# 1941 Fordham Rams football team

The 1941 Fordham Rams football team was an American football team that represented Fordham University as an independent during the 1941 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Jim Crowley, the Rams compiled an 8–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 182 to 67, and were ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll.
During the regular season, the Rams played a national schedule with wins over teams from the south (SMU, North Carolina, West Virginia, TCU), Midwest (Purdue), and west (Saint Mary's), while suffering their only loss to Pittsburgh. They concluded their season with a 2–0 victory over Missouri in the 1942 Sugar Bowl. The game was played in heavy rain and the only score came off of a blocked punt in the first quarter.
Fordham end Jim Lansing was selected by Liberty magazine as a first-team player on the 1941 All-America team. Fullback Steve Filipowicz completed 37 of 101 passes for 722 yards during the regular season and was selected by the Associated Press (AP) a first-team player on the 1941 All-Eastern football team. Guard Larry Sartori was named to the second team.
The team played its home games at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 4 | SMU | | Polo GroundsNew York, NY | W 16–10 | 28,500 |
| October 11 | at North Carolina | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | W 27–14 | 27,000 |
| October 18 | West Virginia | No. 4 | Polo GroundsNew York, NY | W 27–0 | 12,500 |
| October 25 | TCU | No. 6 | Polo GroundsNew York, NY | W 28–14 | 39,500 |
| November 1 | Purdue | No. 3 | Polo GroundsNew York, NY | W 17–0 | 20,500 |
| November 8 | at Pittsburgh | No. 3 | Pitt StadiumPittsburgh, PA | L 0–13 | 25,000 |
| November 22 | vs. Saint Mary's | No. 11 | Polo GroundsNew York, NY | W 35–7 | 40,000 |
| November 29 | NYU | No. 8 | Yankee StadiumBronx, NY | W 30–9 | 31,000 |
| January 1 | vs. No. 7 Missouri | No. 6 | Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | W 2–0 | 73,000 |
| Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Final |
| AP | 4 | 6 | 3 (7) | 3 (6) | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 |

## Roster

* Joseph Andrejco, halfback, No. 46, sophomore, 6'0", 190 pounds, Beaver Meadows, PA
* Thomas Bennett, guard, No. 11, 5'11", 175 pounds, Ansonia, CT
* James Blumenstock, halfback, No. 51, senior, 5'10", 178 pounds, Rutherford, NJ
* Steve Filipowicz, fullback, No. 25, junior, 5'8", 185 pounds, Kulpmont, PA
* Stephen Hudasek, tackle, No. 7, senior, 6'1", 195 pounds, Plymouth, PA
* Jim Lansing, end, No. 14, junior, 6'0", 186 pounds, Pelham, NY
* James Noble, quarterback, No. 12, senior, 5'10", 162 pounds, Easton, PA[[
* Joseph Sabasteanski, center, No. 35, junior, 6'0", 198 pounds, Portland, ME
* Larry Sartori, captain and guard, No. 1, senior, 6'0", 200 pounds, Shepton, PA
* Edward Slodowski, tackle, No. 41, sophomore, 6'2", 206 pounds, Jersey City, NJ
* George Topo, end, No. 31, sophomore, 6'2", 215 pounds, Tamaqua, PA