1949 Wayne State Wildcats football team

The 1949 Wayne State Wildcats football team represented Nebraska State Teachers College at Wayne (later renamed Wayne State College) as a member of the Nebraska College Conference (NCC) during the 1949 college football season. In their first year under head coach Jack Wink, the Wildcats compiled a perfect 9–0 record (8–0 against NCC opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 218 to 67, and won the NCC championship.^[1]

1949 Wayne State Wildcats football
NCC champion
Conference	Nebraska College Conference
Record	9–0 (8–0 NCC)
Head coach	Jack Wink (1st season)
Home stadium	Wayne Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1948 1950 →

1949 Nebraska College Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Wayne State (NE) $	8	–	0	–	0			9	–	0	–	0
Chadron State	6	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Doane	5	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Kearney State	3	–	3	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Hastings	3	–	3	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Nebraska Wesleyan	4	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Peru State	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
York (NE)	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Midland	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Wink was hired as the team's head coach in late July 1949. He previously played at quarterback for the 1942 Wisconsin Badgers football team and the 1943 Michigan Wolverines football team, both of which were ranked No. 3 in the final AP Polls.^[2]

The team played its home games at the new Wayne Memorial Stadium in Wayne, Nebraska. The new concrete stadium was dedicated by Governor Val Peterson on September 9, 1949.^[3][4][5]

The 1949 team was the first, and remains the only, Wayne State team to compile a perfect season in more than 100 years of the program's history. (The 1931 team was also undefeated but had a tie on its record.)^[6]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
September 9	Westmar*	Wayne Memorial Stadium Wayne, NE	W 33–0	^[7]^[8]
September 17	Hastings	Wayne Memorial Stadium Wayne, NE	W 20–6	^[9]^[10]
September 23	at Midland	Fremont, NE	W 37–7	^[11]^[12]^[13]
October 1	Nebraska Wesleyan	Wayne Memorial Stadium Wayne, NE	W 20–13	^[14]^[15]
October 8	Peru State	Wayne Memorial Stadium Wayne, NE	W 28–6	^[16]^[17]^[18]
October 14	at York (NE)	York, NE	W 26–14	^[19]^[20]^[21]
October 22	Chadron State	Wayne Memorial Stadium Wayne, NE	W 14–6	^[22]
October 28	at Kearney State	Kearney, NE	W 20–2	^[23]
November 4	at Doane	Crete, NE	W 20–13	^[24]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Midland Ends NCC Season in Last Place Tie". Fremont Tribune. Fremont, Nebraska. November 14, 1949. p. 10. Retrieved December 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com  .
2. "Wisconsin Grid Star New College Coach". The Wayne Herald. July 28, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Memorial Stadium Is Dedicated at Ceremony; Governor Gives Address". The Goldenrod. September 16, 1949. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Advertisement part 1". The Wayne Herald. September 8, 1949. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Advertisement part 2". The Wayne Herald. September 8, 1949. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
6. . College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
7. "Wildcats Smash Westmar, 33-0". The wayne Herald. September 15, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Wink's Gridsters Start Season by Downing Golden Eagles 33-0". The Goldenrod. September 16, 1949. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Hastings Broncos First Conference Foe of Wildcats". The wayne Herald. September 15, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Wildcats Whip Hastings, 20-6". The Wayne Herald. September 22, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Wildcats to Tackle Midland Team Friday". The Wayne Herald. September 22, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Midland Falls Before Wildcat Onslaught, 37-7". The Wayne Herald. September 29, 1949. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Wildcats Add to Victory String By Downing Midland". The Goldenrod. September 30, 1949. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Wildcats Lead Conference; Meet Wesleyan Next Saturday". The Wayne Herald. September 29, 1949. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Wildcats Mark Up Third Conference Win". The Wayne Herald. October 6, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Wildcats to Entertain Bobcats Saturday Nite". The Wayne Herald. October 6, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Wildcats Down Peru By a 28-6 Count". The Wayne Herald. October 13, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Wayne States Rambling Wildcats Roll Over Peru Bobcats 28-6". The Goldenrod. October 14, 1949. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "York and Chadron Next Wildcat Foes". The Wayne Herald. October 13, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Important Tilt with Chadron Loooms Ahead; to Play York Oct. 14". The Goldenrod. October 14, 1949. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "York Scares Wildcats But Drop 26-14 Game". The Wayne Herald. October 20, 1949. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Wayne-Chadron Game Big Feature of Homecoming". The Wayne Herald. October 20, 1949. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "'Cats Trim Kearney 20-2; For Eighth Win". The Wayne Herald. November 3, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "'Cats at Full Strength Friday -- says Wink". The Wayne Herald. November 3, 1949. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.