1944 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight Air Devils football team

The 1944 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight Air Devils football team represented the United States Navy pre-flight school at Saint Mary's College of California during the 1944 college football season. In its third season, the team compiled a 4–4 record, outscored opponents by a total of 96 to 70, and was ranked No. 19 in the final AP Poll.[1]

1944 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight Air Devils football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 19
Record4–4
Head coach
Home stadiumKezar Stadium
Seasons
← 1943
1945 →
1944 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Randolph Field     11 0 0
No. 5 Bainbridge     10 0 0
No. 18 Fort Pierce     9 0 0
No. 13 Norman NAS     6 0 0
No. 6 Iowa Pre-Flight     10 1 0
No. 16 El Toro Marines     8 1 0
Hondo AAF     7 1 0
Bunker Hill NAS     6 1 0
Lincoln AAF     6 1 0
Blackland AAF     7 1 1
Keesler Field     8 1 2
No. 17 Great Lakes Navy     9 2 1
No. 10 March Field     7 2 2
Third Air Force     8 3 0
North Carolina Pre-Flight     6 2 1
Atlantic City NAS     5 2 0
Camp Peary     5 2 0
Tonopah AAF     5 2 0
Daniel Field     7 3 0
No. 20 Second Air Force     10 4 1
San Francisco Coast Guard     4 2 1
Ellington Field     6 3 2
Amarillo AAF     5 3 0
Alameda Coast Guard     4 2 2
Coronado Amphibious     2 1 1
Olathe NAS     4 2 2
Selman Field     4 2 2
Galveston AAF     5 3 2
Fleet City     6 4 1
Jacksonville NAS     4 3 0
San Diego NTS     4 3 1
Camp Beale     5 4 0
Lubbock AAF     5 4 0
Fort Warren     5 4 1
Fort Monroe     5 5 0
Klamath Falls Marines     2 2 1
Maxwell Field     5 5 0
Minter Field     3 3 0
No. 19 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     4 4 0
Fourth Infantry     3 4 2
Georgia Pre-Flight     4 5 0
Third Infantry     4 5 0
Bergstrom Field     3 4 0
Ottumwa NAS     3 4 0
Camp Lee     3 5 0
Cherry Point Marines     3 6 0
Chatham Field     2 8 1
Sampton NTS     2 7 0
Miami NTC     2 8 0
Bryan AAF     1 7 0
Fairfield-Suisun AAB     1 7 0
Richmond AAB     0 10 1
Camp Ellis     0 5 0
South Plains AAF     0 8 0
Rankings from AP Poll

In August 1944, Lt. Jules V. Sikes was named as the team's coach. He had been an assistant coach to the 1943 team.[2]

In the final Litkenhous Ratings, North Carolina Pre-Flight ranked 43rd among the nation's college and service teams and eighth out of 28 United States Navy teams with a rating of 90.4.[3][4]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23at Pacific (CA)
L 6–14[5]
October 1at Fleet City
L 0–1210,000[6]
October 14vs. USCL 0–613,000[7]
October 21at UCLAW 21–1220,000[8]
October 29 No. 11 March FieldL 0–7[9]
November 12vs. Alameda Coast Guard
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
W 32–1325,000[10]
November 19Fleet CityMoraga, CAW 3–03,000[11][12]
November 25at CaliforniaW 33–620,000[13]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

edit
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
Poll12345678Final
AP19

References

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  1. ^ "1944 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight Air Devils Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  2. ^ "Lt. Sikes Named St. Mary's Coach". The Greenville (SC) News. August 6, 1944. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 10, 1944). "Big Ten Circuit Repeats As King of College Leagues". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City Utah. p. 8B. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 17, 1944). "Army, Randolph Field One-Two in Final Litkenhouse Ratings". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "Stagg's Eleven Upsets Fliers". The Des Moines Register. September 24, 1944. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Fleet City Rallies To Beat Pre-Flight Eleven, 12-0". Oakland Tribune. October 2, 1944. p. 8.
  7. ^ "Trojans Triumph Over St. Mary's Pre Flight In Tight Battle, 6 to 0". The Fresno Bee. October 15, 1944. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Al Wolf (October 22, 1944). "St. Mary's Preflights Jolt Bruins, 21 to 12: Davis Gallops Over Uclans". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-5, II-6.
  9. ^ "Flyers Bump Air Devils". Los Angeles Times. October 30, 1944. p. II-7 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Airdevils Slap Alameda, 32-13". The Des Moines Register. November 13, 1944. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Pre-Flight Wins, 3-0: Sanford Boots 14 Yard Field Goal". San Francisco Examiner. November 20, 1944. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Airdevils Add New Threat for Cal". Oakland Tribune. November 20, 1944. p. 14C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Bears Lose 6th Straight Clash, 33-6". Oakland Tribune. November 26, 1944. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.