# 1945 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football team

The 1945 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (later renamed Oklahoma State University–Stillwater) in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1945 college football season. The team was led by seventh-year head coach Jim Lookabaugh and played its home games at Lewis Field in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma A&M was awarded a retroactive national championship and The Coaches' Trophy by the AFCA after compiling a 9–0 record, winning the Missouri Valley championship, defeating Saint Mary's in the 1946 Sugar Bowl, and being ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll. In addition, the Aggies also outscored all opponents by a combined total of 285 to 76. The 1945 season remains the only undefeated season in school history.
On offense, the 1945 team averaged 31.7 points, 286.9 rushing yards, and 133.5 passing yards per game. On defense, the team allowed an average of 8.4 points, 108.6 rushing yards and 79.6 passing yards per game.
Halfback Bob Fenimore led the nation with 1,048 rushing yards. He also led the team with 593 passing yards, 72 points scored, and seven interceptions. Fenimore was selected as a consensus first-team halfback on the 1945 All-America college football team. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Three Oklahoma A&M players received first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 1945: Bob Fenimore, end Neill Armstrong, and lineman J. C. Colhouer.
In 2016, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the organization responsible for the Coaches Poll, awarded Oklahoma A&M the 1945 national championship and The Coaches' Trophy. The AFCA tasked a blue ribbon commission, consisting of former Baylor coach Grant Teaff, Georgia's Vince Dooley, and Texas A&M's R. C. Slocum, to award retroactive national titles for the years spanning 1922 to 1949 and invited schools to nominate their teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 29 | at Arkansas* | | Razorback StadiumFayetteville, AR | W 19–14 | 10,000 |
| October 6 | at Denver* | | Hilltop StadiumDenver, CO | W 31–7 | 20,000 (17,311 paid) |
| October 12 | vs. SMU* | No. 15 | Taft StadiumOklahoma City, OK | W 26–12 | 18,500 |
| October 20 | at Utah* | No. 15 | Ute StadiumSalt Lake City, UT | W 46–6 | |
| October 27 | at TCU* | No. 17 | Amon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX | W 25–12 | 15,000 |
| November 10 | No. 19 Tulsa | No. 11 | Lewis FieldStillwater, OK (rivalry) | W 12–6 | 18,000 |
| November 17 | Texas Tech* | No. 8 | Lewis FieldStillwater, OK | W 46–6 | |
| November 24 | at Oklahoma* | No. 6 | Memorial StadiumNorman, OK (Bedlam Series) | W 47–0 | |
| January 1, 1946 | vs. No. 7 Saint Mary's* | No. 5 | Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | W 33–13 | 75,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Final |
| AP | 14 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 |

## Roster

* Neill Armstrong
* A. L. Bennett
* M. L. "Bud" Brewton
* John Carey
* J. D. Cheek
* Bert Cole
* Jake Colhouer
* Mack Creager
* Bob DeMoss
* Ross Duckett
* Bob Faucette
* Bob Fenimore
* Jean M. Fitter
* Thurman Gay, Jr.
* Harvey Griffin
* Billy Grimes
* Cecil Hankins
* Bob Hargrove
* Bill Houck
* Sammy Howell
* George H. Ivie
* Ed Jeffers
* Afton Kelly
* Bill Long
* Alex Loyd
* Robert L. Memert
* Terry Monroe
* Glenn Moore
* Jim Parmer
* Jim Reynolds
* Otis Schellstede
* John Shelley
* Franklin Spruiell
* Joe Thomas
* Don E. Van Pool
* Nate J. Watson
* Wayne Weaver
* Edgar Welch
* Don Wiebener
* Marvin Wilkerson

## After the season

The 1946 NFL draft was held on January 14, 1946. The following Cowboys were selected.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL team |
| 8 | 66 | Bert Cole | Tackle | Green Bay Packers |
| 9 | 71 | Jake Colhouer | Guard | Chicago Cardinals |
| 32 | 297 | Otis Schellstede | Guard | Detroit Lions |