# 1940 Rocky Mountain Conference football season

The 1940 Rocky Mountain Conference football season was the season of college football played by the five member schools of the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) as part of the 1940 college football season.
The Colorado College Tigers, led by head coach Clark DeGroot, won the RMC championship with a 5–2–1 record (2–0–1 against conference opponents). End Tom Pelican and halfback Don Heizer received first-team honors on the All-Rocky Mountain Conference team.
The Colorado Mines Orediggers, led by John Mason, finished in second place with a 3–4 record (3–1 against RMC opponents). The conference championship was decided on October 19 when the Orediggers lost to Colorado College, 28–21, at Washburn Field in Colorado Springs. Four Colorado Mines players, including quarterback Joe Berta, received first-team honors on the 1940 All-Rocky Mountain Conference football team.

## Conference overview

| Conf. rank | Team | Head coach | Conf. record | Overall record |
| 1 | Colorado College | Clark DeGroot | 2-0–1 | 5–2–1 |
| 2 | Colorado Mines | John Mason | 3–1 | 3–4 |
| 3 | Montana State | Schubert R. Dyche | 2–1 | 4–4 |
| 4 | Colorado State–Greeley | John W. Hancock | 1–3 | 2–5–1 |
| 5 | Western State (CO) | Paul Wright | 0–3–1 | 2–6–1 |

## Teams
### Colorado College

The 1940 Colorado College Tigers football team represented Colorado College of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In their first and only season under head coach Clark DeGroot, the Tigers compiled a 5–2–1 record (2–0–1 against RMC opponents) and won the RMC championship. The team played its home games at Washburn Field in Colorado Springs.
End Tom Pelican and halfback Don Heizer received first-team honors on the All-Rocky Mountain Conference team. Despite his size (five feet, six inches, and 156 pounds), Heizer was rated highly by opposing coaches "for his driving ball carrying, his pass catching and his general defensive play."
Colorado College was ranked at No. 328 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 27 | Baker* | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | W 16–0 | |
| October 5 | New Mexico Normal* | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | W 37–7 | |
| October 12 | at Whitman* | Walla Walla, WA | W 6–0 | |
| October 19 | Colorado Mines | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | W 28–21 | 4,214 |
| November 2 | at Western State | Gunnison, CO | T 0–0 | |
| November 11 | Colorado State-Greeley | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | W 20–7 | |
| November 23 | at Grinnell* | Grinnell, IA | L 12–26 | 500 |
| November 30 | Occidental* | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | L 6–25 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Colorado Mines

The 1940 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team represented the Colorado School of Mines of Golden, Colorado. In their fourth season under head coach John Mason, the Orediggers compiled a 3–4 record (3–1 against RMC opponents) and finished in second place in the RMC. The team played its home games at Campbell Field in Golden.
Four Colorado Mines players received first-team honors from the Associated Press on the 1940 All-Rocky Mountain Conference football team. They were: quarterback Joe Berta; end Louis DeGoes; tackle Dick Moe; and center Glen Hutchinson.
Colorado Mines was ranked at No. 387 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 28 | vs. Colorado A&M* | Denver University StadiumDenver, CO | L 0–25 | |
| October 5 | at Creighton* | Creighton StadiumOmaha, NE | L 0–43 | |
| October 12 | Colorado State-Greeley | Campbell FieldGolden, CO | W 12–7 | |
| October 19 | at Colorado College | Washburn FieldColorado Springs, CO | L 21–28 | 4,214 |
| November 2 | Montana State | Campbell FieldGolden, CO | W 20–7 | |
| November 9 | at Western State | Gunnison, CO | W 12–0 | |
| November 21 | at Fresno State | Fresno State College StadiumFresno, CA | L 0–28 | 7,256 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Montana State

The 1940 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State College (later renamed Montana State University) of Bozeman, Montana. In their 11th season under head coach Schubert R. Dyche, the Bobcats compiled a 4–4 record.
Montana State was ranked at No. 397 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | Western State (CO) | Gatton FieldBozeman, MT | W 12–0 | |
| September 23 | San Jose State* | Butte High StadiumButte, MT | L 0–32 | 4,000 |
| September 27 | at Drake* | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | L 0–56 | 8,000 |
| October 5 | North Dakota Agricultural* | Gatton FieldBozeman, MT | W 7–0 | 2,500 |
| October 19 | vs. Montana* | Butte High StadiumButte, MT (rivalry) | L 0–6 | 6,000 |
| October 26 | Colorado State-Greeley | Gatton FieldBozeman, MT | W 7–0 | |
| November 2 | at Colorado Mines | Campbell FieldGolden, CO | L 7–20 | |
| November 11 | at Idaho Southern Branch* | Spud BowlPocatello, ID | W 15–7 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Colorado State–Greeley

The 1940 Colorado State–Greeley Bears football team represented Colorado State College at Greeley, Colorado (now known as the University of Northern Colorado). Led by head coach John W. Hancock, the Bears compiled a 2–5–1 record (1–3 against RMC opponents) and finished in fourth place in the RMC.
Halfback Sam Sears and fullback Horace Brelsford, both juniors, were selected by the Associated Press as first-team players on the 1940 All-Rocky Mountain Conference team.
The team played its home games at Jackson Field in Greeley, Colorado.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 4 | Idaho Southern* | Jackson FieldGreeley, CO | W 21–7 | |
| October 12 | at Colorado Mines | Campbell FieldGolden, CO | L 7–12 | |
| October 19 | Western State | Jackson FieldGreeley, Co | W 33–12 | |
| October 26 | at Montana State | Gatton FieldBozeman, MT | L 0–7 | |
| November 2 | Fort Hays State | Jackson FieldGreeley, CO | T 0–0 | |
| November 11 | at Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | L 7–20 | |
| November 16 | at Arizona State | Goodwin StadiumTempe, AZ | L 0–41 | 5,000 |
| November 23 | Regis* | Jackson FieldGreeley, CO | L 12–13 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Western State

The 1940 Western State Mountaineers football team represented Western State College of Colorado at Gunnison, Colorado (now known as the Western Colorado University). In their sixth year under head coach Paul Wright, the Mountaineers compiled a 2–6–1 record (0–3–1 against RMC opponents) and finished in fifth place in the RMC.
Western Colorado was ranked at No. 475 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 21 | at Montana State | Gatton FieldBozeman, MT | L 0–12 |
| September 28 | at Idaho Southern Branch* | Pocatello, ID | L 0–7 |
| October 5 | West Texas State | Gunnison, CO | L 13–48 |
| October 12 | Weber JC* | Gunnison, CO | L 0–13 |
| October 19 | at Colorado State-Greeley | Jackson FieldGreeley, Co | L 12–33 |
| October 26 | Regis* | Denver, CO | W 13–0 |
| November 2 | Colorado College | Gunnison, CO | T 0–0 |
| November 9 | Colorado Mines | Gunnison, CO | L 0–12 |
| *Non-conference game |||||

## All-conference team

The Associated Press selected the following players as first-team honorees on the all-conference team.
* Quarterback - Joe Berta, Colorado Mines
* Halfbacks - Don Heizer, Colorado College; Sam Sears, Greeley
* Fullback - Horace Brelsford, Greeley
* Ends - Louis DeGoes, Colorado Mines; Tom Pelican, Colorado College
* Tackles - Dick Moe, Colorado Mines; Jack Burke, Montana State
* Guards - Rudy Aganski, Western State; Newell Berg, Montana State
* Center - Glen Hutchinson, Colorado Mines.