1945 Saint Mary's Gaels football team

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

1945 Western college football independents records

v t e	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
Pacific (CA)			–					0	–	10	–	1
San Francisco State			–					0	–	2	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

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 No. 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]

The team led the nation in passing offense with an average of 161.3 passing yards per game.^[3] College Football Hall of Fame inductee Herman Wedemeyer ranked second nationally with 1,040 passing yards.^[4]

Three Gaels received honors on the 1945 All-Pacific Coast football team: Wedemeyer at halfback (AP-1, UP-1); Charles Albert (Spike) Cordeiro, Jr. at halfback (UP-1); and Ed Ryan at end (AP-1, UP-1).^[5][6]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	at California		California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA	W 20–13	75,000	[7]
September 30	vs. Stockton AAF		Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	W 26–0	30,000	[8]
October 7	vs. Nevada		Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	W 39–0	60,000	[9]
October 13	vs. Pacific (CA)	No. 19	Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	W 61–0	15,000	[10]
October 21	at McClellan Field	No. 11	Charles C. Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA	W 58–0		[11]
November 3	at USC	No. 8	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 26–0	80,000	[12]
November 12	at Fresno State	No. 5	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 32–6	15,000	[13]
November 17	at UCLA	No. 5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	L 7–13	87,000	[14]
January 1	vs. No. 5 Oklahoma A&M	No. 7	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	L 13–33	75,000	[15]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

See also: 1945 NCAA football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Final
AP	19	11	10 (1)	8 (2)	5 (2)	5 (4)	9	9	7

References

1. "Saint Mary's Yearly Results (1945–1949)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. 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. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1946. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 31.
4. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1946). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1946. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 35.
5. "Wedemeyer Paces All-Coast Eleven". The Oregon Statesman. December 6, 1945. p. 8.
6. "United Press 1945 All-Pacific Coast Team". Nevada State Journal. November 30, 1945. p. 10.
7. "Gaels Beat Cal By 20-13 Score! Wedemeyer's Passes, Runs Game Feature". Oakland Tribune. September 23, 1945. pp. A19–A20 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Gaels Easily Score Second Victory, 26-0". Oakland Tribune. October 1, 1945. pp. 12–13 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "St. Mary's Roll Over Nevada, 39-0: 'All American' Wedemeyer Sparks Stunning Triumph". Oakland Tribune. October 8, 1945. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Galloping Gaels In 61-0 Win Over COP". The Honolulu Advertiser. October 14, 1945. pp. 20, 23 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Gaels Lose Tackle In 58-0 Victory: Adair Badly Twists Knee In Triumph". Oakland Tribune. October 22, 1945. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Gaels Crush Trojans, 26-0". The Press-Democrat. November 4, 1945. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Gael Offensive Is Too Much; Down Bulldogs, 32 to 6". The Fresno Bee. November 13, 1945. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "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.
15. "Gaels Lose, 33-13: Phelan Clan Makes Hit In Defeat". Oakland Tribune. January 2, 1946. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.