1939 Cornell Big Red football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1939
| team = Cornell Big Red
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 8–0
| APRank = 4
| head_coach = Carl Snavely
| hc_year = 4th
| off_scheme = Single-wing
| def_scheme =
| captain = Vincent Eichler
| captain2 = Malvern Baker
| captain3 = Ken Brown
| stadium = Schoellkopf Field
| champion = National champion (Litkenhous)
Co-national champion (Sagarin)
Eastern champion
}}
{{1939 Eastern college football independents records}}
The 1939 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University as an independent during the 1939 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Carl Snavely, Cornell compiled an 8–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 197 to 52.{{cite news|title=1939 Cornell Big Red Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/cornell/1939-schedule.html}}[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/cornell/1935-1939_yearly_results.php 1939 Cornell University football scores and results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215247/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/ivyleague/cornell/1935-1939_yearly_results.php |date=October 4, 2013 }}. College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on October 4, 2013. After the season, Cornell declined a bid to the 1940 Rose Bowl so that the football players could catch up on their schoolwork.[http://www.cornellfootballassociation.com/news/2012/9/28/FB_0928120245.aspx 1939 Champions of All] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215958/http://www.cornellfootballassociation.com/news/2012/9/28/FB_0928120245.aspx |date=October 4, 2013 }}. Cornell Football Association. Retrieved on October 3, 2013.
On December 1, Cornell was awarded the Lambert Trophy as the best Eastern college football team.{{cite news|title=Cornell Wins Eastern Grid Trophy|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=December 1, 1939|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98953513/cornell-wins-eastern-grid-trophy/|via=Newspapers.com}} In the final AP Poll released on December 12, Cornell was ranked No. 4 nationally, behind Texas A&M, Tennessee, and USC.{{cite news|title=Aggies Finish on Top in Final U.S. Grid Poll|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|date=December 13, 1939|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98927295/aggies-finish-on-top-in-final-us-grid/|via=Newspapers.com}} Cornell was named national champion in the Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1939. It was also retroactively recognized as co-national champion in the Sagarin Ratings{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2017/FBS.pdf | title=2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records | publisher=The National Collegiate Athletic Association | date=July 2017 | location=Indianapolis| access-date=July 31, 2017| page=112}}
Cornell tackle Nick Drahos was a consensus first-team selection on the 1939 All-America college football team.{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=October 21, 2017|page=7|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf}} He was inducted in 1981 into the College Football Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Nick Drahos|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1472}} Quarterback Walter Matuszczak was also selected as a first-team All-American by the New York Sun.{{cite news|title=N.Y. Sun Picks All American|work=Modesto Bee And News-Herald|date=1939-12-02}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1939
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = w
| opponent = Syracuse
| site_stadium = Schoellkopf Field
| site_cityst = Ithaca, NY
| score = 19–6
| attend = > 23,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Cornell Aims Guns At Tigers After Beating Syracuse|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=October 9, 1939|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98954535/cornell-aims-guns-at-tigers-after/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Princeton
| site_stadium = Palmer Stadium
| site_cityst = Princeton, NJ
| score = 20–7
| attend = 35,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Penn State Visits Here Saturday; Tigers Defeated|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|author=Kenny Van Sickle|date=October 16, 1939|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98954813/penn-state-visits-here-saturday-tigers/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Cornell's Early Attack Routs Princeton, 20-7|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=October 15, 1939|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122161681/cornells-early-attack-routs-princeton/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| w/l = w
| rank = 12
| opponent = Penn State
| site_stadium = Schoellkopf Field
| site_cityst = Ithaca, NY
| score = 47–0
| attend = 7,500
| source = {{cite news|title=Ohio State Game Beckons Cornell After Lion Rout|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=October 23, 1939|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98955083/ohio-state-game-beckons-cornell-after/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 7
| opponent = Ohio State
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Ohio Stadium
| site_cityst = Columbus, OH
| score = 23–14
| attend = 49,583
| source = {{cite news|title=Ohio State And U.D. Beaten|newspaper=Dayton Daily News|author=Si Burick|date=October 29, 1939|pages=1, 6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122278678/ohio-state-and-ud-beaten/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Cornell Squad Starts Practice For Columbia; Players Hailed For 23-14 Win Over Ohio State|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|author=William J. Waters|date=October 30, 1939|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98955367/cornell-squad-starts-practice-for/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = w
| rank = 3
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Columbia
| site_stadium = Schoellkopf Field
| site_cityst = Ithaca, NY
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 13–7
| attend = 15,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Cornell Gridders Get Day of Rest After Taking Lions|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=November 6, 1939|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98955600/cornell-gridders-get-day-of-rest-after/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title=Blocking of Kick Enables Cornell to Triumph, 13-7 |first=William D. |last=Richardson |date=November 5, 1939 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = w
| rank = 5
| opponent = Colgate
| site_stadium = Schoellkopf Field
| site_cityst = Ithaca, NY
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 14–12
| attend = 15,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Cornell Has Close Call, Now Girds For Dartmouth Tilt|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=November 13, 1939|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98955996/cornell-has-close-call-now-girds-for/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| w/l = w
| rank = 4
| opponent = Dartmouth
| site_stadium = Memorial Field
| site_cityst = Hanover, NH
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 35–6
| attend = 16,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Pennsylvania Next For Big Red; Green Beaten, 35-6|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|author=Buck Clarey|date=November 20, 1939|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98956373/pennsylvania-next-for-big-red-green/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 30
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = Penn
| site_stadium = Franklin Field
| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 26–0
| attend = 69,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Cornell Unbeaten, Untied 1st Time Since 1923 Season|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|author=Kenny Van Sickle|date=November 27, 1939|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98956970/cornell-unbeaten-untied-1st-time-since/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Cornell Big Red football navbox}}
Category:Cornell Big Red football seasons
Category:College football national champions
Category:Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy seasons