1944 Army Cadets football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1944

| team = Army Cadets

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| APRank = 1

| record = 9–0

| conference = Independent

| head_coach = Earl Blaik

| hc_year = 4th

| captain = Tom Lombardo

| stadium = Michie Stadium

| champion = Consensus national champion
Eastern champion

}}

The 1944 Army Cadets football team was an American football team that represented the United States Military Academy as an independent during the 1944 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Earl Blaik, the Cadets compiled a perfect 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 504 to 35.{{cite news|title=1944 Army Black Knights Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/army/1944-schedule.html}} Army's 1944 season was part of a 32-game undefeated streak that included the entire 1944, 1945, and 1946 seasons.

In the final AP Poll released on December 5, Army was ranked No. 1 nationally with 1,165 points, more than 200 points ahead of No. 2 Ohio State.{{cite news|title=Army and Randolph Field Are Top Teams Of Year|newspaper=Durham Morning Herald|date=December 6, 1944|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98960812/army-and-randolph-field-are-top-teams/|via=Newspapers.com}} In retroactive analyses, Army has also been recognized as the 1944 national champion by most other selectors, including the Billingsley Report, Boand System, College Football Researchers Association, Dunkel System, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation, Poling System, and Sagarin Ratings.{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf | title=2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records | publisher=The National Collegiate Athletic Association | pages=112–114 | date=July 2020 | location=Indianapolis | access-date=January 12, 2021 | archive-date=November 1, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101032438/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf | url-status=live }} Army also won the Lambert Trophy as the best football team in the east.{{cite news|title=Army Wins Lambert Grid Trophy|newspaper=The Austin American|date=December 6, 1944|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98962914/army-wins-lambert-grid-trophy/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Army halfback Glenn Davis received the Maxwell Award as the best college football player of 1944.{{cite news|title=Army's Glenn Davis Gets Maxwell Trophy|newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|date=December 8, 1944|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98965490/armys-glenn-davis-gets-maxwell-trophy/|via=Newspapers.com}} Davis and fullback Doc Blanchard were selected as consensus first-team players on the 1944 All-America college football team.{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=October 21, 2017|page=8|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf}}

Six persons affiliated with the 1944 Army team were later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: head coach Blaik (inducted 1964);{{cite web|title=Earl Blaik|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1611}} Blanchard (inducted 1959);{{cite web|title=Doc Blanchard|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1626}} Davis (inducted 1961);{{cite web|title=Glenn Davis|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1627}} end Barney Poole (inducted 1974);{{cite web|title=Barney Poole|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1689}} quarterback Doug Kenna (inducted 1984);{{cite web|title=Doug Kenna|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1629}} and guard John Green (inducted 1989).{{cite web|title=John Green|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=April 2, 2022|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1666}}

The team captain was Tom Lombardo. Other notable players included tackle Tex Coulter, guard Joe Stanowicz, and center Robert St. Onge.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1944

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 30

| w/l = w

| opponent = North Carolina

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 46–0

| attend = 7,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Routs Carolina, 46-0; Davis Scores 3|newspaper=New York Daily News|author=Jack Smith|date=October 1, 1944|page=73|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98963478/army-routs-carolina-46-0-davis-scores/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 7

| w/l = w

| opponent = Brown

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 59–7

| attend = 3,500

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Batters Brown Bear|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=October 8, 1944|page=25C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98963637/army-batters-brown-bear/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 14

| w/l = w

| rank = 3

| opponent = Pittsburgh

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 69–7

| attend = 10,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Mighty Army Pummels Pitt, 69-7|newspaper=Rochester Democrat and Chronicle|author=Whitney Martin|date=October 15, 1944|page=3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98963794/mighty-army-pummels-pitt-69-7/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Army Slugs Pitt, 69-7; Panthers' Worst Rout|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=October 15, 1944|page=78|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98963904/army-slugs-pitt-69-7-panthers-worst/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 21

| w/l = w

| rank = 2

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1944|team=Coast Guard Bears|title=Coast Guard}}

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 76–0

| attend = 3,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Panzers Crush CG, 76-0, in 11 TD Parade|newspaper=New York Daily News|author=Dick Young|date=October 22, 1944|page=25C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98964055/army-panzers-crush-cg-76-0-in-11-td/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 28

| w/l = w

| rank = 2

| neutral = y

| opponent = Duke

| site_stadium = Polo Grounds

| site_cityst = New York, NY

| score = 27–7

| attend = 45,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Crushes Duke, 27-7; All Backs Star|newspaper=New York Daily News|author=Jack Smith|date=October 29, 1944|page=76|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98964192/army-crushes-duke-27-7-all-backs-star/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 4

| w/l = w

| rank = 1

| opponent = Villanova

| site_stadium = Michie Stadium

| site_cityst = West Point, NY

| score = 83–0

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Swamps Villanova, 83-0; 2d Half Cut Short|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=November 5, 1944|page=25C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98964584/army-swamps-villanova-83-0-2d-half/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 11

| w/l = w

| rank = 1

| neutral = y

| opponent = Notre Dame

| opprank = 5

| site_stadium = Yankee Stadium

| site_cityst = Bronx, NY

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 59–0

| attend = 74,437

| source = {{Cite news|title=Army Outclasses Notre Dame, 59 To 0: 74,437 See Irish Meet Worst Gridiron Defeat|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=November 12, 1944|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98964854/army-outclasses-notre-dame-59-to-0/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 18

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 1

| opponent = Penn

| site_stadium = Franklin Field

| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA

| score = 62–7

| attend = 65,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Army Crushes Penn, 62-7, for 8th in Row|newspaper=The New York Daily News|date=November 19, 1944|page=70|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98965017/army-crushes-penn-62-7-for-8th-in-row/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = December 2

| w/l = w

| rank = 1

| neutral = y

| opponent = Navy

| opprank = 2

| site_stadium = Municipal Stadium

| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD

| gamename = Army–Navy Game

| score = 23–7

| attend = 70,000

| source = {{cite news |author= |title=Army Defeats Navy, 23 To 7, Before 70,000 In Stadium |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98966929/the-baltimore-sun/ |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |location=Baltimore, Maryland |date=December 3, 1944 |page=1 |access-date=April 3, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news|title=Victory Over Navy Gives Army First Perfect Grid Season Since 1916|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|author=Grantland Rice|date=December 3, 1944|page=2A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98965178/victory-over-navy-gives-army-first/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}