1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

The 1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented the University of New Hampshire as a member of the New England Conference during the 1942 college football season. In its first year under head coach Charles M. Justice, the team compiled a 6–0 record, outscoring their opponents 101–46. The team played its home games at Lewis Field (also known as Lewis Stadium) in Durham, New Hampshire.

1942 New Hampshire Wildcats football
Team photo; Theo "Tuffy" Fitanides is number 36 in the front row
Conference	New England Conference
1942 record	6–0 (3–0 New England)
Head coach	Charles M. Justice (1st season)
Captain	Charles "Pappy" Judd[1]
Home stadium	Lewis Field

1942 New England Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
New Hampshire +	3	–	0	–	0			6	–	0	–	0
Connecticut +	2	–	0	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Northeastern	0	–	1	–	0			0	–	5	–	1
Rhode Island State	0	–	2	–	0			3	–	3	–	0
Maine	0	–	2	–	0			2	–	4	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The team's prior head coach, George Sauer, enlisted in the Navy in April 1942.[2] Justice, who had been the team's line coach, was named as Sauer's successor in early May.[3] After this season, the Wildcats' football program would be idle due to World War II until a four-game limited schedule in 1944, with their next full season being 1946.

Highlights

This was the Wildcats' first undefeated football season in school history.[1] New Hampshire averaged 310 yards rushing per game, while holding their opponents to a 225-yard average, and completed 47% of their passes while holding opponents to 25% pass completion.[1] Running back Theo "Tuffy" Fitanides gained 735 yards on 144 carries,[1] while missing the final game of the season due to an injury sustained during military training on campus.[4] Fitanides was later selected to captain New Hampshire's 1943 team;[5] however, the season was cancelled due to the war.[6] Fitanides would go on to be the first Wildcat drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team, being selected in the fifth round of the 1944 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.[7]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 26	Colby*		—		[8]
October 3	Bates*		—		[8]
October 10	Maine	Lewis Field Durham, NH (rivalry)	W 20–7	5,000	[9]
October 17	Springfield*	Lewis Field Durham, NH	W 20–7		[10][11]
October 24	Rhode Island State	Lewis Field Durham, NH	W 14–13		[12][13]
October 31	at Norwich*	Sabine Field Northfield, VT	W 16–13		[14][15]
November 7	at Tufts*	Tufts Oval Medford, MA	W 13–6		[16]
November 14	Northeastern	Lewis Field Durham, NH	W 18–0		[17]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Source: [18]

Games against Colby and Bates were cancelled due to an expected delay in players arriving at the university due to "working in war industries during the summer".[8]

The 1942 game remains the last time that the New Hampshire and Norwich football programs have met.[19]

Wildcat captain Charles Judd became a high school teacher and restaurant owner; he died in July 2006 at age 89.[20] Tuffy Fitanides died in March 2012 at age 90.[21]

References

1. The Granite. Durham, New Hampshire: University of New Hampshire. 1944. pp. 134–137. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via library.unh.edu.
2. "George Sauer enlists in U. S. navy". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. April 17, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
3. "Justice Selected As Head Coach Of UNH Gridsters". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. May 5, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
4. Birtwell, Roger (November 14, 1942). "Tuffy Fitanides Steps Into Hole During Military Drill". The Boston Globe. p. 7. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
5. "Theo Fitanides to Lead Wildcat 1943 Grid Team". The Boston Globe. December 12, 1942. p. 9. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
6. "UNH Drops Intercollegiate Athletics". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. September 1, 1943. p. 18. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
7. "Colleges Beginning With N". DraftHistory.com. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
8. "New Hampshire Eleven Plays Opener Today". Hartford Courant. October 10, 1942. p. 11. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
9. "New Hampshire Wins Over Maine, 20 to 7". Hartford Courant. AP. October 11, 1942. p. 54. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
10. "Wildcats Come From Behind To Trim Springfield 20-7". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 19, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
11. "New Hampshire Beats Springfield, 20 to 7". Hartford Courant. AP. October 18, 1942. p. 48. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
12. "Rhode Island State In Durham Saturday". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 21, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
13. "N. H. Trips Rhode Island St. 14-13". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. October 26, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
14. "NHU Comes From Behind To Defeat Norwich 16-13". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 2, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
15. "New Hampshire Uses Field Goal To Topple Norwich Horsemen, 16-13". Hartford Courant. AP. November 1, 1942. p. 53. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
16. "UNH Wildcats Win 5th Straight Defeating Tufts 13-6". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 9, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
17. "Wildcats Swamp Northeastern 18-0 To Conclude First Undefeated Season In History". The Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. November 16, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
18. "New Hampshire Game by Game Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2019 – via Wayback Machine.
19. "New Hampshire vs Norwich (VT)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
20. "Charles Levi Judd". East Bay Times. July 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Legacy.com.
21. "Theophilus A. 'Tuffy' Fitanides". Portland Press Herald. March 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via Legacy.com.