The 1940 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the

1940 college football season The 1940 college football season was the 72nd season of college football, intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the 1940 Big Ten Conference football season, Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conferen ...

. Detroit shut out six of nine opponents, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 147 to 27, and finished with a 7–2 record in its 16th year under head coach and

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

inductee, Gus Dorais. During the 1940 season, Dorais registered his 100th victory as coach of the Titans. In his first 16 seasons with the University of Detroit, Dorais compiled a 101–42–7 record. According to the American Football Statistical Bureau's 1940 yearbook, the Titans ranked first among the 13 major Midwestern schools (a category including the Western Conference teams) in total offense (322.3 yards per game), rushing offense (242.6 yards per game), total defense (140 yards per game), rushing defense (63.6 yards per game), first downs made (133), and fewest first downs against (58). Detroit halfback Al Ghesquiere led the NCAA major college programs with 956 rushing yards, finishing ahead of Michigan's

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

winner, Tom Harmon.(1940 NCAA Major College Statistical Leaders) The team's center, Vince Banonis, was later inducted into the

. The team's captain was Casimere Brovarney. The assistant coaches were line coach Bud Boeringer and backfield coach Lloyd Brazil.Game program, 1940 Marquette game.

Schedule

Players

* Vince Banonis, center * John Biringer, quarterback * Casimere Brovarney, guard * Ray Domerque, guard * James Ellis, halfback * Al Ghesquiere, left halfback * Al Goodrich, fullback * Harry Groth, fullback * William Harrison, end * Frank Hayes, end * Don Hughes, quarterback * Clyde Johnson, fullback * Howard Keating, end * Robert Keene, right halfback * Ed Kukorowski, tackle * Tom Martin, halfback * Paul McErlean, halfback * Paul McLaughlin, halfback * Tom McLoughlin, guard * John McManigal, guard * Don Parro, center * Ted Pavelec, tackle * Jack Pearl, fullback * George Petersmarck, tackle * Richard Pugh, guard * Ed Rice, tackle * Meyrl Toepfer, end

References

External links

1940 University of Detroit football programs
{{Detroit Titans football navbox

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Detroit Titans football seasons

Detroit Titans football The Detroit Titans were the college football team which represented the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) from 1896 to 1964. Under head coach Gus Dorais in 1928, the Titans won all nine of their games. Several years later ...