1946 Saint Mary's Gaels football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1946
| team = Saint Mary's Gaels
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 6–3
| head_coach = James Phelan
| hc_year = 5th
| captain =
| stadium = Kezar Stadium
| bowl = Oil Bowl
| bowl_result = L 19–41 vs. Georgia Tech
}}
{{1946 Western major college football independents records}}
The 1946 Saint Mary's Gaels football team was an American football team that represented Saint Mary's College of California during the 1946 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach James Phelan, the Gaels compiled a 6–3 record and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 229 to 160.{{cite web|title=1946 Saint Mary's (CA) Gaels Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=August 28, 2017|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/saint-marys-ca/1946-schedule.html}}
The team was led on offense by Herman Wedemeyer who ranked seventh in the nation with 1,220 yards of total offense—625 rushing yards and 595 passing yards.{{cite book|title=The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947|publisher=A.S. Barnes and Company|editor=W.J. Bingham|year=1947|page=79}} He was selected by both the United Press and the Associated Press as a first-team halfback on the 1946 All-Pacific Coast football team.{{cite news|title=Uclans Land 10 Men on All-Pacific Coast Football Club|newspaper=The Independent-Record, Helena, Montana|date=November 27, 1945|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2647032/1946_all_pacific_coast_team/}}{{cite news|title=Horace Gillom, Nevada End, Makes UP's All-Pacific Coast Selection|newspaper=Nevada State Journal|date=November 29, 1946|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2646931/1946_up_all_pacific_team/}} In 1979, Wedemeyer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.{{cite news|title=Five-O's Wedey still gathering fame -- Football Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser|author=Dick Fishback|date=January 28, 1979|page=G3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23208948/fiveos_wedey_still_gathering_fame/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Saint Mary's was ranked at No. 72 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System rankings for 1946.{{cite news|title=Rice Rated Fifth Best, Tennessee 12th by Lit|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|newspaper=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|date=December 15, 1946|page=B4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123020754/rice-rated-fifth-best-tennessee-12th/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1946
| poll = AP
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 28|at|Washington||Husky Stadium|Seattle WA|W 24-20|43,000|{{cite news|title=Gaels Capture Thriller! St. Mary's Trounces Huskies, 24 to 20|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|author=Bob Brachman|date=September 29, 1946|pages=21, 23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23226247/gaels_capture_thriller_st_marys/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 6||Alameda Naval Air Station||Kezar Stadium|San Francisco, CA|W 73-0||{{cite news|title=Gaels Get Good Workout Beating Navy by 73-0 Score|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|author=Alan Ward|date=October 7, 1946|pages=10–11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23227669/gaels_get_good_workout_beating_navy_by/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 12|at|California|No. 16|California Memorial Stadium|Berkeley, CA|L 13-20||{{cite news|title=Cal Spills Gaels: Bears Astonish in 20-13 Upset|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|author=Harry Borba|date=October 13, 1946|pages=23, 25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23226409/cal_spills_gaels_bears_astonish_in/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 19|at|Fordham||Polo Grounds|New York, NY|W 33-2|30,798|{{cite news|title=Gaels Trim Rams, 33-2; Wedemeyer Sets Pace|newspaper=Daily News (New York)|date=October 20, 1946|author=Joe Trimble|page=96|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23228883/gaels_trim_rams_332_wedemeyer_sets/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 27||Nevada||Kezar Stadium|San Francisco, CA|W 13-12|50,000|{{cite news|title=Gaels Primed for Bruins: Phelan; Coach Confident After His Team Beats Nevada, 13-12|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|author=Alan Ward|date=October 28, 1946|pages=10–11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23227011/gaels_primed_for_bruins_phelan_coach/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 1|at|No. 4 UCLA||Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Los Angeles, CA|L 20-46|92,976|{{cite news|title=92,976 See Bruins Beat Gaels, 46-20: Fists Fly as Uclans Ramble On|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Al Wolf|date=November 2, 1946|pages=6, 8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23229029/92976_see_bruins_beat_gaels_4620/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 17|vs|Santa Clara||Kezar Stadium|San Francisco, CA|W 28-19|55,000|{{cite news|title=Wedey Sparks 28-19 Gael Victory: 55,000 Watch Broncos Lose Grid Classic|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|author=Alan Ward|date=November 18, 1946|pages=10–11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23226861/wedey_sparks_2819_gael_victory_55000/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 30|vs|San Francisco||Kezar Stadium|San Francisco, CA|W 6-0|50,000|{{cite news|title=St. Mary's Accepts Oil Bowl Bid|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|date=December 2, 1946|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22168124/st_marys_accepts_oil_bowl_bid/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|January 1, 1947|vs|No. 11 Georgia Tech||Rice Stadium|Houston, TX (Oil Bowl)|L 19-41|22,000|{{cite news|title=Wedy in Bad Day|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|author=Bob Brachman|date=January 2, 1947|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23226540/wedy_in_bad_day/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Rankings
{{see also|1946 college football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 1
| poll1lastweek = 9
| poll1_1=16
| poll1_2=NR
| poll1_3=NR
| poll1_4=NR
| poll1_5=NR
| poll1_6=NR
| poll1_7=NR
| poll1_8=NR
| poll1_9=NR
}}
After the season
The 1947 NFL draft was held on December 16, 1946. The following Gael was selected.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1947/draft.htm|title=1947 NFL Draft Listing|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=November 29, 2020}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Saint Mary's Gaels| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club}} | ||||
| 1 | 9 | Herman Wedemeyer | Back | Los Angeles Rams |