1944 Second Air Force Superbombers football team

The 1944 Second Air Force Superbombers football team represented the Second Air Force during the 1944 college football season. The team, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, compiled a 10–4–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 513 to 76, and was ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll.[1]

1944 Second Air Force Superbombers football
Treasury Bond Bowl, L 6–13 vs. Randolph Field
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 20
1944 record	10–4–1
Head coach	Red Reese (3rd season)
Home stadium	Penrose Stadium

1944 military service football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 Randolph Field			–					12	–	0	–	0
No. 5 Bainbridge			–					10	–	0	–	0
No. 18 Fort Pierce			–					9	–	0	–	0
No. 13 Norman NAS			–					6	–	0	–	0
No. 6 Iowa Pre-Flight			–					10	–	1	–	0
No. 16 El Toro Marines			–					8	–	1	–	0
Bunker Hill NAS			–					6	–	1	–	0
No. 3 Great Lakes Navy			–					9	–	2	–	1
No. 10 March Field			–					7	–	2	–	2
North Carolina Pre-Flight			–					6	–	2	–	1
No. 20 Second Air Force			–					10	–	4	–	1
Camp Peary			–					5	–	2	–	0
Third Air Force			–					7	–	3	–	1
Alameda Coast Guard			–					4	–	2	–	2
No. 19 Saint Mary's Pre-Flight			–					4	–	4	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The team played many of the other leading service teams, losing to Randolph Field (No. 3 in the final AP Poll), Iowa Pre-Flight (No. 6), and Norman NAS (No. 14), and a Third Air Force team led by Charley Trippi. The Superbombers also played to a tie against March Field (No. 10).

Major William B. "Red" Reese, who coached football and basketball at Eastern Washington College before the war, was the team's head coach. Notable players on the 1944 Second Air Force squad included Glenn Dobbs, Bill Sewell, Don Fambrough, Nick Susoeff, Ray Evans, John Harrington, Johnny Strzykalski, and Visco Grgich.[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	vs. Peru Teachers Navy V-12		City Stadium Sioux City, IA	W 38–0	10,000	[3]
September 8	Colorado College		Penrose Stadium Colorado Springs, CO	W 24–0	10,000	[2]
September 17	at Idaho State		Pocatello, ID	W 45–0		[4]
September 23	vs. Whitman		Boise, ID	W 78–0	7,000	[5]
September 30	at Colorado		Folsom Field Boulder, CO	W 33–6		[6]
October 7	vs. Iowa Pre-Flight		Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	L 6–12	29,500	[7]
October 14	vs. New Mexico	No. 15	Kidd Field El Paso, TX	W 89–6	10,000	[8]
October 21	at North Texas Agricultural	No. 19	Fly Stadium Odessa, TX	W 68–0	8,000	[9]
October 29	at Norman NAS	No. 15	Norman, OK	L 6–13		[10]
November 5	Amarillo Field		Penrose Stadium Colorado Springs, CO	W 46–6	6,000	[11]
November 12	vs. Fort Warren		Denver	W 20–0		[12]
November 18	at Washington		Gonzaga Stadium Spokane, WA	W 47–6	6,592	[13]
November 26	No. 9 March Field	No. 19	Denver	T 0–0	12,000	[14]
December 10	vs. Third Air Force	No. 20	Grant Field Atlanta	L 7–14	8,000	[15]
December 16	vs. No. 3 Randolph Field	No. 20	Polo Grounds New York City	L 6–13	8,356	[16]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1944 Second Air Force Superbombers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
2. "Second Grid Victory In Bombers' Bag: Dobbs Dazzles In Servicemen's Triumph". The Lincoln Star. September 9, 1944. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Superbombers Trounce Peru". The Sunday Argus-Leader. September 3, 1944. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Superbombers Score 45-0 Win Over Idaho". Eugene Register-Guard. September 18, 1944. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "2nd AAF Swamps Whitman, 78-0". The Honolulu Advertiser. September 24, 1944. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Dobbs passed 2nd air force to 33-6 win". Sunday Journal and Star (NE). October 1, 1944. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
7. George Mills (October 8, 1944). "Pre-Flights Stop Dobbs, Win, 12 to 6". The Des Moines Register. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Superbombers Roll up 89-6 Win Over Lobos". Clovis News-Journal. October 15, 1944. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "2nd Air Force Coasts, 68 to 0". The Des Moines Register. October 22, 1944. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Norman Navy Spills Dobbs' Mates, 13 to 6". The Des Moines Register. October 30, 1946. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Superbombers Smother Sky Giants, 46-6". Amarillo Daily News. November 6, 1944. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Superbomber 20, Fort Warren 0". The Greeley Daily Tribune. November 13, 1933. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Airforce Gridders Rout Huskies". Montana Standard. November 19, 1944. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "March Field, Second Air Force Fight to Bruising 0-0 Deadlock". The San Bernardino County Sun. November 27, 1944. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Gremlins Bump Superbombers to Tune of 14-7". Los Angeles Times. December 11, 1944. p. II-8 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Ramblers Nip Bombers, 13-6". Los Angeles Times. December 17, 1944. p. II-5, II-6 – via Newspapers.com.