1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1943

| team = Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Independent

| APRank = 6

| record = 10–2

| head_coach = Tony Hinkle

| hc_year = 2nd

| captain =

| stadium = Ross Field

}}

The 1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets football team represented the United States Navy's Great Lakes Naval Training Station (Great Lakes NTS) during the 1943 college football season. The team compiled a 10–2 record, outscored opponents by a total of 257 to 108, and was ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll.{{cite web|title=1943 Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=March 1, 2018|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/great-lakes-navy/1943-schedule.html}} Tony Hinkle, who coached at Butler University before the war, was in his second season as head coach.

The Bluejackets played multiple games against teams that were ranked in the final AP Poll, including an upset of national champion Notre Dame in the final game of the season. The team's two losses were to Purdue and Northwestern, which finished the season ranked No. 5 and No 9, respectively, in the final AP Poll.

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Great Lakes Navy ranked seventh among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 112.3.{{cite news |last=Litkenhous |first=E. E. |authorlink=Edward E. Litkenhous |title=Litkenhouse Selects U. S. Grid Leaders |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune/122968858/ |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |date=December 17, 1943 |page=18 |access-date=April 16, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1943

| poll = AP

| rank = y

| attend = y

| source = y

|September 12||Fort Riley||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 20-19|15,000|{{cite news|title=Great Lakes Defeats Fort Riley, 20 to 19|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=September 13, 1943|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17700191/great_lakes_defeats_fort_riley_20_to_19/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 18||Purdue||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|L 13-23|22,000|{{cite news|title=Boilermakers Triumph, 23-13, at Great Lakes|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=September 19, 1943|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17700336/boilermakers_triumph_2313_at_great/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 25||Iowa||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 21-7||{{cite news|title=Bluejackets' 3 Brilliant Plays Top Iowa, 21-7|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=September 26, 1943|page=II-1, II-5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17702283/bluejackets_3_brilliant_plays_top/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 2||Pittsburgh||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 40-0|22,000|{{cite news|title=Lach Leads Bluejackets to 3rd Victory|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=October 3, 1943|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17702079/lach_leads_bluejackets_to_3d_victory/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 9||No. 18 Ohio State|12|Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 13-6|22,000|{{cite news|title=Bluejackets Beat Youthful Buckeyes, 13-6|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=October 10, 1943|pages=II-1, II-3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17702408/bluejackets_beat_youthful_buckeyes_136/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 16|at|Northwestern|14|Dyche Stadium|Evanston, IL|L 0-13|35,000|{{cite news|title=N. U. Wins: Graham Leads 13 to 0 Victory Over Sailors|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=October 17, 1943|page=II-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17701938/n_u_wins_graham_leads_13_to_0/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 24|at|Marquette||Marquette Stadium|Milwaukee WI|W 41-7|15,000|{{cite news|title=Great Lakes Wins, 41 to 7, at Marquette|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 25, 1943|pages=25–26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17703629/great_lakes_wins_41_to_7_at_marquette/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 30|at|Western Michigan|18|Waldo Stadium|Kalamazoo, MI|W 32-6|9,500|{{cite news|title=Sailors Hang 32 to 6 Defeat on W. Michigan|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=October 31, 1943|page=II-4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17701710/sailors_hang_32_to_6_defeat_on_w/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 6||Camp Grant||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 12-0|20,000|{{cite news|title=Bluejackets Whip Warriors, 12-0, on Juzwik's Two Scores|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=November 7, 1943|page=II-2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17703718/bluejackets_whip_warriors_120_on/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 13|at|Indiana||Memorial Stadium|Bloomington, IN|W 21-7|7,500|{{cite news|title=Great Lakes Triumphs, 21 to 7; Indiana's Weak Line Is a Help|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=November 14, 1943|page=II-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17703807/great_lakes_triumphs_21_to_7/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 20||Marquette||Ross Field|Great Lakes, IL|W 25-6|22,000|{{cite news|title=Sailors Hand Hilltoppers a 25-6 Defeat|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune|date=November 21, 1943|page=II-2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17703922/sailors_hand_hilltoppers_a_256_defeat/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 27|vs.|No. 1 Notre Dame||Comiskey Park|Chicago, IL|W 19-14|23,000|{{cite news|title=Sailors Defeat Notre Dame, 19-14|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=November 28, 1943|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17700962/sailors_defeat_notre_dame_1914/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

{{cite book |last=Daye |first=John |date=2014 |title=Encyclopedia of Armed Forces Football |location=Haworth, New Jersey |publisher=St. Johann Press |page=144 |isbn=978-1-937943-21-9 }}