1939 Michigan State Spartans football team

The 1939 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1939 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 4–4–1 record and lost their annual rivalry game with Michigan by a 26 to 13 score. In inter-sectional play, the team defeated Syracuse (14–2) and Temple (18–7) and lost to Santa Clara (6–0).^[1][2]

1939 Michigan State Spartans football
Conference	Independent
Record	4–4–1
Head coach	Charlie Bachman (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Notre Dame Box
MVP	Lyle Rockenbach
Captain	Michael Kinek, Lyle Rockenbach
Home stadium	Macklin Field
Seasons ← 1938 1940 →

1939 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Central Michigan			–					8	–	1	–	0
No. 13 Notre Dame			–					7	–	2	–	0
Ohio			–					6	–	3	–	0
Detroit			–					5	–	3	–	1
Akron			–					5	–	4	–	0
Cincinnati			–					4	–	3	–	2
Ohio Wesleyan			–					5	–	4	–	1
Marquette			–					4	–	4	–	0
Michigan State			–					4	–	4	–	1
Dayton			–					4	–	4	–	1
Michigan State Normal			–					3	–	3	–	1
Wayne			–					4	–	5	–	0
Xavier			–					3	–	5	–	1
Western State Teachers (MI)			–					2	–	6	–	1
Miami (OH)			–					1	–	7	–	1
Rankings from AP Poll

Michigan State was ranked at No. 74 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 30	Wayne	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 16–0
October 7	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	L 13–26	68,618
October 14	Marquette	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	L 14–17	12,000	^[4]
October 21	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	L 7–20	21,000	^[5]
October 28	Illinois Wesleyan	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 13–6
November 4	at Syracuse	Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY	W 14–3	16,000
November 11	at Santa Clara	Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	L 0–6	18,000	^[6]
November 18	Indiana	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	T 7–7		^[7]
November 25	Temple	Macklin Field East Lansing, MI	W 18–7	8,500	^[8]
Homecoming

Game summaries

Michigan

Week 1: Michigan State at Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan State 0 0 7 6 13 • Michigan 7 19 0 0 26 Date: October 7, 1939 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 68,618 Referee: Lyle Clarno (Bradley)

On October 7, 1939, the Aggies opened their season with a 26 to 13 victory over Michigan. The game, the 34th played between the two programs,^[9] was played at Michigan Stadium before 68,618 spectators that The New York Times called "a howling throng."^[10]

Michigan took a 26 to 0 lead at halftime. The Wolverines' first points came on three-yard run around the right end by Paul Kromer, with blocking by Tom Harmon and Forest Evashevski, capping a 65-yard touchdown drive. On the opening play of the second quarter, Harmon scored on a two-yard run, capping a drive that started at Michigan State's 33-yard line. On the ensuing Michigan State drive, Archie Kodros intercepted a pass at the Spartans' 20-yard line, and after a 15-yard penalty was assessed, Michigan took over on the five-yard line. From there, Harmon threw a touchdown pass to Evashevski. Michigan's final score followed a second interception by Kodros, with Kodros catching the ball at the 45-yard line and returning it 17 yards to the 28-yard line. On fourth down from the four-yard line, Harmon threw his second touchdown pass to Evashevski. In the third quarter, Bill Batchelor of Michigan State intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans scored again on a 71-yard pass play from Bill Kennedy to Wyman Davis. Harmon and William Melzow each kicked one point after touchdown (PAT) in the game.^[10][11]

References

1. (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 153. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
2. "1939 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. E. E. Litkenhous (December 31, 1939). "Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth". Johnson City Sunday Press. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
4. George S. Alderton (October 15, 1939). "Marquette Field Goal Beats Spartans, 17-14: Heart-Breaking Penalty Sets Up Scoring Drive". Lansing State Journal. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. W. Blaine Patton (October 22, 1939). "Boilermakers Turn Back Spartans, 20-7". The Indianapolis Star. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Spartans Lose Pacific Coast Game, 6 to 0". The State Journal (Lansing, MI). November 12, 1939. pp. 1, 13 – via Newspapers.com.
7. George S. Alderton (November 19, 1939). "Spartans and Indiana Battle To 7-7 Tie". Lansing State Journal. pp. 13, 14 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Spartan Attack Clicks, Thumps Temple, 18-7". Lansing State Journal. November 26, 1939. p. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
9. . College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
10. "68,618 See Michigan Gain 26-13 Victory: Wolverines Score All Their Points in First Half to Beat Michigan State". The New York Times. October 8, 1939.
11. Arch Ward (October 8, 1939). "Michigan Rolls Over Michigan State, 26 to 13". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.