1949 Kansas Jayhawks football team

The 1949 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Seven Conference during the 1949 college football season. In their second season under head coach Jules V. Sikes, the Jayhawks compiled a 5–5 record (2–4 against conference opponents), finished fifth in the Big Seven Conference, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 259 to 183.^[1][2] They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

1949 Kansas Jayhawks football
Conference	Big Seven Conference
Record	5–5 (2–4 Big 7)
Head coach	Jules V. Sikes (2nd season)
Captain	Forrest Griffith, Dick Tomlinson
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1948 1950 →

1949 Big Seven Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Oklahoma $	5	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	0
No. 20 Missouri	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Iowa State	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	3	–	1
Nebraska	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Kansas	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Colorado	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Kansas State	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The team's statistical leaders included Bud French with 510 rushing yards and 66 points scored,^[3] and Dick Gilman with 885 passing yards.^[4] Forrest Griffith and Dick Tomlinson were the team captains.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 17	TCU*	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	L 0–28
September 24	at Colorado	Folsom Field Boulder, CO	L 12–13	22,095
October 1	Iowa State	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	L 6–19	21,346
October 8	George Washington*	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	W 21–14	18,000	^[5]
October 15	at No. 3 Oklahoma	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	L 26–48	37,660
October 22	at Oklahoma A&M	Lewis Field Stillwater, OK	W 55–14
October 29	Kansas State	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (Sunflower Showdown)	W 38–0	33,500
November 5	at Nebraska	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 27–13	36,500
November 19	Missouri	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (Border War)	L 28–34
November 26	at Arizona*	Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ	W 46–0
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

After the season

NFL draft

Main article: 1950 NFL Draft

The following Jayhawks were selected in the National Football League draft following the season.^[6]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
5	59	Forrest Griffith	Back	New York Giants
21	263	Bud French	Back	New York Bulldogs
21	268	Dick Tomlinson	Guard	Pittsburgh Steelers
27	344	Ed Lee	Tackle	Washington Redskins

References

1. "1949 Kansas Jayhawks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
2. 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 183.
3. 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, pp. 127, 138.
4. 2017 Kansas Football Media Guide, p. 131.
5. "Jayhawks get first win of season, 21–14, over George Washington crew". St. Joseph News-Press. October 9, 1949. Retrieved February 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "1950 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.