1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

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1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record2–6–1 (1–4–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPMac Wenskunas
CaptainRalph Serpico
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1944
1946 →
1945 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Indiana $ 5 0 1 9 0 1
No. 6 Michigan 5 1 0 7 3 0
No. 12 Ohio State 5 2 0 7 2 0
Northwestern 3 3 1 4 4 1
Purdue 3 3 0 7 3 0
Wisconsin 2 3 1 3 4 2
Illinois 1 4 1 2 6 1
Minnesota 1 5 0 4 5 0
Iowa 1 5 0 2 7 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1945 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fourth year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 2–6–1 record and finished in seventh place in the Big Ten Conference.[1] Center Mac Wenskunas was selected as the team's most valuable player.[2]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 22Pittsburgh*W 23–69,962[3]
September 29at Notre Dame*L 0–741,569
October 6Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
L 0–625,173
October 20at WisconsinT 7–733,000
October 27No. 16 Michigan
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
L 0–1954,085–55,672
November 3Great Lakes Navy*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
L 6–1214,569
November 10Iowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 48–714,060
November 17at No. 9 Ohio StateL 2–2770,287
November 24at NorthwesternL 7–1335,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1945 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ^ Ward, Arch (September 23, 1945). "Veteran Illini Eleven Defeats Pittsburgh, 23–6". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. Part 2-2. Retrieved August 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.