# 1943 Southeastern Conference football season

The 1943 Southeastern Conference football season was the eleventh season of college football played by the member schools of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and was a part of the 1943 college football season.Georgia Tech compiled an 8–3 overall record, with a conference record of 3–0, and was SEC champion. The 1943 season was notable for the suspension of football at Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee due to Army resrictions during World War II.

## Results and team statistics

| Conf. rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record | AP final | PPG | PAG |
| 1 | Georgia Tech | William Alexander | 8–3–0 (.727) | 3–0–0 (1.000) | No. 13 | 27.3 | 12.9 |
| 2 | LSU | Bernie Moore | 6–3–0 (.667) | 2–2–0 (.500) | | 18.0 | 17.6 |
| 3 | Tulane | Claude Simons Jr. | 3–3–0 (.500) | 1–1–0 (.500) | | 15.3 | 15.7 |
| 4 | Georgia | Wally Butts | 6–4–0 (.600) | 0–3–0 (.000) | | 26.4 | 15.3 |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | Ernest Alley | 5–0–0 (1.000) | 0–0–0 (–) | | 29.0 | 6.6 |
Key AP final = Rankings from AP sports writers. See 1943 college football rankings PPG = Average of points scored per game PAG = Average of points allowed per game

## Schedule

* Index to colors and formatting
* SEC member won
* SEC member lost
* SEC member tie
* SEC teams in bold

### Week One

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| September 17 | Presbyterian | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 25–7 | 6,000 | |

### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| September 25 | North Carolina | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 20–7 | 20,000 | |
| September 25 | Georgia | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | LSU 34–27 | 20,000 | |

### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 1 | Tennessee Tech | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 67–0 | |
| October 2 | Rice | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | W 20–7 | 22,000 |
| October 2 | Georgia Tech | Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN | L 13–55 | 26,497–30,000 |
| October 2 | Memphis NATTC | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA | L 7–41 | 25,000 |

### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 8 | Wake Forest | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 7–0 | 7,500 |
| October 9 | Georgia Pre-Flight | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 35–7 | 12,000 |
| October 9 | Tulane | Rice | Rice Field • Houston, TX | W 33–0 | |
| October 9 | Texas A&M | No. 17 LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | L 13–28 | 25,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 16 | 300th Infantry | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 27–0 | 10,000 |
| October 16 | Louisiana Army | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | W 28–7 | 3,500 |
| October 16 | Vanderbilt | Tennessee Tech | Overall Field • Cookeville, TN | W 20–0 | |
| October 16 | Georgia | Daniel Field | Richmond Academy Stadium • Augusta, GA | L 7–18 | 5,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 23 | SMU | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA | W 12–6 | 22,000 |
| October 23 | Camp Campbell | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | W 40–14 | 6,000 |
| October 23 | Georgia Tech | No. 3 Navy | Municipal Stadium • Baltimore, MD | L 14–28 | 56,223 |
| October 23 | LSU | Georgia | Memorial Stadium • Columbus, GA | LSU 27–6 | 13,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 29 | Howard (AL) | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 39–0 | |
| October 30 | TCU | LSU | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | W 14–0 | 18,000 |
| October 30 | Milligan | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | W 26–6 | 3,000 |
| October 30 | No. 8 Duke | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | L 7–14 | 30,000 |
| October 30 | Georgia Pre-Flight | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA | L 13–14 | 18,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 5 | Presbyterian | Georgia | Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA | W 39–0 | 4,000 |
| November 5 | Carson–Newman | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | W 12–6 | |
| November 6 | No. 10 LSU | Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | GT 42–7 | 20,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 13 | VMI | Georgia | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 46–7 | 5,000 |
| November 13 | No. 19 Georgia Tech | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA | GT 33–0 | 38,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Ten

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 20 | Clemson | No. 15 Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA (rivalry) | W 41–6 | 10,000 |
| November 20 | LSU | Tulane | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (rivalry) | TUL 27–0 | 40,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Week Eleven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 25 | Tennessee Tech | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | W 47–7 | 7,000 |
| November 27 | Georgia | No. 14 Georgia Tech | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA (rivalry) | GT 48–0 | 28,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

### Postseason

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| January 1, 1944 | No. 15 Tulsa | No. 13 Georgia Tech | Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | W 20–18 | 69,134 |
| January 1, 1944 | Texas A&M | LSU | Burdine Stadium • Miami, FL (Orange Bowl / rivalry) | W 19–14 | 30,000 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||

## All-Americans

SEC players receiving All-American honors from at least one selector on the 1943 College Football All-America Team were:
* John Steber, Guard, Georgia Tech. (AAB; AP-1 [tackle]; UP-2; INS-1; NYS-1)
* Lester Gatewood, Center, Tulane (AP-3)
* Eddie Prokop, Halfback, Georgia Tech (AP-2; UP-2)
* Steve Van Buren, Halfback, LSU (AP-3)

