
Camp Ellis     0 5 0
South Plains AAF     0 8 0
Rankings from AP Poll

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Georgia Pre-Flight ranked 46th among the nation's college and service teams and ninth out of 28 United States Navy teams with a rating of 89.5.[1][2]

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 303:30 p.m.at South CarolinaW 20–14[3][4]
October 8Cherry Point MarinesW 33–0[5]
October 15Third Air Force
  • Sanford Stadium
  • Athens, GA
L 7–19[6][7]
October 212:30 p.m.No. 10 North Carolina Pre-FlightL 0–3[8][9]
October 27at No. 5 Georgia TechL 7–1315,000[10][11]
November 52:30 p.m.Third Air ForceL 12–34[12][13][14]
November 11No. 16 North Carolina Pre-Flight
  • Sanford Stadium
  • Athens, GA
L 18–33[15]
November 19Daniel Field
  • Sanford Stadium
  • Athens, GA
W 30–0[16]
November 26at Daniel Field
W 52–12[17]

References edit

  1. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 10, 1944). "Big Ten Circuit Repeats As King of College Leagues". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City Utah. p. 8B. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  2. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1944). "Army, Randolph Field One-Two in Final Litkenhouse Ratings". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  3. ^ "Gamecocks Meet Powerful Georgia Pre-Flight 3:30 Today". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. September 30, 1944. p. 2. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ Bloom, Moise (October 1, 1944). "Carolina Bows to Georgia by 20 to 14". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. 13B. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "Marines Beaten By Skycrackers". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press. October 9, 1944. p. 7. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  6. ^ William, F. M. (October 16, 1944). "Trippi Stars as Gremlins Beat Georgia Navy, 19-7". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 7. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  7. ^ "3rd Air Force Gridders Top Georgia Navy". The Troy Record. October 16, 1944. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Busters Face Crackers". Durham Moring Herald. Durham, North Carolina. October 21, 1944. p. 6. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  9. ^ Horner, Jack (October 22, 1944). "Field Goal Brings Cloudbusters 3 To 0 Triumph". The Durham Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. p. 1, section IV. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  10. ^ Troy, Jack (October 28, 1944). "Tech's 86-Yard Drive Conquers Strong Georgia Preflight, 13-7". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  11. ^ Troy, Jack (October 28, 1944). "Tech Barely Wins From Skycrackers (continued)". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. 5. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  12. ^ Allen, Eddie (November 5, 1944). "Gremlins Tackle 'Crackers Today". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. p. 9, section 2. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  13. ^ Allen, Eddie (November 5, 1944). "More On Gremlins (continued)". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. p. 11, section 2. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  14. ^ "Gremlins Trounce Georgia Pre-Flight". The Tampa Tribune. November 6, 1944. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Hanes, O. P. (November 12, 1944). "Graham Gets Hot In Athens Battle". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press. p. 9. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  16. ^ "Ga. Pre-Flight Rips Daniel Field". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press. November 20, 1944. p. 7. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  17. ^ "[Untitled]". Selma Times-Journal. Selma, Alabama. Associated Press. November 27, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .