1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team
| 1939 Texas A&M Aggies football | |
|---|---|
AP Poll national champion SWC champion Sugar Bowl champion | |
Sugar Bowl, W 14–13 vs. Tulane | |
| Conference | Southwest Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 11–0 (6–0 SWC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Kyle Field |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Texas A&M $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SMU | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rice | 0 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas—now known as Texas A&M University—as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1939 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Homer Norton, the Aggies compiled a perfect 11-0 record for their first (and to date, only) consensus national championship, shut out six of eleven opponents, won the Southwest Conference championship, and outscored all opponents by a total of 212 to 31.[1]
In the final AP Poll released on December 12, the Aggies were ranked No 1 with 1,091 points, edging out Tennessee (970 points), USC (891 points), and Cornell (889 points).[2] They went on to defeat No. 5 Tulane, 14–13, in the 1940 Sugar Bowl.[3]
Fullback John Kimbrough was a consensus pick on the 1939 All-America college football team.[4] Kimbrough was inducted in 1954 into the College Football Hall of Fame.[5]
Tackle Joe Boyd was the team captain. He was also chosen as a first-team All-American by, among others, Grantland Rice for Collier's Weekly and the Sporting News.[6][7]
Four Texas A&M players were selected by the United Press as first-team players on the 1939 All-Southwest Conference football team: Kimbrough; Boyd; end Herbert Smith; and guard Marshall Robnett.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 23 | at Oklahoma A&M* | W 32–0 | 6,000 | [9] | ||
| September 30 | Centenary* | W 14–0 | 10,000 | [10] | ||
| October 6 | at Santa Clara* | W 7–3 | 16,000 | [11][12] | ||
| October 14 | vs. Villanova* |
| W 33–7 | 14,000 | [13] | |
| October 21 | at TCU | No. 9 | W 20–6 | 25,000 | [14] | |
| October 28 | Baylor | No. 5 |
| W 20–0 | 20,000 | [15] |
| November 4 | at Arkansas | No. 5 | W 27–0 | 11,000 | [16] | |
| November 11 | No. 13 SMU | No. 2 |
| W 6–2 | 30,000 | [17] |
| November 18 | at Rice | No. 2 | W 19–0 | 25,000 | [18] | |
| November 30 | Texas | No. 1 |
| W 20–0 | 40,000 | [19] |
| January 1 | vs. No. 5 Tulane* | No. 1 | W 14–13 | 73,000 | [3] | |
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Rankings
| Week | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Final |
| AP | 9 (5) | 5 (6) | 5 (6) | 2 (6) | 2 | 1 (38) | 1т (27) | 1 (28) | 1 (55) |
Starting lineup
| Name | Number | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling, James | 67 | REL |
| Boyd, Joe | 64 | RTL |
| Henke, Charles | 38 | RGL |
| Vaughn, Tommie | 60 | C |
| Robnett, Marshal Foch "Foxey" | 43 | LGR |
| Pannell, Ernest | 54 | LTR |
| Smith, Herbert | 29 | LER |
| Moser, Derace "Mose" | 42 | LHR |
| Thomason, James | 47 | RHL |
| Price, Walemon | 45 | Q |
| Kimbrough, John "Jarrin" | 39 | F |
References
- ^ "1939 Texas A&M Aggies Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Aggies Finish on Top in Final U.S. Grid Poll". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 13, 1939. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Felix R. M'Knight (January 2, 1940). "Kimbrough Powers Aggies To 14-13 Victory Over Tulane: Haskell All-American Leads Fine Comeback". Wichita Falls Record News. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "John Kimbrough". National Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "All America Is Picked By Colliers". Wisconsin State Journal. December 9, 1939.
- ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1178. ISBN 1401337031.
- ^ "United Press All-Southwest Team". The Corpus Christi Times. December 6, 1939. p. 9B.
- ^ "Texas Aggies Trample Oklahoma A.& M. By 32-0 as Soph Derace Moser Excels; Arkansas' Passes Earn 32-6 Triumph". Austin American-Statesman. September 24, 1939. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aggies crush Gents, 14–0". Austin American-Statesman. October 1, 1939. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aggies Whip Broncos on Pugh Pass, 7-3". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 8, 1939. p. Sports 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Texas Aggies Hand Broncs 7-3 Defeat". Oakland Tribune. October 7, 1939. pp. 12–13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A. & M. Beats Villanova: Farmers Blast Wildcats, 33-7". Austin American-Statesman. October 15, 1939. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Flem Hall (October 22, 1939). "Aggies Hand Frogs 20-6 Lacing, Remain Unbeaten! Conatser Intercepts Pass, Dashes 95 Yards for Score". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Flem Hall (October 29, 1939). "Aggie Power Cracks Baylor in Last Half, 20-0: 'Freak' Play Gives Cadets Early Lead". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aggies' Timely Drives Sink Arkansas, 27-0". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 5, 1939. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gayle Talbot (November 12, 1939). "Undefeated Aggies Squeeze By SMU Barrier, 6-2: Ponies Menace Cadets, Lead In Final Play". San Angelo Standard-Times. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aggies Tramp On Rice, 19-0: Owls Gain Eight Yards; While Visitors Pass, Smash To Scores". El Paso Times. November 19, 1939. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wilbur Evans (December 1, 1939). "Tradition Upheld as Aggies Crush Steers, 20-0: Steers Gallantly Hold Ground For First 2 Periods". The Austin American. pp. 1, 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1939 Texas A&M Aggies National Championship".
Further reading
- Mickey Hershkowitz, The 1939 Texas Aggies: The Greatest Generation's Greatest Team. Houston, TX: Halcyon Press, 2006.