# 1946 Iowa Conference football season

The 1946 Iowa Conference football season was the season of college football played by the 13 member schools of the Iowa Conference as part of the 1946 college football season. The Central Dutch and Upper Iowa Peacocks were co-champions of the conference, each compiling perfect 6–0 records against conference opponents. None of the Iowa 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 (tie) | Central (IA) | Richard Tysseling | 6–0 | 7–1 | 223 | 38 |
| 1 (tie) | Upper Iowa | John "Doc" Dorman | 6–0 | 6–0 | 139 | 31 |
| 3 | St. Ambrose | Ennio Arboit | 1–0 | 5–3 | 101 | 77 |
| 4 | Parsons | Phillip E. Young | 4–2 | 4–4 | 116 | 104 |
| 5 | Dubuque | Kenneth E. Mercer | 4–3 | 5–4 | 92 | 76 |
| 6 | Luther | Robert Bungum | 3–2 | 3–6 | 81 | 136 |
| 7 | Simpson (IA) | Frank Casey | 2–3 | 3–5 | 79 | 135 |
| 8 (tie) | Iowa Wesleyan | Olan Ruble | 1–4 | 3–6 | 75 | 159 |
| 8 (tie) | Buena Vista | Harland Riebe | 1–4 | 1–6 | 38 | 103 |
| 10 | Wartburg | Stanley Hall | 1–5 | 2–5 | 85 | 124 |
| 11 (tie) | Western Union | Dick Crayne | 0–1 | 5–2 | 117 | 70 |
| 11 (tie) | Loras | Vince Dowd | 0–1 | 1–7 | 43 | 181 |
| 13 | William Penn | Roland Ortmayer | 0–4 | 0–6 | 12 | 174 |

## Teams
### Central

The 1946 Central Dutch football team was an American football team that represented Central College of Pella, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by eight-year head coach Richard Tysseling, the Dutch compiled a 7–1 record, shared the Iowa Conference championship with Upper Iowa, and outscored opponents by a total of 223 to 38.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 20 | Tarkio* | Pella, IA | W 44–0 |
| September 27 | at Grinnell* | Grinnell, IA | L 0–6 |
| October 4 | Wartburg | Pella, IA | W 33–7 |
| October 12 | at Parsons | Fairfield, IA | W 26–6 |
| October 19 | at Dubuque | Dubuque, IA | W 33–7 |
| October 25 | Iowa Wesleyan | Pella, IA | W 45-0 |
| November 2 | Simpson (IA) | Pella, IA | W 21–6 |
| November 18 | at Luther | Decorah, IA | W 21–6 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming |||||

### Upper Iowa

The 1946 Upper Iowa Peacocks football team was an American football team that represented Upper Iowa University as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their 37th season under head coach John "Doc" Dorman, the Peacocks compiled a 6–0 record, shared the Iowa Conference championship with Central Central (IA), and outscored opponents by a total of 139 to 31.
Upper Iowa end Melvin Harms was a unanimous choice by the United Press for the 1946 All-Iowa Conference football team. Quarterback Sam Turner and guard Ralph Bartlett also received first-team honors.
The university had an enrollment of 500 students in the fall of 1946, at least 300 of whom were freshmen.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 28 | Buena Vista | Dorman FieldFayette, IA | W 39–6 |
| October 11 | at William Penn | Oskaloosa, IA | W 33–6 |
| October 19 | Luther | Dorman FieldFayette, IA | W 28–0 |
| October 26 | at Parsons | Fairfield, IA | W 7–6 |
| November 2 | Dubuque | Dorman FieldFayette, IA | W 12–0 |
| November 9 | Wartburg | Dorman FieldFayette, IA | W 20–13 |
| Homecoming |||||

