1941 Hawaii Rainbows football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1941
| team = Hawaii Rainbows
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record=8–1
| head_coach = Eugene Gill (2nd season)
| head_coach2 = Tom Kaulukukui (1st season)
| hc_year =
| captain =
| stadium = Honolulu Stadium
| next_year = 1946
}}
{{1941 Western college football independents records}}
The 1941 Hawaii Rainbows football team was an American football team that represented the University of Hawaii as an independent during the 1941 college football season. The team compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 280 to 83.{{cite web|title=Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Football 2018 Media Guide|publisher=University of Hawaii|year=2018|accessdate=January 22, 2019|pages=124, 135|url=https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/2018/7/17/2018-rainbow-warrior-football-media-guide.aspx}} The season was shortened by two games following the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
Tom Kaulukukui and Eugene Gill were co-head coaches. It was Kaulukukui's first year as a head coach; Gill had been head coach of the team in 1940 as well.
During a September 24 game against Pacific (CA) in Stockton, California, a distressed army flying cadet tried to land his plane at the stadium, diving for 30 minutes "a few feet over the heads of terrified spectators and players and clipped the stadium power line, darkening the field." The cadet ultimately landed his plane safely in the stadium parking lot.{{cite news|title=Flier Attempts Landing During Football Game|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|date=September 27, 1941|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918087/flier_attempts_landing_during_football/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Hawaii was ranked at No. 69 (out of 681 teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1941.{{cite news|title=Gophers Grid Kings Over 6-Year Span: Tennessee 2d, Pitt 3d Over Period Litkenhous Ratins Are Published|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 26, 1941|page=Sports 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123088221/gophers-grid-kings-over-6-year-span/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 24|at|Pacific (CA)|Baxter Stadium|Stockton, CA|W 14-0|12,000|{{cite news|title=Rainbows Defeat Pacific, 14-0|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|date=September 25, 1941|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918203/rainbows_defeat_pacific_140/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 20|at|Portland|Multnomah Stadium|Portland, OR|W 33-6|9,000|{{cite news|title=Hawaiians Pass Pilots Dizzy To Win Season Opener 33-6|newspaper=The Oregon Statesman|date=September 21, 1941|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35069073/hawaiians_pass_pilots_dizzy_to_win/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 10||Hawaii Bears|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|W 20-6|20,000|{{cite news|title=Smith and Rainbows' Early Start Beat Bears|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|author=Loui Leong Hop|date=October 11, 1941|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918448/smith_and_rainbows_early_start_beat/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 17||Na Alii|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|W 19-6|15,000|{{cite news|title=Rainbows Win But Must Improve On Passing|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|author=Don Watson|date=October 18, 1941|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918980/rainbows_win_but_must_improve_on_passing/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 27||Healani|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|L 6-26|19,000|{{cite news|title=Heialanis Overpower U. of Hawaii 26 to 6|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|author=Red McQueen|date=October 28, 1941|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918671/heialanis_overpower_u_of_hawaii_26_to_6/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 7||Na Alii|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|W 33-14|4,000|{{cite news|title=UH Has Long Workout At Na Allii's Expense|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|author=Loui Leong Hop|date=November 8, 1941|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35919066/uh_has_long_workout_at_na_alliis/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 19||Hawaii Bears|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|W 27-13|5,500|{{cite news|title=Rainbows Trounce Bear Eleven 27-13|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|author=Andrew Mitsukado|date=November 20, 1941|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35918772/rainbows_trounce_bear_eleven_2713/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 26||Healani|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|W 21-6|11,000|
|December 6||Willamette|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
(Shrine Football Classic)|W 20-6|25,000|{{cite news|title=University of Hawaii Downs Willamette 20-6: Rainbows Explode in Last Half to Conquer Invading Eleven|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|author=Red McQueen|date=December 7, 1941|pages=14, 16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27546887/university_of_hawaii_downs_willamette/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|December 13||San Jose State|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|No contest||
|January 1, 1942||Nevada|Honolulu Stadium|Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii|No contest||
}}
Shrine Game and Pearl Harbor
On the afternoon of December 6, 1941, in the Shrine Football Classic, Hawaii defeated Willamette at Honolulu Stadium. The game drew a crowd of 25,000 persons, the largest paid attendance in Hawaii history to that point.{{cite news|title=Record Crowd Takes In Colorful Shrine Show|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=December 8, 1941|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27547210/record_crowd_takes_in_colorful_shrine/|via=Newspapers.com}} The attendees included Territorial Governor Joseph Poindexter, Honolulu Mayor Lester Petrie, and Lt. Gen. Walter Short, the U.S. military commander responsible for the defense of U.S. military installations in Hawaii; the game was preceded by a "spectacle" of marching bands, including performances by the U.S. Marine band and bands from the University of Hawaii, Royal Hawaiian, McKinley High, St. Louis College, Kamehameha, Roosevelt High, Punahou Academy, Honolulu Plantation Co., and others.{{cite news|title=14 Bands Play in Spectacular Benefit Affair|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|date=December 7, 1941|pages=1, 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27547063/14_bands_play_in_spectacular_benefit/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Early the following morning, the Attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, beginning the Pacific War. The team's remaining game against San Jose State and Nevada were cancelled.{{cite news|title=All Major Athletic Events Are Cancelled|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|author=Red McQueen|date=December 9, 1941|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27547411/all_major_athletic_events_are_cancelled/|via=Newspapers.com}} The San Jose State team was already in Honolulu at the time of the attack. The San Jose State and Willamette players were stranded in Hawaii due to the emergency following the attack. The Hawaii, Willamette, and San Jose State football teams all volunteered to perform special police duties during the emergency.{{cite news|title=Visiting Grid Players Given Police Duties|newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=December 8, 1941|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27547210/record_crowd_takes_in_colorful_shrine/|via=Newspapers.com}}
The Hawaii football program was suspended for the duration of the war.2018 Media Guide, p. 98.
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |last=McWilliams |first=Bill |date=2019 |title=Scrimmage for War: A Story of Pearl Harbor, Football, and World War II |location=Guilford, Connecticut |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=9780811738675}}
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