1940 SMU Mustangs football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1940

| team = SMU Mustangs

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Southwest Conference

| short_conf = SWC

| APRank = 16

| record = 8–1–1

| conf_record = 5–1

| head_coach = Matty Bell

| hc_year = 6th

| captain = Will Mullinweg

| captain2 = Raymond Pope

| stadium = Ownby Stadium

| champion = SWC co-champion

}}

The 1940 SMU Mustangs football team was an American football team that represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1940 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Matty Bell, the Mustangs compiled an 8–1–1 record (5–1 against conference opponents), tied for the SWC championship, outscored opponents by a total of 142 to 75, and was ranked No. 16 in the final AP Poll.{{cite web|title=1940 SMU Mustangs Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=May 22, 2020|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/southern-methodist/1940-schedule.html}}

Fullback Preston Johnson was selected by both the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press as a first-team player on their 1940 All-Southwest Conference football teams. Tackle Joe Pasqua was named to the second team by the AP.{{cite news|title=Power Is Keynote As A.P. Picks All-S.W. Conference Grid Team|newspaper=The Brownsville Herald|date=December 6, 1940|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3029119/power_is_keynote/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|title=On U.P. All-Conference|newspaper=The Austin Statesman|date=December 5, 1940|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51860879/on-up-all-conference/|via=Newspapers.com}} Will Mullinweg and Raymond Pope were the team captains.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1940

| poll = AP

| rank = y

| attend = y

| source = y

|September 29|at|UCLA||Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Los Angeles, CA|W 9–6|70,000|{{cite news|last1=Wolf|first1=Al|title=S.M.U. Wins Over Bruins, 9–6|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 28, 1940}}

|October 5||North Texas State Teachers||Ownby Stadium|University Park, TX (rivalry)|W 20–7||{{cite news|title=S.M.U. extended to clip North Texas gridmen, 20–7|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|date=October 6, 1940|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88462323/smu-extended-to-clip-north-texas-grid/|accessdate=November 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 12|at|Pittsburgh||Pitt Stadium|Pittsburgh, PA|T 7–7|39,000|{{cite news|author=Harry Keck|title=Passes Provide Both Tallies Before 39,000|newspaper=Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph|date=October 13, 1940|page=Part 3-2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114576821/passes-provide-both-tallies-before-3900/|access-date=December 13, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 19||Auburn||Ownby Stadium|University Park, TX|W 20–13|10,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-preston-johnson-sparks-mus/132707720/|title=Preston Johnson sparks Mustangs to 20–13 victory over Plainsmen|newspaper=The El Paso Times|date=October 20, 1940|accessdate=September 30, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 2|at|Texas|15|War Memorial Stadium|Austin, TX|W 21–13|25,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123752064/smu-shades-texas-2113-as-touchdown/|work=Sunday American-Statesman|title=S.M.U. shades Texas, 21–13, as touchdowns rain in second half|date=November 3, 1940|accessdate=April 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 9||No. 4 Texas A&M|14|Ownby Stadium|University Park, TX|L 7–19|27,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-plucky-texas-aggies-rid/168128476/|work=The Miami Herald|title=Plucky Texas Aggies ride Mustangs to 19–7 victory|date=November 10, 1940|accessdate=March 16, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 16||Arkansas|20|Ownby Stadium|University Park, TX|W 28–0||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-angelo-standard-times-mustangs-maul/168128963/|work=San Angelo Standard-Times|title=Mustangs maul Hogs, 28–0|date=November 17, 1940|accessdate=March 16, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 23|at|Baylor|18|Waco Stadium|Waco, TX|W 7–4||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-odessa-american-mustangs-edge-out-ba/168129152/|work=The Odessa American|title=Mustangs edge out Baylor by 7–4 in the mud|date=November 24, 1940|accessdate=March 16, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 30||TCU|16|Ownby Stadium|University Park, TX (rivalry)|W 16–0|13,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-mustangs-drive/168129455/|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|title=Mustangs drive through Frogs for 16–0 triumph|date=December 1, 1940|accessdate=March 16, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

|December 7|at|Rice|16|Rice Field|Houston, TX (rivalry)|W 7–6|22,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-smu-comes-from-b/168129629/|work=Asheville Citizen-Times|title=SMU comes from behind to top Rice, 7–6|date=December 8, 1940|accessdate=March 16, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

References

SMU

Category:SMU Mustangs football seasons

Category:Southwest Conference football champion seasons

SMU Mustangs football