1939 Stanford Indians football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 1939 Stanford Indians football Claude E. Thornhill.jpg Head coach Tiny Thornhill Pacific Coast Conference PCC 1–7–1 0–6 Tiny Thornhill 7th Single-wing Stan Andersen Stanford Stadium The 1939 Stanford Indians football team represented Stanford University as a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1939 college football season. Seventh-year head coach Tiny Thornhill led the team to a 1–7–1 record, which ultimately contributed to his relief at the end of the season. He was replaced by Clark Shaughnessy, who surprised critics by leading the following year's team, largely made up of the same players, to the Rose Bowl. Shaughnessy noted that the players were not suited to the single-wing offense that Thornhill had employed.James W. Johnson, The Wow Boys: a Coach, a Team, and a Turning Point in College Football, pp. xvii-xix, University of Nebraska Press, 2006, 0-8032-7632-X. Stanford was ranked at No. 111 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth E. E. Litkenhous Johnson City Sunday Press December 31, 1939 11 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123000367/vols-second-in-final-litkenhous-grid/ Newspapers.com Before the season, the Stanford Board of Athletic Control retained Thornhill as head coach, despite opposition from some of the alumni base.Stanford Retains Coach Thornhill, The Pittsburgh Press, February 13, 1939. The Indians finished last in the Pacific Coast Conference with a 0–6–1 record against league opponents. It was the first time in history that Stanford failed to win a single Pacific Coast Conference game in a season.Trojans Stage Thriller To Beat Irish, Lodi News-Sentinel, November 27, 1939. Contemporary sources called the 1939 squad the worst football team to represent Stanford University in the history of the program.Ron Fimrite, A Melding Of Men All Suited To A T; Clark Shaughnessy was a dour theoretician, Frankie Albert an unrestrained quarterback and Stanford a team of losers, but combined they forever changed the game of football https://web.archive.org/web/20131029183743/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092785/index.htm 2013-10-29 , Sports Illustrated, September 5, 1977. Stanford's only victory came in the season finale against Dartmouth at the Polo Grounds in New York City. At halftime, Stanford trailed 3–0, and Thornhill and his assistants, at a loss for words, asked former "Vow Boys" halfback Bob "Bones" Hamilton to deliver a halftime pep talk. Hamilton told the downtrodden players, "You are by far and large the worst group of players who have ever worn the Stanford red." The insult motivated the team to score 14 unanswered points for their only win of the season. After the game, the United Press wrote, "Stanford, the worst team the West Coast has produced in years, pulled the day's gridiron surprise by walloping the strong Dartmouth eleven."Dartmouth Upset by Stanford; Navy Wins, Berkeley Daily Gazette, November 29, 1939. Schedule September 30 l Oregon State Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA 0–12 20,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-oregon-state/188800085/ The San Francisco Examiner Oregon State crushes Stanford, 12–0 October 1, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com October 7 l y Oregon Multnomah Stadium Portland, OR 0–10 20,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-oregon-whips-stanford-1/159119799/ Oakland Tribune Oregon whips Stanford, 10–0: Northerners triumph over Indians second time in 40 years Edward P. Morgan 12A-13A October 8, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com October 14 t UCLA Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA 14–14 18,000 Al Wolf Stanford Holds Bruins Even: Jackie Robinson Saves U.C.L.A. From Defeat With Dazzling Run Los Angeles Times October 15, 1939 11 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122299893/stanford-holds-bruins-even-jackie/ Newspapers.com October 28 l y Washington Husky Stadium Seattle, WA 5–8 20,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-humboldt-times-washington-downs-stan/188803801/ The Humboldt Times Washington downs Stanford 8 to 5 October 29, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com November 4 l y Santa Clara Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA 7–27 40,000 Santa Clara Outsmarts, Outplays Stanford, 27 to 7 Oakland Tribune November 5, 1939 9A, 11A https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17672388/santa_clara_outsmarts_outplays/ Newspapers.com November 11 l y USC Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA rivalry 0–33 50,000 Powerful Trojans Smother Stanford Indians by 33–0: Worst Licking in Long Series The Los Angeles Times Paul Zimmerman November 12, 1939 17, 20 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99142927/powerful-trojans-smother-stanford/ Newspapers.com November 18 l Washington State Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA 0–7 10,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-washington-state-co/159120747/ The Spokesman-Review Washington State College marches to 7-to-0 victory over Stanford: Renfro scores on long drive 12 November 19, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com November 25 l California Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA Big Game 14–32 60,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-golden-bears-batter-stanf/159121098/ The Fresno Bee Golden Bears batter Stanford, 32 to 14, in annual Big Game Ed W. Orman 1A November 19, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com December 2 w y y Dartmouth Polo Grounds New York, NY 14–3 10,603 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-victory-starve/159121410/ The Philadelphia Inquirer Victory-starved Stanford upsets Dartmouth foe, 14–3 Jack Guenther S1 December 3, 1939 January 12, 2026 Newspapers.com 1939 Stanford Cardinal Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/stanford/1939-schedule.html College Football at Sports-Reference.com Sports Reference January 12, 2026 Players drafted by the NFL Player Position Round Pick NFL club Hamp Pool End 9 77 Chicago Bears Stan Andersen Tackle 12 101 Chicago Cardinals https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1940.htm 1940 NFL Draft September 16, 2014 October 19, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101019085237/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1940.htm dead References Stanford Category:Stanford Cardinal football seasons Stanford Indians football