1941 Fordham Rams football team

The 1941 Fordham Rams football team was an American football team that represented Fordham University as an independent during the 1941 college football season. Rams offense scored 182 points while the defense allowed 67 points. Fordham was invited to play in the Rose Bowl, but declined the invitation because it had previously accepted a berth in the 1942 Sugar Bowl. They were ranked sixth in the final AP poll, released in early December.

1941 Fordham Rams football
Sugar Bowl champion Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Sugar Bowl, W 2–0 vs. Missouri
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 6
1941 record	8–1
Head coach	Jim Crowley (9th season)
Home stadium	Polo Grounds

1941 Eastern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 8 Duquesne			–					8	–	0	–	0
No. 6 Fordham			–					8	–	1	–	0
No. 15 Penn			–					7	–	1	–	0
Franklin & Marshall			–					5	–	1	–	1
Penn State			–					7	–	2	–	0
Temple			–					7	–	2	–	0
Harvard			–					5	–	2	–	1
Syracuse			–					5	–	2	–	1
Boston College			–					7	–	3	–	0
Hofstra			–					5	–	2	–	0
Drexel Tech			–					4	–	2	–	1
Boston University			–					5	–	3	–	0
Cornell			–					5	–	3	–	0
Tufts			–					5	–	3	–	0
Army			–					5	–	3	–	1
Brown			–					5	–	4	–	0
Dartmouth			–					5	–	4	–	0
Villanova			–					4	–	4	–	0
Manhattan			–					4	–	4	–	1
Holy Cross			–					4	–	4	–	2
Colgate			–					3	–	3	–	2
Buffalo			–					3	–	4	–	1
Massachusetts State			–					3	–	4	–	1
Columbia			–					3	–	5	–	0
Pittsburgh			–					3	–	6	–	0
Princeton			–					2	–	6	–	0
NYU			–					2	–	7	–	0
Carnegie Tech			–					1	–	7	–	0
Yale			–					1	–	7	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

Fordham's Steve Filipowicz was selected by the Associated Press a first-team back on the 1941 All-Eastern football team. Guard Larry Sartori was named to the second team.[1]

The Rams won the Sugar Bowl by a score of 2–0 over the Missouri Tigers. The game was played in heavy rain and the only score came off of a blocked punt in the first quarter.[2][3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 4	SMU		Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 16–10	28,500	[4]
October 11	at North Carolina		Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	W 27–14	27,000	[5]
October 18	West Virginia	No. 4	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 27–0	12,500	[6]
October 25	TCU	No. 6	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 28–14	39,500	[7]
November 1	Purdue	No. 3	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 17–0	20,500	[8]
November 8	at Pittsburgh	No. 3	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	L 0–13	25,000	[9]
November 22	vs. Saint Mary's	No. 11	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 35–7	40,000	[10]
November 29	NYU	No. 8	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY	W 30–9	31,000	[11]
January 1	vs. No. 7 Missouri	No. 6	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	W 2–0	73,000	[12]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "MacKinney and Peabody on A.P. Eastern Eleven". The Boston Daily Globe. December 5, 1941. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Wheeler, Romney (January 2, 1942). "Blocked punt gives Fordham 2-0 verdict over Missouri Tigers". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. B3.
3. Kirksey, George (January 2, 1942). "Safety nets Fordham 2-0 Sugar Bowl win". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. p. 60.
4. Gene Ward (October 5, 1941). "Rams Nip Mustangs, 16-10, In Last Half-Minute". New York Daily News. p. 88 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Richardson, William D. (October 12, 1941). "Rams' Rally on Long Runs Sinks No. Carolina, 27-14". New York Times. p. S1.
6. Jack Smith (October 19, 1941). "Rams Win Third, Clip W. Va., 27-0". New York Daily News. p. 82 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Jack Smith (October 26, 1941). "Rams Rally in Fourth, Rout TCU, 28-14". New York Daily News. p. C36 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Jack Smith (November 2, 1941). "Rams Overpower Purdue, 17 to 0". New York Daily News. p. 88 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Nichols, Joseph C. (November 9, 1941). "Rams Are Toppled: Bowl Hopes Crushed by Panthers, Who Gain First 1941 Victory". New York Times. p. S1.
10. Harry Borba (November 23, 1941). "St. Mary's Buried, 35 to 7!". San Francisco Examiner. p. Sports 2, 6 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Jack Smith (November 30, 1941). "Rams Conquer NYU, 30-9; Blumenstock Scores 2". New York Daily News. p. C36 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Romney Wheeler (January 2, 1942). "Rams Eke Out 2-0 Triumph Over Tigers: 73,000 Sugar Bowl Fans See Fordham Win On Automatic Safety". The Monroe (La.) News-Star. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.