1942 Michigan State Spartans football team

1942 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Independent
Record	4–3–2
Head coach	Charlie Bachman (10th season)
Offensive scheme	Notre Dame Box
MVP	Richard Kieppe
Captain	Richard Mangrum, Walter L. Pawlowski
Home stadium	Macklin Field

1942 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Central Michigan			–					6	–	0	–	0
Western Michigan			–					5	–	1	–	0
Cincinnati			–					8	–	2	–	0
Dayton			–					8	–	2	–	0
Marquette			–					7	–	2	–	0
No. 6 Notre Dame			–					7	–	2	–	2
Bowling Green			–					6	–	2	–	1
Ohio			–					5	–	3	–	0
Detroit			–					5	–	4	–	0
Wichita			–					5	–	4	–	0
Michigan State			–					4	–	3	–	2
Michigan State Normal			–					3	–	3	–	1
Ohio Wesleyan			–					4	–	4	–	0
Xavier			–					4	–	5	–	0
Carthage			–					3	–	4	–	0
Miami (OH)			–					3	–	6	–	0
Wayne			–					1	–	6	–	1
Akron			–					0	–	7	–	2
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1942 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent in the 1942 college football season. In their tenth season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 4–3–2 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 20 to 0 score. In inter-sectional play, the team played both Temple and Oregon State to 7–7 ties, lost to Washington State (25–13), and defeated West Virginia (7–0).^[1][2]

Michigan State was ranked at No. 49 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 3	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	L 0–20	39,163
October 10	Wayne	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 46–6		[4]
October 17	Marquette	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 7–28		[5]
October 24	Great Lakes Navy	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 14–0		[6]
October 31	at Temple	Temple Stadium Philadelphia, PA	T 7–7
November 7	at Washington State	Gonzaga Stadium Spokane, WA	L 13–25	13,000	[7]
November 14	Purdue	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 19–6	7,500
November 21	West Virginia	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 7–0	6,400	[8]
November 28	Oregon State	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	T 7–7
Homecoming

Game summaries

Michigan

Michigan State at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Mich. St. 0 0 0 0 0 • Michigan 0 0 13 7 20 Date: October 3, 1942 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 39,163

On October 3, 1942, Michigan State played Michigan. Playing in Ann Arbor in front of 39,163 spectators (the smallest crowd to see a Michigan-Michigan State game since 1935), the Wolverines defeated the Spartans, 20–0. With Don Kuzma injured, Don Robinson got the start at left halfback. Robinson scored the first touchdown for Michigan in the third quarter. Frank Wardley and Warren Yaap also scored touchdowns for Michigan. Jim Briske converted two PATs.^[9]

References

1. "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 153. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
2. "1942 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. Dr. E. E. Litkenhous (December 16, 1942). "Litkenhous Rates Georgia No. 1, Ohio State No. 2". Twin City Sentinel. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Frank Angelo (October 11, 1942). "Wayne Has No Chance Against State". Detroit Free Press. pp. 2–1, 2–2 – via Newspapers.com.
5. George S. Alderton (October 18, 1942). "Exciting Moments on Macklin Field as Marquette Downs State, 28 to 7: Toppers Have Soph Star in Strzykalski". The Lansing State Journal. pp. 17, 18 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Michigan State Wins; State Upsets Favored Navy Team, 14 to 0". Lansing State Journal. October 25, 1942. pp. 17–18 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Hewins, Jack (November 8, 1942). "Kennedy leads Cougar victory over Spartans". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. p. 11. Retrieved April 10, 2021 – via Google News Archives.
8. "Spartans beat Mountaineers". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 22, 1943. Retrieved July 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Michigan Defeats State Rival, 20-0: Scores All Three Touchdowns in Last Half Before 39,163 Fans". The New York Times. October 4, 1942. Retrieved January 14, 2012.