1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record2–6–1 (1–4–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPMac Wenskunas
CaptainRalph Serpico
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1945 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Indiana $ 5 – 0 – 1 9 – 0 – 1
No. 6 Michigan 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
No. 12 Ohio State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Northwestern 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Purdue 3 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Wisconsin 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 2
1 – 4 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Minnesota 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Iowa 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1945 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1945 Big Ten season. In their fourth year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 2–6–1 record (1–4–1 in conference games), finished in seventh place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 104 to 93.[1]

Center Mac Wenskunas was selected as the team's most valuable player.[2] Other key players included tackle Alex Agase, guard Les Bingaman, and end/linebacker Jim Valek.

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 22Pittsburgh*
W 23–69,962[3]
September 29at Notre Dame*
L 0–741,569
October 6Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
L 0–625,173
October 20at Wisconsin
T 7–733,000
October 27No. 16 Michigan
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
L 0–1954,085–55,672
November 3Great Lakes Navy*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
L 6–1214,569
November 10Iowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 48–714,060
November 17at No. 9 Ohio State
L 2–2770,287
November 24at Northwestern
L 7–1335,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

At the end of the season, 25 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1945 Illinois team:

  1. Lou Agase, tackle, No. 89, 190 pounds, 6'1", Evanston, IL
  2. Les Bingaman, guard, No. 22, 277 pounds, 6'2", Gary, IN
  3. Eddie Bray, left halfback, No. 52, 145 pounds, 5'8", Utica, IL
  4. George Bujan, center, No. 14, 190 pounds, 5'10", Christopher, IL
  5. Bill Butkovich, quarterback, No. 22, 165 pounds, 5'8", St. David, IL
  6. Jerry Cies, fullback, No. 95, 168 pounds, 5'10", Edwardsville, IL
  7. Raymond Ciszek, No. 20, end, 170 pounds, 5'9", Hobart, IN
  8. Robert Cunz, tackle, No. 64, 209 pounds, 5'10", DeKalb, IL
  9. Larry Forst, guard, No. 81, 215 pounds, 6'2", Chicago
  10. William C. Heiss, end, No. 18, 185 pounds, 6'1", Aurora, IL
  11. Robert Jones, tackle, No. 51, 200 pounds, 6'3", West Frankfort, IL
  12. Lester Joop, guard, No. 44, 255 pounds, 6'0", Peru, IL
  13. William “Butch” Kolens, tackle, No. 45, 185 pounds, 6’0”, Waukegan, IL
  14. William Krall, fullback, Gary, IN
  15. Gene Kwasniewski, halfback, Evanston, IL
  16. Robert Lunn, guard, No. 47, 195 pounds, 5'9", Spring Valley, IL
  17. Clyde Perkins, quarterback, No. 48, 155 pounds, 5'10", St. Clair Shores, MI
  18. Jack Pierce, halfback, No. 24, 160 pounds, 6'0", Pontiac, IL
  19. Gerald Russ, end, No. 76, 185 pounds, 6'2", Rock Island, IL
  20. Joseph Saban, fullback, La Grange, IL
  21. Ralph "Babe" Serpico, tackle and captain, No. 56, 195 pounds, 5'7", Melrose Park, IL
  22. Stanley Sprague, end, No. 38, 185 pounds, 6'2", Belleville, IL
  23. Stan Stasica, halfback, Rockford, IL
  24. Wes Tregoning, end, La Salle, IL
  25. Jim Valek, end, No. 34, 168 pounds, 5'9", Joliet, IL
  26. Mac Wenskunas, center/fullback, No. 23, 180 pounds, 5'10", Georgetown, IL
  27. Tommy Zaborac, halfback, No. 69, 205 pounds, 6'0", Canton, IL
  28. Al Zimmerman, halfback, No. 68, 157 pounds, 5'10", Chicago

[4][5]

References

  1. ^ "1945 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  2. ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ^ Ward, Arch (September 23, 1945). "Veteran Illini Eleven Defeats Pittsburgh, 23–6". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. Part 2-2. Retrieved August 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Wenskunas Named Captain, Most Valuable Player". The Daily Illini. November 25, 1945. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Illinois' 1945 Football Roster". The Daily Illini. October 4, 1945. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
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