1939 Rocky Mountain Conference football season

The 1939 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 1939 college football season.

Rocky Mountain Conference
SportFootball
Number of teams5
ChampionColorado Mines
Football seasons
← 1938
1940 →
1939 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado Mines $400800
Colorado State–Greeley310440
Western State (CO)120251
Montana State020270
Colorado College030251
  • $ – Conference champion

The Colorado Mines Orediggers, led by head coach John Mason, compiled a perfect 8–0 record and won the RMC championship. They led the RMC in both scoring offense (33.5 points per game) and scoring defense (8.8 points per game). Colorado Mines wingback Lloyd Madden led the nation with 143 points scored.

Conference overview

Conf. rankTeamHead coachConf. recordOverall recordPoints scoredPoints against
1Colorado MinesJohn Mason4–08–026844
2Colorado State–GreeleyJohn W. Hancock3–14–47970
3Western State (CO)Paul Wright2–5–11–242174
4Montana StateSchubert R. Dyche0–22–754120
5Colorado CollegeWilliam T. Van de Graaff0–32–5–199164

Teams

Colorado Mines

1939 Colorado Mines Orediggers football
RMC champion
ConferenceRocky Mountain Conference
Record8–0 (4–0 RMC)
Head coach
Home stadiumBrooks Field
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →

The 1939 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team represented the Colorado School of Mines of Golden, Colorado. In their third year under head coach John Mason, the Orediggers compiled a perfect 8–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 268 to 44, and won the RMC championship.[1]

Colorado Mines was ranked at No. 93 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[2]

Colorado Mines wingback Lloyd Madden won the national scoring title with 141 points scored (23 touchdowns and three extra points).[3][4] He broke the RMC scoring record set in 1937 by Byron White.[5] He was selected by the Chicago Cardinals with the 16th overall pick in the 1940 NFL Draft.[6]

Colorado Mines secured eight of eleven first-team spots on the Associated Press All-Rocky Mountain Conference football team.[7] Six were also given first-team conference honors by the United Press.[8] The first-team honorees were: backs Madden (AP-1, UP-1), Joe Berta (AP-1), Jacky Torpey (AP-1, UP-1), and Taylor (UP-1); end Rex Flynn (AP-1, UP-1); tackles Marv Katzenstein (AP-1, UP-1) and Dick Moe (AP-1, UP-1); guard Dave Geiskieng (AP-1, UP-1); and center Herbert Thornton (AP-1).[7][8]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30at Colorado A&MW 19–14[9]
October 7Chadron StateW 32–0
October 14at Colorado State–Greeley
W 6–35,000[10]
October 21at Montana StateW 20–72,000[11]
October 28Colorado College
  • Brooks Field
  • Golden, CO
W 50–7[12]
November 11Western State (CO)
  • Brooks Field
  • Golden, CO
W 71–7[13]
November 18Kearney State
  • Brooks Field
  • Golden, CO
W 32–0[14]
December 2at RegisDenver, COW 38–6[5]

Colorado State–Greeley

1939 Colorado State–Greeley Bears football
ConferenceRocky Mountain Conference
Record4–4 (3–1 RMC)
Head coach
Home stadiumJackson Field
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →

The 1939 Colorado State–Greeley Bears football team represented Colorado State College at Greeley, Colorado (now known as the University of Northern Colorado). In their eighth year under head coach John W. Hancock, the Bears compiled a 4–4 record (3–1 against RMC opponents) and finished in second place out of five teams in the RMC.

Colorado State–Greeley was ranked at No. 225 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[2]

The team played its home games at Jackson Field in Greeley, Colorado.

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30at Southern IdahoPocatello, IDW 13–0
October 6Colorado College
W 26–93,000[15]
October 14Colorado Mines
  • Jackson Field
  • Greeley, CO
L 3–65,000[10]
October 21at Western State (CO)Gunnison, COW 13–0[16]
October 27BYU
  • Jackson Field
  • Greeley, CO
L 6–18[17]
November 3Montana State
  • Jackson Field
  • Greeley, CO
W 12–31,500[18]
November 11at Nevada*L 6–15
November 17at Santa Barbara State*
L 0–19[19]
  • *Non-conference game

Western State

1939 Western State Mountaineers football
ConferenceRocky Mountain Conference
Record2–5–1 (1–2 RMC)
Head coach
  • Paul Wright (5th season)
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →

The 1939 Western State Mountaineers football team represented Western State College of Colorado at Gunnison, Colorado (now known as the Western Colorado University). In their fifth year under head coach Paul Wright, the Mountaineers compiled a 2–5–1 record (1–2 against RMC opponents) and finished in third place out of five teams in the RMC.

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 29Weber*Ogden, UTW 9–7600[20]
October 6at West Texas State*Canyon, TXL 0–35
October 13Chadron State*Chadron, NET 0–0
October 21Colorado State–GreeleyGunnison, COL 0–13[16]
October 28Regis*Gunnison, COL 0–9[21]
November 11at Colorado Mines
  • Brooks Field
  • Golden, CO
L 7–71
November 25at Colorado CollegeW 12–8[22]
November 30at New Mexico MilitaryRoswell, NML 14–31[23]
  • *Non-conference game

Montana State

1939 Montana State Bobcats football
ConferenceRocky Mountain Conference
Record2–7 (0–2 RMC)
Head coach
Home stadiumGatton Field
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →

The 1939 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State College (later renamed Montana State University) of Bozeman, Montana. In their tenth season under head coach Schubert R. Dyche, the Bobcats compiled a 2–7 record (0–2 against conference opponents) and finished in fourth place out of five teams in the RMC.[24]

Montana State was ranked at No. 252 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[2]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15at San Jose State*L 0–355,000
September 22at Portland*W 14–6[25]
September 30at Idaho*L 6–7[26]
October 6at Omaha*Omaha, NEL 0–12
October 14vs. Montana*
L 0–6
October 20Colorado MinesL 7–20
October 28Idaho Southern Branch*
  • Gatton Field
  • Bozeman, MT
W 10–6[27]
November 3at Colorado State–Greeley
L 3–121,500[18]
November 11North Dakota Agricultural*
  • Gatton Field
  • Bozeman, MT
L 14–16[28]
  • *Non-conference game

Colorado College

1939 Colorado College Tigers football
ConferenceRocky Mountain Conference
Record2–5–1 (0–4 RMC)
Head coach
Home stadiumWashburn Field
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →

The 1939 Colorado College Tigers football team represented Colorado College of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In their 14th and final season under head coach William T. Van de Graaff, the Tigers compiled a 2–5–1 record (0–4 against RMC opponents) and finished in last place out of five teams in the RMC. The team played its home games at Washburn Field in Colorado Springs.

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30BakerW 30–0[29]
October 6at Colorado State–Greeley
L 9–263,000[15]
October 13at Washburn*Topeka, KSL 6–22[30]
October 21Grinnell*
  • Washburn Field
  • Colorado Springs, CO
T 14–145,000[31]
October 28at Colorado Mines
L 7–50[12]
November 11Whitman*
  • Washburn Field
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 19–7
November 25Western State (CO)
  • Washburn Field
  • Colorado Springs, CO
L 8–12[22]
December 2at Occidental*Los Angeles, CAL 6–33[32]
  • *Non-conference game

All-conference team

The Associated Press selected the following players as first-team honorees on the all-conference team.

References