# 1940–41 NCAA football bowl games

The 1940–41 NCAA football bowl games were the final games of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 1940 college football season and featured five bowl games, each of which had been held the previous season. All five bowls were played on January 1, 1941. The national championship, according to recognized selectors, was split by Minnesota, Boston College, Tennessee, and Stanford.

## Poll rankings

The below table lists top teams (per the AP poll taken after the completion of the regular season), their win–loss records (prior to bowl games), and the bowls they later played in.
| AP | Team | W–L | Conf. | Bowl |
| 1 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | 8–0 | Big Ten | — † |
| 2 | Stanford Indians | 9–0 | PCC | Rose Bowl |
| 3 | Michigan Wolverines | 7–1 | Big Ten | — † |
| 4 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10–0 | SEC | Sugar Bowl |
| 5 | Boston College Eagles | 10–0 | Ind. | Sugar Bowl |
| 6 | Texas A&M Aggies | 8–1 | SWC | Cotton Bowl Classic |
| 7 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 8–1 | Big Six | Rose Bowl |
| 8 | Northwestern Wildcats | 6–2 | Big Ten | — † |
| 9 | Mississippi State Maroons | 8–0–1 | SEC | Orange Bowl |
| 10 | Washington Huskies | 7–2 | PCC | — |
| 11 | Santa Clara Broncos | 6–1–1 | Ind. | — |
| 12 | Fordham Rams | 7–1 | Ind. | Cotton Bowl Classic |
| 13 | Georgetown Hoyas | 8–1 | Ind. | Orange Bowl |
| 14 | Penn Quakers | 6–1–1 | Ind. | — |
| 15 | Cornell Big Red | 6–2 | Ind. | — |
| 16 | SMU Mustangs | 7–1–1 | SWC | — |
| 17 | Hardin–Simmons Cowboys | 8–0 | Ind. | — |
| 18 | Duke Blue Devils | 7–2 | Southern | — |
| 19 | Lafayette Leopards | 9–0 | Middle Three | — |
| 20 | — | — | — | — |
Note: Only 19 teams received votes in the final poll.
† The Big Ten Conference did not allow its members to participate in bowl games until the 1947 Rose Bowl.

## Bowl schedule

| Date | Game | Site | Teams | Affiliations | Results |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | #2 Stanford Indians (9–0) #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers (8–1) | PCC Big Six | Stanford 21 Nebraska 13 |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl | Tulane Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana | #5 Boston College Eagles (10–0) #4 Tennessee Volunteers (10–0) | Independent SEC | Boston College 19 Tennessee 13 |
| Jan. 1 | Orange Bowl | Burdine Stadium Miami, Florida | #9 Mississippi State Maroons (9–0–1) #13 Georgetown Hoyas (8–1) | SEC Independent | Mississippi State 14 Georgetown 7 |
| Jan. 1 | Sun Bowl | Kidd Field El Paso, Texas | Western Reserve Red Cats (7–1) Arizona State Bulldogs (7–1–2) | Big Four Border | Western Reserve 26 Arizona State 13 |
| Jan. 1 | Cotton Bowl Classic | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | #6 Texas A&M Aggies (8–1) #12 Fordham Rams (7–1) | SWC Independent | Texas A&M 13 Fordham 12 |
Source:$^{:1181}$

### Conference performance in bowl games

| Conference | Games | Record | Record | Record | Bowls | Bowls |
| Conference | Games | W | L | Pct. | Won | Lost |
| Independents | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Sugar | Cotton, Orange |
| SEC | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | Orange | Sugar |
| Big Four | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Sun | — |
| Pacific Coast | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Rose | — |
| SWC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | Cotton | — |
| Big Six | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | Rose |
| Border | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | Sun |

## Game recaps
### Rose Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #2 Stanford | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| #7 Nebraska | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Qtr. | Team | Scoring play | Score |
| 1 | NEB | Francis 2 yard rush, Francis kick good | NEB 7–0 |
| 1 | STAN | Gallarneau 10 yard rush, Albert kick good | TIED 7–7 |
| 2 | NEB | Zikmund 33 yard pass from Rohrig, kick blocked | NEB 13–7 |
| 2 | STAN | Gallarneau 40 yard pass from Albert, Albert kick good | STAN 14–13 |
| 3 | STAN | Kmetovic 40 yard punt return, Albert kick good | STAN 21–13 |
| Source:$^{:1442}$ ||||

### Sugar Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #5 Boston College | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| #4 Tennessee | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Qtr. | Team | Scoring play | Score |
| 1 | TENN | Thompson 4 yard rush, Foxx kick good | TENN 7–0 |
| 3 | BC | Connally 13 yard rush, Maznicki kick good | TIED 7–7 |
| 3 | TENN | Warren 2 yard rush, kick failed | TENN 13–7 |
| 3 | BC | Holovak 1 yard rush, kick failed | TIED 13–13 |
| 4 | BC | O'Rourke 24 yard rush, kick failed | BC 19–13 |
| Source:$^{:1466}$ ||||

### Orange Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #9 Mississippi State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| #13 Georgetown | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Qtr. | Team | Scoring play | Score |
| 1 | MSST | Tripson blocked punt recovery, Dees kick good | MSST 7–0 |
| 2 | MSST | Jefferson 2 yard rush, Bruce kick good | MSST 14–0 |
| 3 | GTWN | Castiglia 2 yard rush, Lio kick good | MSST 14–7 |
| Source:$^{:1454}$ ||||

### Sun Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Western Reserve | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 26 |
| Arizona State | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Qtr. | Team | Scoring play | Score |
| 1 | WR | Belichick 1 yard rush, Belichick kick good | WR 7–0 |
| 2 | ASU | Pitts 14 yard pass from Hernandez, kick failed | WR 7–6 |
| 2 | ASU | Henshaw 94 yard rush, Hernandez kick good | ASU 13–7 |
| 3 | WR | Waggle 3 yard punt block return, kick failed | TIED 13–13 |
| 4 | WR | Ries 13 yard rush, Skoczen kick good | WR 20–13 |
| 4 | WR | Ries 3 yard rush, kick failed | WR 26–13 |
| Source:$^{:1478}$ ||||

### Cotton Bowl Classic

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #6 Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| #12 Fordham | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| Qtr. | Team | Scoring play | Score |
| 2 | FORD | Filipowicz 2 yard rush, kick blocked | FORD 6–0 |
| 3 | A&M | Smith 62 yard pass from Pugh, kick failed | TIED 6–6 |
| 3 | A&M | Kimbrough 1 yard rush, Pugh kick good | A&M 13–6 |
| 4 | FORD | Blumenstock 15 yard rush, kick blocked | A&M 13–12 |
| Source:$^{:1490}$ ||||