1949 Football Team

Overall Record: 6-2-1 Conference Record: 4-1-1
Conference Finish: 1st place tie
National Ranking: AP - No. 7
Coach: Bennie G. Oosterbaan
Captain: Alvin Wistert
All-Americans: Alvin Wistert, Robert Allen Wahl
All-Conference: Alvin Wistert, Lloyd Heneveld, Charles Ortmann
Most Valuable Player: Dick Kempthorn
Meyer Morton Award: Don Dufek
Trainer: Jim Hunt
Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, George Ceithaml, Clifford Keen, Ernest McCoy, Bill Orwig, Don Robinson, Walter Weber, J.T. White
Manager: Howard Cooper

OpponentRankDateSiteResult Attend.
Michigan State 09/24 H W 7-3 97,239
Stanford 10/01 A W 27-7 87,123
Army   1/7 10/08 H L 7-21 97,239
Northwestern   7/ 10/15 A L 20-21 54,816
Minnesota (HC) 12/3 10/22 H W 14-7 97,239
Illinois   6/ 10/29 A W 13-0 71,119
Purdue   5/- 11/05 H W 20-12 95,207
Indiana   5/- 11/12 H W 20-7 79,200
Ohio State   5/7 11/19 H T 7-7 97,239
Totals 135-85 776,421

Starting Lineups                  
PositionPlayer
left end Harry Allis (9)
left tackle Alvin Wistert (6)
Thomas Johnson (3)
left guard Allen Jackson (4)
Lloyd Heneveld (3)
John Powers
Don McClelland
center Robert Erben (6)
Anton Momsen (3)
right guard Don McClelland (8)
Lloyd Heneveld
right tackle Robert Wahl (4)
James Atchison (3)
Irv Wisniewski (2)
right end Irv Wisniewski (7)
Oswald Clark (2)
quarterback John Ghindia (7)
Charles Lentz
William Bartlett
fullback Dick Kempthorn (7)
Don Dufek (2)
left halfback Chuck Ortmann (7)
Bob VanSummern
Walt Teninga
right halfback Leo Koceski ()
Walt Teninga (3)
Don Dufek

View full 1949 roster (from all-time roster database, includes non-lettermen and freshmen)


1949 Team Photo
19409 team photo
view larger image

[Note: photo includes only varsity letter winners]

Back Row
Jim Wolter, Bill Putich, Al Jackson, George Sutherland, John Hess, Carl Kreager, Bill Ohlenroth, Tom Johnson, Dick McWilliams, Don Peterson
4rth Row
Jim Hunt (trainer), Jack Powers, Harry Allis, Les Popp, Charles Ortmann, Tom Kelsey, Gene Hinton, Dick Farrer, Howard Cooper (manager)
3rd Row
Don Dufek, Al Fitch, Tony Momsen, Jim Atchison, Bob Hollway, Ozzie Clark, Leo Koceski, Ralph Straffon
2nd Row
Charles Lentz, Bob Erben, Bill Bartlett, Wally Teninga, John Ghindia, Bob Van Summern, Tom Peterson
Front Row
Don McClelland, Lloyd Heneveld, H.O. Crisler (director), Captain Al Wistert, Coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Al Wahl, Dick Kempthorn, Irvin Wisniewski

1949 Freshman Team Photo
1949 freshamn team photo
view larger image