1940 Cornell Big Red football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1940 Cornell Big Red football Independent 15 6–2 Carl Snavely 5th Single-wing Walter Matuszczak Schoellkopf Field The 1940 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 1940 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Carl Snavely, the Big Red compiled a 6–2 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 201 to 38.1940 Cornell Big Red Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football December 10, 2015 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/cornell/1940-schedule.html Cornell was ranked at No. 7 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.Final 1940 Litkenhous Ratings The Boston Globe Dr. E. E. Litkenhous December 19, 1940 22 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123126338/final-1940-litkenhous-ratings/ Newspapers.com Schedule 1940 AP Eastern October 5 w Colgate Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY rivalry 34–0 15,000 West Point Game Next for Cornell; Colgate Humbled The Ithaca Journal October 7, 1940 10 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120155527/west-point-game-next-for-cornell/ Newspapers.com October 12 w y Army Michie Stadium West Point, NY 45–0 27,917 Cornell 45, Army 0 New York Daily News Gene Ward October 13, 1940 89 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120325726/cornell-45-army-0/ Newspapers.com October 19 w 1 Syracuse Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY 33–6 18,000 Cornell Steamrollers Syracuse, 33-6 New York Daily News October 20, 1946 C42 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120328464/cornell-steamrollers-syracuse-33-6/ Newspapers.com October 26 w 1 Ohio State Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY 21–7 34,500 Cornell's Last Minute Drive Defeats Ohio State in Thrilling Battle https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111700639/the-spokesman-review/ October 20, 2022 The Spokesman-Review Associated Press October 27, 1940 2B Newspapers.com November 2 w 1 Columbia Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY rivalry 27–0 13,500 Cornell Slashes Columbia, 27-0 New York Daily News Jack Smith November 3, 1940 91 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120268185/cornell-slashes-columbia-27-0/ Newspapers.com November 9 w y 1 Yale Yale Bowl New Haven, CT 21–0 30,000 Cornell Batters Yale, 21-0 New York Daily News Jack Mahon November 10, 1940 97 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120328910/cornell-batters-yale-21-0/ Newspapers.com November 16 l y 2 Dartmouth Memorial Field Hanover, NH rivalry 0–3 10,000 Cornell Nips Dartmouth, 7-3, With 5 Sec. to Go New York Daily News November 17, 1940 96 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120328028/cornell-nips-dartmouth-7-3-with-5/ Newspapers.comDisputed Cornell Play Tops Dartmouth, 7-3, at Finish; Pass Halts Green William D. Richardson November 17, 1940 S1 The New York Times New York, N.Y.Dartmouth 3, Cornell 0, Official Score as Ithacans Refuse Victory Arthur J. Daley November 19, 1940 31 The New York Times New York, N.Y. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/11/19/113116804.html?pageNumber=31 November 23 l y 5 Penn 12 Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA rivalry 20–22 80,000 80,000 See Penn Beat Cornell, 22 to 20 The Philadelphia Inquirer Cy Peterman November 24, 1940 S1, S4 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120270400/80000-see-penn-beat-cornell-22-to-20/ Newspapers.com Rankings 1940 college football rankings AP 1 8 1 (90) 1 (83) 1 (81.5) 1 (119) 2 (45.33) 5 (6) 13 15 Dartmouth game controversy Fifth Down Game (1940) Bill Murphy scored a touchdown in the last few seconds of the Dartmouth game, resulting in a 7–3 win for Cornell being officially recorded. However, observers felt that an illegal fifth down had occurred, and therefore the touchdown was invalid. After developing and reviewing filmed footage of the game, the referee agreed. Cornell coach Carl Snavely agreed to give up the win, and thus the official score was revised to 3–0 in favor of Dartmouth. The loss broke Cornell's 18-game winning streak. As of 2024, it is believed to be the "only collegiate sporting contest to be decided off the field after its completion." References Wilensky Joe How a 1940 Football Game Became an Icon of Good Sportsmanship https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/fifth-down-game/ 15 December 2024 Cornell University 27 November 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241213150804/https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/fifth-down-game/ 13 December 2024 Ithaca, New York English The 1940 “Fifth Down” game: Cornell vs. Dartmouth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIb-5TLkdGg YouTube Cornellians Publication 15 December 2024 Video 16 November 1940 Cornell Category:Cornell Big Red football seasons Cornell Big Red football