1944 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football team

The 1944 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (later renamed Oklahoma State University–Stillwater) in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1944 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Jim Lookabaugh, the Cowboys compiled an 8–1 record (1–0 against conference opponents), won the Missouri Valley championship, defeated TCU in the 1945 Cotton Bowl Classic, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 228 to 103.[1][2] They played their home games at Lewis Field in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

1944 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football
MVC champion
Cotton Bowl Classic champion
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 34–0 vs. TCU
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record8–1 (1–0 MVC)
Head coach
Home stadiumLewis Field
Seasons
← 1943
1945 →
1944 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Oklahoma A&M $ 1 0 0 8 1 0
Tulsa 0 1 0 8 2 0
Drake 0 0 0 7 2 0
  • $ – Conference champion

On offense, the 1944 team averaged 25.3 points, 196.9 rushing yards, and 126.3 passing yards per game.[3] On defense, the team allowed an average of 11.4 points, 182.9 rushing yards and 66.0 passing yards per game.[4]

The team's statistical leaders included halfback Bob Fenimore with 897 rushing yards, 861 passing yards, and 53 points scored, and Cecil Hankins with 474 receiving yards.[5] Fenimore was selected by several selectors (Associated Press, Collier's Weekly, Football News, Football Writers Association of America, and Newspaper Enterprise Association) as a first-team halfback on the 1944 College Football All-America Team. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23West Texas State*W 41–6
September 29vs. Arkansas*W 19–0
October 7at Texas Tech*W 14–7
October 21at Denver*W 33–21[6]
October 28at TulsaW 46–4012,063
November 4Norman NAS* No. 19
  • Lewis Field
  • Stillwater, OK
L 0–157,000[7]
November 11at Texas*W 13–813,000[8]
November 25vs. Oklahoma*
W 28–6
January 1, 1945vs. TCU*W 34–037,500
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

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The AP released their first rankings on October 9. The Cowboys entered the rankings on October 30.

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked т = Tied with team above or below
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP19т15

After the season

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The 1945 NFL Draft was held on April 8, 1945. The following Cowboys were selected.[9]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
19 195 Joe Spencer Tackle Philadelphia Eagles
19 197 Ed Jeffers Tackle Green Bay Packers
20 206 Leo Pratt Tackle Philadelphia Eagles
24 250 Blair Brown Guard Philadelphia Eagles
28 287 Jim Marsh Tackle Pittsburgh Steelers
32 330 Billy Joe Aldridge Back Green Bay Packers

References

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  1. ^ "1944 Oklahoma State Cowboys Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Oklahoma State Cowboy Football 2016 Guide" (PDF). Oklahoma State University. p. 172. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  3. ^ 2016 Football Guide, p. 138.
  4. ^ 2016 Football Guide, p. 140.
  5. ^ "Oklahoma State Cowboy Football 2016 Guide" (PDF). Oklahoma State University. pp. 168, 170. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "Aggies Down Denver 33-21". Stillwater News-Press. October 22, 1944. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Zoomers Wreck Aggies, 15-0: Eshmont Dashes 27 and 61". The Des Moines Register. November 5, 1944. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Two late passes give Aggies 13–8 win over Texas". Muskogee Daily Phoenix. November 12, 1944. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "1945 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 13, 2021.