1939 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1939

| team = Texas Tech Red Raiders

| sport = football

| image = TTUFootball1939actual.jpg

| image_size = 285

| image_caption = 1939 Texas Tech football team

| conference = Border Conference

| short_conf = Border

| record = 5–5–1

| conf_record= 2–1

| head_coach = Pete Cawthon

| hc_year = 10th

| off_scheme = Single-wing

| def_scheme = 6–2

| captain =

| stadium = Tech Field

}}

The 1939 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University—as a member of the Border Conference during the 1939 college football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Pete Cawthon, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 5–5–1 with a mark of 2–1 in conference play, placing third in the Border Conference. The team outscored its opponents by a total of 150 to 74 on the season. Texas Tech played home games at Tech Field in Lubbock, Texas.

On November 11, Texas Tech played Centenary to a scoreless tie in a game in which the two teams combined for an NCAA-record 77 punts.

Texas Tech was ranked at No. 90 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.{{cite news|title=Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth|author=E. E. Litkenhous|newspaper=Johnson City Sunday Press|date=December 31, 1939|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123000367/vols-second-in-final-litkenhous-grid/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1939

| poll = AP

| timezone = Central

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 23

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Texas Mines

| site_stadium = Kidd Field

| site_cityst = El Paso, TX

| score = 2–7

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-texas-tech-drops-7/169455972/|work=The Los Angeles Times|title=Texas Tech drops 7–2 upset loss|date=September 24, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 30

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1939|team=Texas Wesleyan Rams|title=Texas Wesleyan}}

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 33–0

| attend = 7,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lubbock-avalanche-journal/155039201/|work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|title=Tech opens home season with 33–0 win over Wesleyan|date=October 1, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 7

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Gonzaga

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 0–6

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/great-falls-tribune-gonzaga-uses-pass-to/169456205/|work=The Great Falls Tribune|title=Gonzaga uses pass to beat Texas Tech|date=October 8, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 14

| w/l = w

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1939|team=Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks|title=Arizona State–Flagstaff}}

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 54–0

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waco-tribune-herald-tech-red-raiders-swa/169456287/|work=Waco Tribune-Herald|title=Tech Red Raiders swamp Flagstaff|date=October 15, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 21

| w/l = w

| opponent = New Mexico

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 19–7

| attend = 9,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-red-raiders-whi/169455572/|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|title=Red Raiders whip Lobos|date=October 23, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|October 27|Friday}}

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opprank = 11

| opponent = Duquesne

| site_stadium = Forbes Field

| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA

| score = 0–13

| attend = 11,061

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-patriot-news-duquesne-downs-texas-te/169456393/|work=The Patriot-News|title=Duquesne downs Texas Tech team|date=October 28, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|November 3|Friday}}

| time = 7:15 p.m.

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Miami (FL)

| site_stadium = Burdine Stadium

| site_cityst = Miami, FL

| score = 0–19

| attend = 11,337

| source = {{cite news |last=Clay |first=Everett |title=Texas Tech 8-To-5 Favorite Over Miami |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald/128426174/ |newspaper=Miami Herald |location=Miami, Florida |date=November 3, 1939 |page=8C |access-date=July 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Clay |first=Everett |title=Miami Comes to Life And Upsets Texas Tech |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald/128426235/ |newspaper=Miami Herald |location=Miami, Florida |date=November 4, 1939 |page=2B |access-date=July 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Clay |first=Everett |title=Miami Upsets Texas Tech (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald/128426281/ |newspaper=Miami Herald |location=Miami, Florida |date=November 4, 1939 |page=4B |access-date=July 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 11

| w/l = t

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Centenary

| site_stadium = Centenary College Stadium

| site_cityst = Shreveport, LA

| score = 0–0

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82179950/tech-gents-tie-in-punt-duel/|work=The Tyler Courier-Times|title=Tech, Gents tie in punt duel|date=November 12, 1939|accessdate=July 25, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 18

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| homecoming = y

| opponent = Marquette

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 19–22

| attend = 8,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Marquette Takes Tech, 22 To 19, In Homecoming Thriller |newspaper=The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |author=Collier Parris |date=November 19, 1939 |page=6 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116717479/marquette-takes-tech-22-to-19-in/ |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 25

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Montana

| site_stadium = Tech Field

| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX

| score = 13–0

| attend = 3,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montana-standard-texas-tech-stops-mo/169456536/|work=The Montana Standard|title=Texas Tech stops Montana threats, then wins by 13–0|date=November 26, 1939|accessdate=April 2, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|December 1|Thursday}}

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Loyola (LA)

| site_stadium = Loyola University Stadium

| site_cityst = New Orleans, LA

| score = 13–0

| attend = 3,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67719457/tech-uses-breaks-to-beat-loyola-13-to-0/|work=Lubbock Morning Avalanche|title=Tech uses breaks to beat Loyola, 13 to 0|date=December 2, 1939|accessdate=January 15, 2021|page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

}}

{{cite web |author= |title=1939 Texas Tech Red Raiders Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-tech/1939-schedule.html |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=August 23, 2022}}

Game summaries

=At Centenary=

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle= {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Texas Tech Red Raiders|color=white}} ;text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Texas Tech Red Raiders at Centenary Gentlemen – Game summary

|date=November 11

|time=

|road=Red Raiders

|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0

|home=Gentlemen

|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0

|stadium=Centenary College Stadium, Shreveport, LA

|attendance=

|weather=Heavy rain

|referee=

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=

}}

The game was played in a torrential downpour that led to muddy field conditions that prevented either team from effectively running or passing the ball. To cope with the poor conditions, the teams resorted to punting in hopes of recovering a turnover on the other end of the field. Both teams combined for 77 punts (39 for Texas Tech and 38 for Centenary), with 67 occurring on first down. 42 punts were returned, 19 went out of bounds, 10 were downed, 1 went into the end zone for a touchback, 4 were blocked, and 1 was fair caught. The Gentlemen managed to finish with 31 yards of total offense, while the Red Raiders finished with a one-yard loss.{{cite web|title=When Punts Rained from the Sky |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1994/1011/11122.html/%28page%29/2|work=The Christian Science Monitor|accessdate=April 28, 2021}} Texas Tech punter Charlie Calhoun punted the ball 36 times for 1,318 yards, both of which still stand as NCAA records.{{cite web|title=2013 Football Records Book - FBS|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2013/FBS.pdf|work=NCAA.org|accessdate=April 28, 2021}}

References

Texas Tech

Category:Texas Tech Red Raiders football seasons

Texas Tech Red Raiders football