1941 Duke Blue Devils football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1941
| team = Duke Blue Devils
| sport = football
| image = 1941 Duke Blue Devils football team (Chanticleer 1942).jpg
| image_size = 285
| conference = Southern Conference
| short_conf = SoCon
| APRank = 2
| record = 9–1
| conf_record = 5–0
| head_coach = Wallace Wade
| hc_year = 11th
| off_scheme = Single-wing
| def_scheme =
| mvp = Pete Goddard
| captain = Bob Barnett
| stadium = Duke Stadium
| champion = SoCon champion
| bowl = Rose Bowl
| bowl_result = L 16–20 vs. Oregon State
}}
{{1941 Southern Conference football standings}}
The 1941 Duke Blue Devils football team was an American football team that represented Duke University as a member of the Southern Conference during the 1941 college football season. In their 11th season under head coach Wallace Wade, the Blue Devils compiled a 9–0 record during the regular season, won the Southern Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 311 to 41. Ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll, the Blue Devils were invited to play in the 1942 Rose Bowl (played at Duke Stadium), losing to Oregon State by a 20–16 score.{{cite web|title=1941 Duke Blue Devils Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=September 9, 2019|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/duke/1941-schedule.html}}
Four Duke players were selected as first-team players on the 1941 All-Southern Conference football team: halfback Steve Lach, left tackle Mike Karmazin, right end Bob Gantt, and center Bob Barnett. Lach was also selected by the International News Service, Liberty magazine, and the Newspaper Enterprise Association as a first-team player on the 1941 All-America team. Lach was also later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
One minor selector, Ray Bryne, selected Duke as national champion.{{cite web|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1941|title=1941 National Championships|work=College Football Data Warehouse|access-date=2017-02-22|archive-date=2016-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331142951/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1941|url-status=dead}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1941
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 27
| w/l = w
| rank =
| opponent = Wake Forest
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham NC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 43–14
| attend = 13,500
| source = {{cite news|title=Wake Forest Swamped By Blue Devils, 43-14|newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times|date=September 28, 1941|pages=D1, D3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788939/wake_forest_swamped_by_blue_devils/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 4
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Tennessee
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| score = 19–0
| attend = 45,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Smashes Tennessee, 19 To 0|newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times|author=Frank B. Gilbreth|date=October 5, 1941|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788781/duke_smashes_tennessee_19_to_0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 11
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Maryland
| site_stadium = Byrd Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 50–0
| attend = 12,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Gridders Crush Terps In 50-O Clash|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|author=Craig E. Taylor|date=October 12, 1941|pages=Sports 1, 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788662/duke_gridders_crush_terps_in_50o_clash/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 18
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = Colgate
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| score = 27–14
| attend = 25,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Wins: Blue Devils Lick Colgate By 27 to 14|newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times|date=October 19, 1941|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788484/duke_wins_blue_devils_lick_colgate_by/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 25
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 4
| opponent = Pittsburgh
| site_stadium = Pitt Stadium
| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA
| score = 27–7
| attend = 28,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Beats Pitt, 27-7: Ross Tallies First Score For Panthers|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|author=Chester L. Smith|date=October 26, 1941|pages=III-11, III-12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788328/duke_beats_pitt_277_ross_tallies/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 1
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 4
| opponent = Georgia Tech
| site_stadium = Grant Field
| site_cityst = Atlanta, GA
| score = 14–0
| attend = 28,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke 14, Tech 0: Outplayed Duke Scores Twice On Long Aerials|newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution|author=Jack Troy|date=November 2, 1941|pages=1D, 3D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35788171/duke_14_tech_0_outplayed_duke_scores/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 8
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 4
| opponent = Davidson
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = Davidson, NC
| score = 56–0
| attend = 10,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Crushes Davidson's Wildcats, 56 To 0|newspaper=The High Point Enterprise|author=Robert Cranford|date=November 9, 1941|page=10A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35787886/duke_crushes_davidsons_wildcats_56_to/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 15
| w/l = w
| rank = 3
| opponent = North Carolina
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 20–0
| attend = 45,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Duke Runs Over Tar Heels, 20 To 0|newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times|author=Bill Boni|date=November 16, 1941|page=1D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35784618/duke_runs_over_tar_heels_20_to_0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 22
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = NC State
| site_stadium = Riddick Stadium
| site_cityst = Raleigh, NC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 55–6
| attend = 15,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Blue Devils Wallop State, 55 To 6|newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times|date=November 23, 1941|page=1D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35785185/blue_devils_wallop_state_55_to_6/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = January 1, 1942
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| rank = 2
| opponent = Oregon State
| opprank = 12
| site_stadium = Duke Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NC
| gamename = Rose Bowl
| score = 16–20
| attend = 56,000
| source = {{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mJFRAAAAIBAJ&pg=4220%2C7136019 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |last=Feder |first=Sid |title=Oregon State, Fordham win bowl tilts |date=January 2, 1942 |page=12}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vc1YAAAAIBAJ&pg=6609%2C4502088 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=United Press |last=Guenther |first=Jack |title=56,000 fans stunned as OSC whips Duke Devils in Rose Bowl |date=January 2, 1942 |page=10}}{{cite news|title=Duke Upset By Beavers, 20 To 16|newspaper=The High Point Enterprise|author=Soc Chakales|date=January 2, 1942|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35774912/duke_upset_by_beavers_20_to_16/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
Rankings
{{see also|1941 college football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 1
| poll1lastweek = 8
| poll1_1=3 {{small|(14)}}
| poll1_2=4 {{small|(7)}}
| poll1_3=4 {{small|(5)}}
| poll1_4=4 {{small|(7)}}
| poll1_5=3 {{small|(11)}}
| poll1_6=3 {{small|(12)}}
| poll1_7=3 {{small|(15)}}
| poll1_8=2 {{small|(9.5)}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Duke Blue Devils football navbox}}
{{Southern Conference football champions}}
Category:Duke Blue Devils football seasons