1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football 1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team.jpg 285 Big Ten Conference Big Ten 2–6–1 1–4–1 Ray Eliot 4th Mac Wenskunas Ralph Serpico Memorial Stadium The 1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1945 Big Ten season. In their fourth year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 2–6–1 record (1–4–1 in conference games), finished in seventh place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 104 to 93.1945 Illinois Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football July 27, 2025 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/illinois/1945-schedule.html Center Mac Wenskunas was selected as the team's most valuable player.Fighting Illini Football Record Book University of Illinois 2015 December 28, 2016 155 http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/fightingillini.com/documents/2015/8/3/3_History_7_30.pdf November 29, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201129040612/http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/fightingillini.com/documents/2015/8/3/3_History_7_30.pdf dead Other key players included tackle Alex Agase, guard Les Bingaman, and end/linebacker Jim Valek. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Schedule AP September 22 w y Pittsburgh Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 23–6 9,962 Ward Arch Veteran Illini Eleven Defeats Pittsburgh, 23–6 Chicago Sunday Tribune September 23, 1945 Part 2-2 https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/130131807/ August 16, 2023 Newspapers.com September 29 l y y Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN 0–7 41,569 October 6 l Indiana Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL rivalry 0–6 25,173 October 20 t y Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI 7–7 33,000 October 27 l Michigan 16 Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL rivalry 0–19 54,085–55,672 November 3 l y Great Lakes Navy Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 6–12 14,569 November 10 w Iowa Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL 48–7 14,060 November 17 l y Ohio State 9 Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH Illibuck 2–27 70,287 November 24 l y Northwestern Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL rivalry 7–13 35,000 Roster At the end of the season, 25 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1945 Illinois team: Lou Agase, tackle, No. 89, 190 pounds, 6'1", Evanston, IL Les Bingaman, guard, No. 22, 277 pounds, 6'2", Gary, IN Eddie Bray, left halfback, No. 52, 145 pounds, 5'8", Utica, IL George Bujan, center, No. 14, 190 pounds, 5'10", Christopher, IL Bill Butkovich, quarterback, No. 22, 165 pounds, 5'8", St. David, IL Jerry Cies, fullback, No. 95, 168 pounds, 5'10", Edwardsville, IL Raymond Ciszek, No. 20, end, 170 pounds, 5'9", Hobart, IN Robert Cunz, tackle, No. 64, 209 pounds, 5'10", DeKalb, IL Larry Forst, guard, No. 81, 215 pounds, 6'2", Chicago William C. Heiss, end, No. 18, 185 pounds, 6'1", Aurora, IL Robert Jones, tackle, No. 51, 200 pounds, 6'3", West Frankfort, IL Lester Joop, guard, No. 44, 255 pounds, 6'0", Peru, IL William “Butch” Kolens, tackle, No. 45, 185 pounds, 6’0”, Waukegan, IL William Krall, fullback, Gary, IN Gene Kwasniewski, halfback, Evanston, IL Robert Lunn, guard, No. 47, 195 pounds, 5'9", Spring Valley, IL Clyde Perkins, quarterback, No. 48, 155 pounds, 5'10", St. Clair Shores, MI Jack Pierce, halfback, No. 24, 160 pounds, 6'0", Pontiac, IL Gerald Russ, end, No. 76, 185 pounds, 6'2", Rock Island, IL Joseph Saban, fullback, La Grange, IL Ralph "Babe" Serpico, tackle and captain, No. 56, 195 pounds, 5'7", Melrose Park, IL Stanley Sprague, end, No. 38, 185 pounds, 6'2", Belleville, IL Stan Stasica, halfback, Rockford, IL Wes Tregoning, end, La Salle, IL Jim Valek, end, No. 34, 168 pounds, 5'9", Joliet, IL Mac Wenskunas, center/fullback, No. 23, 180 pounds, 5'10", Georgetown, IL Tommy Zaborac, halfback, No. 69, 205 pounds, 6'0", Canton, IL Al Zimmerman, halfback, No. 68, 157 pounds, 5'10", Chicago Wenskunas Named Captain, Most Valuable Player The Daily Illini November 25, 1945 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-illini-wenskunas-named-captain/177703682/ Newspapers.comIllinois' 1945 Football Roster The Daily Illini October 4, 1945 17 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-illini-illinois-1945-football/177704935/ Newspapers.com References Illinois Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football seasons Illinois Fighting Illini football