# 1946 Texas Conference football season

The 1946 Texas Conference football season was the season of college football played by the member schools of the Texas Conference as part of the 1946 college football season. Abilene Christian and Southwestern (TX) tied for the conference championship. None of the Texas Conference teams was ranked in the Associated Press poll or played in a bowl game.

## Conference overview

| Conf. rank | Team | Head coach | Conf. record | Overall record | Points scored | Points against |
| 1 | Abilene Christian | Tonto Coleman | 3–0–1 | 8–1–1 | 228 | 53 |
| 1 | Southwestern (TX) | Randolph M. Medley | 3–0–1 | 5–4–1 | 243 | 181 |
| 3 | McMurry | J. Vernon Hilliard | 2–4 | 4–4–1 | 82 | 138 |
| 4 | Howard Payne | Joe Bailey Cheaney | 1–3 | 2–5–2 | 85 | 125 |
| 5 | Austin | Garvice Steen | 1–3 | 2–7–1 | 54 | 207 |

## Teams
### Abilene Christian

The 1946 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team represented Abilene Christian College now known as Abilene Christian University) as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their second non-consecutive year under head coach Tonto Coleman, and their first year after the end of World War II, the Wildcats compiled an 8–1–1 record (3–0–1 against conference opponents), outscored all opponents by a total of 228 to 53, and tied with Southwestern for the Texas Conference championship.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 14 | Southwestern Tech | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | W 28–0 | 3,000 |
| September 21 | at East Texas State | Commerce, TX | W 26–7 | 4,000 |
| September 28 | at Sul Ross | Alpine, TX | W 32–7 | |
| October 4 | North Texas State | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | W 6–0 | |
| October 12 | Southwestern (TX) | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | T 12–12 | |
| October 19 | at Southwest Texas State | Evans FieldSan Marcos, TX | L 0–18 | |
| October 26 | McMurry | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | W 27–0 | |
| November 9 | Howard Payne | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | W 19–0 | 4,000 |
| November 16 | at Austin | Sherman, TX | W 46–2 | |
| November 23 | at Texas A&I | Kingsville, TX | W 32–7 | |
| Homecoming ||||||

### Southwestern

The 1946 Southwestern Pirates football team represented Southwestern College as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Randolph M. Medley, Southwestern compiled an 5–4–1 record (3–0–1 against conference opponents), outscored all opponents by a total of 243 to 181, and tied with Abilene Christian for the Texas Conference championship.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | at Baylor* | Municipal StadiumWaco, TX | L 7–21 | 10,000 |
| September 28 | at Oklahoma City* | Taft StadiumOklahoma City, OK | L 0–53 | |
| October 5 | at Rice* | Rice FieldHouston, TX | L 0–48 | 16,000 |
| October 12 | at Abilene Christian | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | T 12–12 | |
| October 19 | Southeastern Oklahoma State* | Snyder FieldGeorgetown, TX | W 19–6 | |
| October 25 | Howard Payne | Snyder FieldGeorgetown, TX | W 33–7 | |
| November 2 | vs. Randolph Field* | San Antonio, TX | W 77–0 | |
| November 8 | Austin | Snyder FieldGeorgetown, TX | W 34–0 | |
| November 23 | vs. McMurry | Abilene, TX | W 41–0 | |
| November 28 | at Louisiana Tech* | Tech StadiumRuston, LA | L 20–34 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### McMurry

The 1946 McMurry Indians football team represented McMurry University as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach J. Vernon Hilliard, McMurray compiled a 4–4–1 record (2–4 against conference opponents), was outscored by a total of 138 to 82, and finished third in the Texas Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | Hardin–Simmons | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | L 0–31 | 6,500 |
| September 28 | Eastern New Mexico | Abilene, TX | W 43–7 | |
| October 5 | at Sul Ross | Alpine, TX | W 6–2 | |
| October 19 | at Texas A&I | Kingsville, TX | W 13–10 | |
| October 26 | at Abilene Christian | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | L 0–27 | |
| November 2 | Austin | Abilene, TX | L 0–7 | |
| November 8 | North Texas State | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | T 7–7 | |
| November 16 | at Howard Payne | Brownwood, TX | W 13–6 | |
| November 23 | Southwestern (TX) | Abilene, TX | L 0–41 | |

### Howard Payne

The 1946 Howard Payne Yellow Jackets football team represented Howard Payne University as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach Joe Bailey Cheaney, Howard Payne compiled a 2–5–2 record (1–3 against conference opponents), was outscored by a total of 125 to 85, and finished fourth in the Texas Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | Texas A&I | Brownwood, TX | W 27–0 | 9,000 |
| September 28 | Louisiana Tech | Lion StadiumBrownwood, TX | L 7–13 | |
| October 5 | East Texas State | Commerce, TX | T 7–7 | 3,500 |
| October 11 | Southwest Texas State | Brownwood, TX | T 7–7 | |
| October 18 | Austin | Brownwood, TX | W 24–0 | |
| October 25 | at Southwestern (TX) | Georgetown, TX | L 7–33 | |
| November 9 | at Abilene Christian | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | L 0–19 | |
| November 16 | McMurry | Brownwood, TX | L 6–13 | |
| November 22 | at Hardin–Simmons | Fair Park StadiumAbilene, TX | L 0–33 | 4,000 |

### Austin

The 1946 Austin Kangaroos football team represented Austin College as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach Garvice Steen, Austin compiled a 2–7–1 record (1–3 against conference opponents), was outscored by a total of 207 to 54, and finished last in the Texas Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 20 | at Southeastern Oklahoma State* | Durant, OK | L 0–12 |
| September 28 | at North Texas State* | Eagle FieldDenton, TX | L 0–14 |
| October 3 | Stephen F. Austin* | Sherman, TX | L 7–20 |
| October 12 | at Sam Houston State* | Pritchett FieldHuntville, TX | W 19–18 |
| October 18 | at Howard Payne | Brownwood, TX | L 0–24 |
| October 25 | East Texas State* | Sherman, TX | L 13–33 |
| November 2 | at McMurry | Abilene, TX | W 7–0 |
| November 8 | at Southwestern (TX) | Snyder FieldGeorgetown, TX | L 0–34 |
| November 16 | Abilene Christian | Sherman, TX | L 2–46 |
| November 22 | East Central* | Sherman, TX | T 6–6 |
| *Non-conference game |||||

## All-Texas Conference football team

The 1946 All-Texas Conference football team was selected by the conference coaches and announced on December 6, 1946. Abilene Christian and Southwestern each placed five players on the first team. The first-team selections were:
* Ends:
   * Ted Barc, Southwestern
   * Neal Bradshaw, McMurry
* Tackles:
   * Willard Paine, Abilene Christian
   * Dan Davenport, Southwestern
* Guards:
   * Charles Floyd, Abilene Christian
   * Max Jones, Southwestern
* Center:
   * Dick Stovall, Abilene Christian
* Backs:
   * Lawrence Dixon, Abilene Christian
   * Joe Evans, Southwestern
   * V. T. Smith, Abilene Christian
   * Floren Hooefer (tie), McMurry
   * Frank Means (tie), Southwestern