1939 Utah Utes football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1939
| team = Utah Utes
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Mountain States Conference
| short_conf = MSC
| record = 6–1–2
| conf_record = 4–1–1
| head_coach = Ike Armstrong
| hc_year = 15th
| captain =
| stadium = Ute Stadium
| next = 1940
}}
{{1939 Mountain States Conference football standings}}
The 1939 Utah Utes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Mountain States Conference (MSC) during the 1939 college football season. In their 15th season under head coach Ike Armstrong, the Utes compiled an overall record of 6–1–2 with a mark of 4–1–1 in conference play, placed second in the MSC, and outscored all opponents by a total of 261 to 74.{{cite web|title=1939 Utah Utes Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=November 14, 2019|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/utah/1939-schedule.html}}{{cite web|title=2019 Utah Football Media Guide|publisher=University of Utah|year=2019|page=182|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/utahutes.com/documents/2019/7/22/2019_Utah_Football_Media_Guide_web.pdf}}
Four Utah players received recognition on the 1939 All-Mountain States football team: end Paul Bogden; tackle Luke Pappas; guard Rex Geary; and quarterback Bill Swan.2019 Utah Football Media Guide, p. 162.
Utah was ranked at No. 40 (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
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| w/l = t
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Santa Clara
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| score = 7–7
| attend = 15,500–17,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Utes and Broncs Battle to 7-7 Deadlock: New 'Kick' in Offense Cheers Ute Backers|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=October 1, 1939|page=C1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39017501/utes_and_broncs_battle_to_77_deadlock/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Utes Get 7-7 Tie With Famed Coast Eleven|newspaper=The Ogden Standard-Examiner|date=October 1, 1939|page=9A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17671671/utes_get_77_tie_with_famed_coast_eleven/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = w
| opponent = Wyoming
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| score = 60–0
| attend =
| source = {{cite news|title=Utah University Machine Routs Wyoming U: Utes Humble Rivals With Great Display Of Scoring, 60 to 0|newspaper=The Ogden Standard Examiner|author=Ace Bush|date=October 8, 1939|pages=7B, 8B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39018485/utah_university_machine_routs_wyoming/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = BYU
| site_stadium = BYU Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 35–13
| attend = 9,000–10,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Utes Roll to 35-13 Win Over Cougars|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|author=Neff Smart|date=October 15, 1939|page=III-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39018738/utes_roll_to_3513_win_over_cougars/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Scrappy Cougars Bow to Redskins In 35 to 13 Scrap: Utah Dominates in Spectacular Battle of Offensives|newspaper=The Sunday Herald|date=October 15, 1939|pages=1, 6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26583572/scrappy_cougars_bow_to_redskins_in_35/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| opponent = Idaho
| site_stadium = Public School Field
| site_cityst = Boise, ID
| score = 35–0
| attend = 6,500
| source = {{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HpBfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vDAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4648%2C1526867 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|agency=Associated Press |title=Boise 'sold out' for Vandal-Ute game |date=October 21, 1939 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H5BfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vDAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1535%2C1613431|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|agency=Associated Press |title=Utah trounces Vandals, 35-0 |date=October 22, 1939 |page=13}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| w/l = t
| away = y
| opponent = Denver
| site_stadium = DU Stadium
| site_cityst = Denver, CO
| score = 7–7
| attend =
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = l
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Colorado
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 14–21
| attend = 13,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Colorado Beats Utah: Buff Wallop Indians by 21-14 Score|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=November 5, 1939|pages=1C, 3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39019383/colorado_beats_utah_buff_wallop/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Hawaii
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| score = 34–19
| attend = 13,200
| source = {{cite news|title=Utes Trip Hawaii: Rainbows Offer Colorful Football Display|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|author=Marlowe Branagan|date=November 12, 1939|page=1C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39019628/utes_trip_hawaii_rainbows_offer/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Colorado A&M
| site_stadium = Colorado Field
| site_cityst = Fort Collins, CO
| score = 42–7
| attend = 5,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Utes Beat Coloags: Redskins Win, 42 to 7, at Fort Collins|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=November 19, 1937|pages=1C, 3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39019832/utes_beat_coloags_redskins_win_42_to/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 23
| w/l = w
| opponent = Utah State
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 27–0
| attend = 15,725
| source = {{cite news|title=Utes Close Season In Blaze Of Glory|newspaper=The Salt Lake Telegram|author=Frank K. Baker|date=November 24, 1939|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39020057/utes_close_season_in_blaze_of_glory/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
NFL draft
Utah had three players selected in the 1940 NFL draft.{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1940.htm |title=1940 NFL Draft Listing |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=August 4, 2010 |archive-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019085237/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1940.htm |url-status=dead }}
| class="wikitable" width="80%" | ||||
| align="center" style="background:#CC0000; color:white"
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
| align="center"
| Luke Pappas | Tackle | 9 | 71 | Chicago Cardinals |
| align="center"
| Tom Pace | Back | 10 | 87 | Chicago Bears |
| align="center"
| Pete Bogden | End | 14 | 125 | Cleveland Rams |
In addition, Halfback Fred Gehrke was not drafted but played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL).{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=GEHRKFRE01 |title=Fred Gehrke Past Statistics |publisher=DatabaseFootball.com |access-date=August 4, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217101929/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=GEHRKFRE01 |archive-date=February 17, 2010 }}