1947 SMU Mustangs football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1947 SMU Mustangs football Southwest Conference SWC 3 9–0–2 5–0–1 Matty Bell 10th Sid Halliday Ownby Stadium, Cotton Bowl SWC champion Cotton Bowl Classic T 13–13 vs. Penn State The 1947 SMU Mustangs football team was an American football team that represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1947 college football season. In its tenth season under head coach Matty Bell, the team compiled a 9–0–2 record (5–0–1 against SWC opponents), won the SWC championship, outscored opponents by a total of 182 to 90, and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. The team played its home games at Ownby Stadium on the SMU campus and at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Mustangs won their first nine games before tying with rival TCU and Penn State, the latter in the 1948 Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year's Day.1947 SMU Mustangs Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football February 15, 2019 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/southern-methodist/1947-schedule.html SMU's sophomore halfback, Doak Walker, led the country with 387 yards on 10 kickoff returns, an average of 38.7 yards per return.Statistics Error Found, Walker Leads Returners The Austin American Gail Fowler December 18, 1947 17 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441472/statistics_error_found_walker_leads/ He won the Maxwell Award for 1947, was a consensus selection to the 1947 College Football All-America Team,Football Award Winners National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 2016 October 21, 2017 8 http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf and finished third in the 1947 voting for the Heisman Trophy.1947 Heisman Trophy Voting Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football February 14, 2019 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1947.html He finished second in the SWC (behind Bobby Layne) with 1,026 yards of total offense, including 684 rushing yards.Layne Tops SWC In Grid Offense, Shading Walker The Shreveport Times December 2, 1947 15 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441525/layne_tops_swc_in_grid_offense_shading/ Newspapers.com Four SMU players received first-team honors on the Associated Press 1947 All-Southwest Conference football team: Walker; end Sid Halliday; tackle Jim Winkler; and guard Earl Cook.Clyde Scott Only Porker to Make All-Southwest Hope Star (Arkansas) December 1, 1947 5 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3036609/clyde_scott_only_porker/ Schedule 1947 AP y September 27 w y y Santa Clara Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA 22–6 5,000 One Man Gang Corrals Broncs, 22-6: Walker Has Great Day The San Francisco Examiner Don Selby September 28, 1947 22, 25 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28105240/one_man_gang_corrals_broncs_226/ Newspapers.com October 4 w y Missouri Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 35–19 26,000 Doak Walker Bright Star as SMU Whips Missouri, 35-19 The Corpus Christi Caller-Times October 5, 1947 D1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28393864/doak_walker_bright_star_as_smu_whips/ Newspapers.com October 11 w y y Oklahoma A&M Lewis Field Stillwater, OK 21–14 18,000 SMU Slides By Oklahoma A&M Sunday American-Statesman (Austin, TX) October 12, 1947 17 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441644/smu_slides_by_oklahoma_am/ Newspapers.com October 18 w Rice 15 Ownby Stadium University Park, TX rivalry 14–0 23,000 Walker Leads SMU to 14-0 Triumph Over Favored Rice Sunday American-Statesman (Austin, TX) Jimmy Banks October 19, 1947 17–18 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441743/walker_leads_smu_to_140_triumph_over/ Newspapers.com October 25 w y y 12 UCLA 16 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 7–0 64,197 Bruins Bow to Mustangs, 7 to 0 Los Angeles Times October 26, 1947 Al Wolf 12–13 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441810/bruins_bow_to_mustangs_7_to_0/ Newspapers.com November 1 w 8 Texas 3 Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 14–13 46,500 SMU Rips Steers, 14-13: Walker Kicks Extra Point To Drop UT Sunday American-Statesman (Austin, TX) Weldon Hart November 2, 1947 1, 17 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28441906/smu_rips_steers_1413_walker_kicks/ Newspapers.com November 8 w y 3 Texas A&M Kyle Field College Station, TX 13–0 38,000 Gil Johnson Throws Mustangs to 13-0 Victory Over Aggies Waco Sunday Tribune-Herald November 9, 1947 18 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28442050/gil_johnson_throws_mustangs_to_130/ Newspapers.com November 15 w 4 Arkansas Ownby Stadium University Park, TX 14–6 23,000 Referee Battles as SMU Edges Porkers, 14 to 6 The Corpus Christi Caller-Times Harold V. Ratliff November 16, 1947 37 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28442113/referee_battles_as_smu_edges_porkers/ Newspapers.com November 22 w y 3 Baylor Municipal Stadium Waco, TX 10–0 12,000 SMU Scores in Last Minutes to Shade Stubborn Baylor, 10-0 Waco Sunday Tribune-Herald November 23, 1947 Sports 1, 2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28279716/smu_scores_in_last_minutes_to_shade/ Newspapers.com November 29 t y 3 TCU Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX rivalry 19–19 31,000 Mustangs Rush Back In Final Seconds to Tie Frogs, 19-19 Waco Sunday Tribune-Herald Jinx Tucker November 30, 1947 16–17 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28442220/mustangs_rush_back_in_final_seconds_to/ Newspapers.com January 1 t y 3 Penn State 4 Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX Cotton Bowl Classic 13–13 47,000 SMU, Penn State Deadlock, 13 to 13 in Cotton Bowl The Austin American Tex Maule January 2, 1948 14 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28442323/smu_penn_state_deadlock_13_to_13_in/ Newspapers.com Rankings 1947 college football rankings AP 1 10 NR NR 12 8 3 (7) 4 (2) 3 (9) 3 (6) 4 3 Players selected in the 1948 NFL draft The following SMU players were selected in the 1947 NFL draft:1948 NFL Draft Sports Reference LLC Pro-Football-Reference.com February 15, 2019 https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1948.htm 2 SMU Mustangs Player Position Round Pick NFL club Earl Cook Guard317 Boston YanksGil Johnson Quarterback11 93 Philadelphia EaglesBob Ramsey Back26244 Pittsburgh Steelers References SMU Category:SMU Mustangs football seasons Category:Southwest Conference football champion seasons Category:College football undefeated seasons SMU Mustangs football