1945 Saint Mary's Gaels football team

The 1945 Saint Mary's Gaels football team was an American football team that represented Saint Mary's College of California during the 1945 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee James Phelan, the Gaels compiled a 7–2 record, outscored their opponents by a combined total of 282 to 65, and were ranked #7 in the final AP Poll. The Gaels' victories included a 20–13 besting of California and a 26–0 victory over USC. Their only loss during the regular season was to UCLA by a 13-7 score. The Gaels were invited to play in the 1946 Sugar Bowl where they lost to an undefeated No. 5-ranked Oklahoma A&M by a 33–13 score.[1][2]

1945 Saint Mary's Gaels football
Sugar Bowl, L 13–33 vs. Oklahoma A&M
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 7
1945 record	7–2
Head coach	James Phelan (4th season)

1945 Western college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 7 Saint Mary's			–					7	–	2	–	0
Nevada			–					7	–	3	–	0
Cal Poly			–					1	–	5	–	1
San Francisco State			–					0	–	2	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

Three Gaels received honors on the 1945 All-Pacific Coast football team: halfback and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Herman Wedemeyer (AP-1, UP-1); halfback Charles Albert (Spike) Cordeiro, Jr. (UP-1); and end Ed Ryan (AP-1, UP-1).[3][4]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	at California		California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA	W 20–13	75,000	[5]
September 30	vs. Stockton Army Airfield		Kezar Stadium San Francisco	W 26–0	30,000	[6]
October 7	vs. Nevada		Kezar Stadium San Francisco	W 39–0	60,000	[7]
October 13	vs. Pacific (CA)	No. 19	Kezar Stadium San Francisco	W 61–0	15,000	[8]
October 21	at McClellan Field	No. 11	Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA	W 58–0		[9]
November 3	at USC	No. 8	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles	W 26–0	80,000	[10]
November 12	at Fresno State	No. 5	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 32–6	15,000	[11]
November 17	at UCLA	No. 5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles	L 7–13	87,000	[12]
January 1	vs. No. 5 Oklahoma A&M	No. 7	Tulane Stadium New Orleans (Sugar Bowl)	L 13–33	75,000	[13]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Saint Mary's Yearly Results (1945–1949)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
2. "1945 Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
3. "Wedemeyer Paces All-Coast Eleven". The Oregon Statesman. December 6, 1945. p. 8.
4. "United Press 1945 All-Pacific Coast Team". Nevada State Journal. November 30, 1945. p. 10.
5. "Gaels Beat Cal By 20-13 Score! Wedemeyer's Passes, Runs Game Feature". Oakland Tribune. September 23, 1945. pp. A19–A20 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Gaels Easily Score Second Victory, 26-0". Oakland Tribune. October 1, 1945. pp. 12–13 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "St. Mary's Roll Over Nevada, 39-0: 'All American' Wedemeyer Sparks Stunning Triumph". Oakland Tribune. October 8, 1945. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Galloping Gaels In 61-0 Win Over COP". The Honolulu Advertiser. October 14, 1945. pp. 20, 23 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Gaels Lose Tackle In 58-0 Victory: Adair Badly Twists Knee In Triumph". Oakland Tribune. October 22, 1945. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Gaels Crush Trojans, 26-0". The Press-Democrat. November 4, 1945. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Gael Offensive Is Too Much; Down Bulldogs, 32 to 6". The Fresno Bee. November 13, 1945. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "U.C.L.A. Upsets St. Mary's In Final Minute: 87,000 Fans See Bruins Win, 13 to 7". Los Angeles Times. November 18, 1945. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Gaels Lose, 33-13: Phelan Clan Makes Hit In Defeat". Oakland Tribune. January 2, 1946. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.