### St. Ambrose

The 1946 St. Ambrose Bees football team was an American football team that represented St. Ambrose University of Davenport, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Ennio Arboit in his first and only season as head coach, the Bees compiled a 5–3 record, finished in third place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 101 to 77.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 20 | at Drake* | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | L 13–26 | 12,000 |
| September 29 | at Xavier* | Xavier StadiumCincinnati, OH | W 3–0 | 8,000–10,000 |
| October 6 | Loras | Davenport Municipal StadiumDavenport, IA | W 32–6 | 6,000 |
| October 12 | at Augustana (IL) | Rock Island High School stadiumRock Island, IL | W 19–0 | 3,500 |
| October 20 | at St. Thomas* | Saint Paul, MN | W 13–12 | 4,000 |
| October 27 | Saint Joseph's* | Davenport Municipal StadiumDavenport, IA | W 14–7 | 5,000 |
| November 10 | St. Norbert | Davenport Municipal StadiumDavenport, IA | L 7–19 | 5,500 |
| November 15 | Bradley | Davenport Municipal StadiumDavenport, IA | L 0–7 | 6,000 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Parsons

The 1946 Parsons Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Parsons College of Fairfield, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Phillip E. Young, the Wildcats compiled a 4–4 record, finished in fourth place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 116 to 104.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 28 | at Monmouth* | Monmouth, IL | L 0–26 |
| | Kirksville | | L 6–25 |
| | Central | | L 6–26 |
| | Simpson (IA) | | W 20–14 |
| | Upper Iowa | | L 6–7 |
| | Iowa Wesleyan | | W 20–0 |
| | William Penn | | W 45–0 |
| | Buena Vista | | W 13–6 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Dubuque

The 1946 Dubuque Spartans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Dubuque of Dubuque, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach Kenneth E. Mercer, the Spartans compiled a 5–4 record, finished in fifth place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 92 to 76.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | Buena Vista | | W 7–0 |
| September 2 | Knox* | Dubuque, IA | W 2–0 |
| | William Penn | | W 43–0 |
| | Wartburg | | W 13–0 |
| | Central (IA) | | L 7–33 |
| | Luther | | L 7–19 |
| | Upper Iowa | | L 0–12 |
| | Iowa Wesleyan | | W 13–6 |
| | Culver-Stockton | | T 0–0 |
| *Non-conference game |||||

### Luther

The 1946 Luther Norse football team was an American football team that represented the Luther College of Decorah, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Robert Bungum, the Spartans compiled a 3–6 record, finished in sixth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 136 to 81.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 20 | at North Dakota* | Memorial StadiumGrand Forks, ND | L 6–12 |
| | Hamline | | L 0–26 |
| October 5 | at Coe* | Cedar Rapids, IA | L 6–10 |
| | St. Olaf | | L 13–19 |
| | Upper Iowa | | L 0–28 |
| | Dubuque | | W 19–7 |
| | Wartburg | | W 24–13 |
| | Simpson (IA) | | W 7–0 |
| | Central (IA) | | L 6–21 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Simpson

The 1946 Simpson Redmen football team was an American football team that represented the Simpson College of Indianola, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Frank Casey, the Redmen compiled a 3–5 record, finished in seventh place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 135 to 79.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 20 | Doane* | Indianola, IA | W 14–0 | |
| September 28 | at Nebraska Wesleyan | O. N. Magee Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | T 6–6 | 4,000 |
| October 4 | Missouri Valley* | | L 6–34 | |
| October 12 | at Cornell College* | Mount Vernon, IA | L 0–27 | |
| | Parsons | | L 14–20 | |
| | Wartburg | | W 20–8 | |
| | Central (IA) | | L 5–21 | |
| | Luther | | L 0–7 | |
| | Iowa Wesleyan | | W 13–12 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Iowa Wesleyan

The 1946 Iowa Wesleyan Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the Iowa Wesleyan University of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Olan Ruble, the Tigers compiled a 3–6 record, tied for eighth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 159 to 75.
| Opponent | Result |
| Kirksville | L 0–19 |
| Culver-Stockton | W 12–9 |
| Drake "B" team | W 13–7 |
| Washburn | L 6–27 |
| Penn | W 26–6 |
| Central (IA) | L 0–45 |
| Parsons | L 0–20 |
| Dubuque | L 6–13 |
| Simpson (IA) | L 12–13 |