## Head coaches

Records through the completion of the 1943 season
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | SEC record |
| Georgia | Wally Butts | 5 | 36–16–2 (.685) | 36–16–2 (.685) | 11–8–2 (.571) |
| Georgia Tech | William Alexander | 24 | 126–92–15 (.573) | 126–92–15 (.573) | 29–31–5 (.485) |
| LSU | Bernie Moore | 9 | 72–40–6 (.636) | 60–28–3 (.676) | 29–19–2 (.600) |
| Tulane | Claude Simons Jr. | 2 | 18–20–1 (.474) | 7–8–0 (.467) | 2–5–0 (.286) |
| Vanderbilt | Ernest Alley | 1 | 5–0–0 (1.000) | 5–0–0 (1.000) | 0–0–0 (–) |

## 1944 NFL draft

The following SEC players were selected in the 1944 NFL draft:
| Round | Overall Pick | Player name | School | Position | NFL team |
| 1 | 5 | Steve Van Buren | LSU | Halfback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2 | 14 | Bob Cifers | Tennessee | Back | Detroit Lions |
| 2 | 16 | Lamar Blount | Mississippi State | Back | New York Giants |
| 5 | 43 | Larry Rice | Tulane | Center | Boston Yanks |
| 6 | 52 | Hillary Horne | Mississippi State | Tackle | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 9 | 78 | Mitchell Olenski | Alabama | Tackle | Brooklyn Tigers |
| 9 | 87 | Tex Warrington | Auburn | Center | Boston Yanks |
| 11 | 103 | Carl Grate | Georgia | Guard | New York Giants |
| 12 | 117 | J. P. Moore | Vanderbilt | Back | Chicago Bears |
| 13 | 125 | Ray Poole | Ole Miss | End | New York Giants |
| 13 | 126 | Bill Baughman | Alabama | Center | Green Bay Packers |
| 13 | 127 | Charley Walker | Kentucky | Center | Washington Redskins |
| 14 | 136 | Bert Corley | Mississippi State | Center | New York Giants |
| 14 | 139 | Joe Hartley | LSU | Tackle | Chicago Bears |
| 14 | 140 | Jim Talley | LSU | Center | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 15 | 144 | Billy J. Murphy | Mississippi State | Back | Brooklyn Tigers |
| 15 | 147 | Ollie Poole | Ole Miss | End | New York Giants |
| 15 | 149 | Jim Gaffney | Tennessee | Back | Washington Redskins |
| 15 | 151 | Jim Myers | Tennessee | Guard | Card-Pitt |
| 15 | 152 | Bud Hubbell | Tennessee | End | Cleveland Rams |
| 17 | 167 | Jack Helms | Georgia Tech | Tackle | Detroit Lions |
| 17 | 172 | Ed Ryckeley | Georgia Tech | End | Chicago Bears |
| 17 | 174 | Aubrey Clayton | Auburn | Back | Cleveland Rams |
| 18 | 186 | Reldon Bennett | LSU | Tackle | Boston Yanks |
| 19 | 189 | Bill Eubank | Mississippi State | End | Detroit Lions |
| 19 | 192 | Kermit Davis | Mississippi State | End | Green Bay Packers |
| 19 | 193 | Clyde Ehrhardt | Georgia | Center | Washington Redskins |
| 21 | 210 | Mike Mihalic | Mississippi State | Guard | Brooklyn Tigers |
| 22 | 221 | Ted Cook | Alabama | End | Brooklyn Tigers |
| 23 | 240 | Jim Pharr | Auburn | Center | Cleveland Rams |
| 23 | 241 | Dilton Richmond | LSU | End | Boston Yanks |
| 24 | 251 | Joe Warlick | Mississippi State | Back | Cleveland Rams |
| 26 | 273 | Charley Kuhn | Kentucky | Back | Cleveland Rams |
| 26 | 274 | Bill Portwood | Kentucky | End | Boston Yanks |
| 27 | 279 | Andy Bires | Alabama | End | New York Giants |
| 27 | 282 | Jack McKewan | Alabama | End | Chicago Bears |
| 28 | 291 | A. B. Howard | Mississippi State | End | Green Bay Packers |
| 29 | 298 | Marty Frohm | Mississippi State | Tackle | Brooklyn Tigers |
| 29 | 306 | John Hughes | Mississippi State | End | Cleveland Rams |
| 30 | 317 | Dick McPhee | Georgia | Back | Cleveland Rams |
| 30 | 318 | Gus Letchas | Georgia | Back | Boston Yanks |
| 31 | 323 | Jim McLeod | LSU | End | Cleveland Rams |