1949 Portland Pilots football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1949
| team = Portland Pilots
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| short_conf =
| record = 3–5
| head_coach = Harry Wright
| hc_year = 1st
| captain =
| stadium = Multnomah Stadium, Vaughn Street Park
| next_year = none
}}
{{1949 Western college football independents records}}
The 1949 Portland Pilots football team was an American football team that represented the University of Portland as an independent during the 1949 college football season. The team compiled a 3–5 record. The coaching staff was led by former Notre Dame star Harry "The Horse" Wright in his first year as head coach. Wright was assisted by two other Notre Dame alumni—Neil Green as line coach and Floyd Simmons as backfield coach.{{cite news|title=Pilots Have High Hopes of Gridiron Success in 1949|newspaper=The Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon)|author=Larry Lokey|date=September 19, 1949|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35023427/pilots_have_high_hopes_of_gridiron/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Key players included quarterback Danny Christianson, left halfback John Freeman, right halfback Larry Wissbaum, and end Joe Marshello.
In February 1950, Rev. T. J. Mehling, president of the University of Portland, announced that the school was abandoning its football program in order to focus its efforts on its basketball program. Mehling cited the "extraordinary expenses" associated with maintaining a first-rate football program.{{cite news|title=Portland Pilots Quit Football|newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald|date=February 13, 1950|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35024313/portland_pilots_quit_football/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Portland's decision to cease competition in intercollegiate football was part of a trend among west coast Catholic universities in terminating their football programs: Gonzaga (1942); Saint Mary's (1950); Loyola (1951); San Francisco (1951); and Santa Clara (1952).
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 17||Central Washington|Vaughn Street Park|Portland, OR|W 32-0|5,000|{{cite news|title=Central Humbled by Portland U|newspaper=The Bellingham Herald|date=September 18, 1949|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90311319/9-17-1949-central-washington-at-portland/}}
|September 25||Nevada|Multnomah Stadium|Portland, OR|L 27-53|8,500|{{cite news|title=Nevada Gallops Over Portland Pilots, 53-27|newspaper=The Statesman|date=September 26, 1949|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35148003/nevada_gallops_over_portland_pilots/}}
|October 1|at|Montana State|Gatton Field|Bozeman, MT|W 40-0|3,000|{{cite news|title=Pilots Plaster Cats 40-0|newspaper=Great Falls Tribune|date=October 2, 1949|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35147823/pilots_plaster_cats_400/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 9|at|Santa Clara|Grape Bowl|Lodi, CA|L 13-26||{{cite news|title=Santa Clara Beats Portland, 26-13|newspaper=Honolulu Advertiser|date=October 10, 1949|page=12}}
|October 15||Pacific (CA)|Multnomah Stadium|Portland, OR|L 20-75||{{cite news|title=COP Beats Portland Pilots 75-20|newspaper=Press Democrat|date=October 16, 1949|page=2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35024102/cop_beats_portland_pilots_7520/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 22|at|Pepperdine|Sentinel Field|Inglewood, CA|L 13-16||{{cite news|title=Pepperdine Tops Ports by 16 to 13|author=Jack Curnow|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, California|date=October 23, 1949|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18267191/pepperdine_tops_ports/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2018}}{{Open access}}
|October 29|vs.|Idaho|Public School Field|Boise, ID|L 21-49||{{cite news|title=Idaho Romps: Vandals Roll Through Pilots|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=October 30, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35147698/idaho_romps_vandals_roll_through/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 19||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Lewis & Clark Pioneers|title=Lewis & Clark}}|Multnomah Stadium|Portland, OR|W 35-20||{{cite news|title=Portland Pilots Clip Lewis & Clark 35-20|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|date=November 20, 1949|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35023820/portland_pilots_clip_lewis_clark_3520/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}