1945 Florida Gators football team American college football season
The 1945 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1945 college football season . The season was the fifth and last for Tom Lieb as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The 1945 backfield was made up entirely of freshmen.[ 1]
Among the season's highlights was the Gators' 26–13 neutral site victory over the Ole Miss Rebels played in Jacksonville. The Gators also split a pair of games against teams from two U.S. military training bases. Lieb's 1945 Florida Gators finished with a 4–5–1 overall record and a 1–3–1 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing ninth among twelve SEC teams.[ 2]
Schedule
Date Time Opponent Site Result Attendance Source September 22 8:00 p.m. Camp Blanding * W 31–27,000 [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
September 29 vs. Ole Miss W 26–1312,000 [ 6]
October 6 at Tulane T 6–620,000 [ 7]
October 13 Vanderbilt Florida Field Gainesville, FL L 0–717,000 [ 8]
October 19 at Miami (FL) * L 6–727,000 [ 9]
October 27 Southwestern Louisiana * Florida Field Gainesville, FL W 45–0[ 10]
November 3 at Auburn L 0–1910,000 [ 11]
November 10 vs. Georgia Fairfield Stadium Jacksonville, FL (rivalry ) L 0–3421,000 [ 12]
November 17 Presbyterian * Florida Field Gainesville, FL W 41–03,000 [ 13]
November 24 2:00 p.m. at Little Creek * L 0–125,000 [ 14] [ 15] [ 16]
[ 2]
Postseason
After Lieb's coaching contract was not renewed, he became the track & field coach and an assistant football coach at the University of Alabama , where his old Notre Dame teammate Frank Thomas was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide .
References
^ Golenbock 2002 , p. 6
^ a b 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived December 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 110–111 (2015). Retrieved August 14, 2015.
^ "Gators Ranked Favorite Over Soldier Eleven" . Tampa Morning Tribune . Tampa, Florida . September 22, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Florida Runs Over Soldier Eleven, 31-2" . Tampa Sunday Tribune . Tampa, Florida . September 23, 1945. p. B1. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Florida Scores Over Camp Blanding In Opener 31 to 2 (continued)" . Tampa Sunday Tribune . Tampa, Florida . September 23, 1945. p. B2. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Gators come up with 26–13 win" . The Miami News . September 30, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Tulane scores in final two minutes to tie Gators" . Pensacola News Journal . October 7, 1945. Retrieved April 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Vandy noses out Gators, 7–0, in battle full of fumbles" . The Atlanta Journal . October 14, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Miami shades Florida 7–6" . The Charlotte Observer . October 20, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Gators crush SLI Bulldogs by 45–0 score" . Tampa Sunday Tribune . October 28, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Auburn subdues Florida in last half spurt, 19–0" . The Palm Beach Post-Times . November 4, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bulldogs chew Florida, 34–0" . The Sunday Star-News . November 11, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Smarting Gators trample PC by 41–0; Hose miss chances" . The State . November 18, 1945. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Little Creek Amphibs Meet 'Gators Today" . Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia . Associated Press . November 24, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Fergusson, Tom (November 25, 1945). "Amphibs Repulse Gators After Stiff Fight, 12-0" . The Virginian-Pilot . Norfolk, Virginia . p. 15, part 2. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Fergusson, Tom (November 25, 1945). "Gators Put Up Stiff Fight Before 5,000 (continued)" . The Virginian-Pilot . Norfolk, Virginia . p. 16, part 2. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
Additional sources
Golenbock, Peter (2002). Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory . St. Petersburg, Florida: Legends Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-9650782-1-3 .
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