### Buena Vista

The 1946 Buena Vista Beavers football team was an American football team that represented the Buena Vista University of Storm Lake, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Harland Riebe in his first and only season as head coach, the Beavers compiled a 1–6 record, tied for eighth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 103 to 38.
| Opponent | Result |
| Dubuque | W 0–7 |
| Upper Iowa | L 6–39 |
| Huron | L 0–12 |
| Wartburg | L 7–12 |
| Western Union | W 14–6 |
| Yankton | L 6–14 |
| Parsons | L 6–13 |

### Wartburg

The 1946 Wartburg Knights football team was an American football team that represented the Wartburg College of Waverly, Iowa, as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Stanley Hall in his first and only season as head coach, the Knights compiled a 2–5 record, finished in tenth place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored by a total of 124 to 85.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 28 | Carthage* | Waverly, IA | W 32–7 |
| October 4 | at Central (IA) | Pella, IA | L 7–33 |
| | Dubuque | | L 0–13 |
| | Buena Vista | | W 12–7 |
| | Simpson (IA) | | L 8–20 |
| | Luther | | L 13–24 |
| November 9 | at Upper Iowa | Dorman FieldFayette, IA | L 13–20 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Western Union

The 1946 Western Union Eagles football team was an American football team that represented Western Union College of LeMars, Iowa (later renamed Westmar University), as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Dick Crayne, the Eagles compiled a 5–2 record, finished in a tie for 11th place in the Iowa Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 117 to 70.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | South Dakota (East.) | | W 31–6 |
| | Dakota Wesleyan | | W 7–6 |
| | Yankton | | W 8–0 |
| | Sioux Falls | | W 33–0 |
| | Huron | | W 26–0 |
| | Buena Vista | | L 6–13 |
| November 2 | at Arkansas Tech* | Russellville, AR | L 6–45 |
| *Non-conference game |||||

### Loras

The 1946 Loras Duhawks football team was an American football team that represented Loras College of Dubuque, Iowa as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by Vince Dowd in his fourth and final season as head coach, the Duhawks compiled a 1–7 record, finished in a tie for 11th place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored opponents by a total of 181 to 43.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | South Dakota State* | Dubuque, IA | W 23–18 | 4,500 |
| September 28 | at St. John's (MN)* | Collegeville, MN | L 0–27 | |
| October 6 | at St. Ambrose | Davenport Municipal StadiumDavenport, IA | L 6–32 | 6,000 |
| October 13 | St. Joseph's* | Dubuque, IA | L 0–13 | 4,000 |
| October 19 | St. Norbert* | J. R. Minahan StadiumDe Pere, WI | L 7–20 | 3,300 |
| October 27 | Saint Mary's (MN)* | Dubuque, IA | L 0–26 | 5,000 |
| November 3 | St. Thomas* | Dubuque, IA | L 7–19 | |
| November 9 | Wheaton* | | L 0–26 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### William Penn

The 1946 William Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented William Penn University of Oskaloosa, Iowa as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1946 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Roland Ortmayer, the Quakers compiled a 0–6 record, finished in last place in the Iowa Conference, and were outscored opponents by a total of 174 to 12.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| | Dubuque | L 0–43 |
| | Upper Iowa | L 6–33 |
| | Iowa Wesleyan | L 6–26 |
| | Burlington JC* | L 0–27 |
| | Parsons | L 0–45 |
| *Non-conference game |||||

## All-conference team

The following players were selected by the United Press to the 1946 All-Iowa Conference football team:
* Quarterback: Sam Turner, Upper Iowa
* Halfbacks: Bill Schumaker, Parsons; Galen Cheuvront, Central
* Fullback: Bob Sellgren, Dubuque
* Ends: Melvin Harms, Upper Iowa; Howard Lowe, Central
* Tackles: Floyd Lundquist, Parsons; Chet Cross, Central
* Guards: Bob Berg, Parsons; Ralph Bartlett, Upper Iowa
* Center: Bob Kuefler, Dubuque