| Year: | 1943 |
| Team: | Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Aprank: | 2 |
| Record: | 9–1 |
| Head Coach: | Don Faurot |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Stadium: | Iowa Stadium |
The 1943 Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football team represented the United States Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa as an independent during the 1943 college football season. In the second season of intercollegiate football at the pre-flight school, the team compiled a 9–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 277 to 98, and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll.[1] [2]
In July 1943, Don Faurot—previously the head football coach at Missouri and recently enlisted in the Navy with a rank of lieutenant—was assigned to take over from Bernie Bierman as the team's head coach.[3] Upon arriving in Iowa City in August, 100 candidates tried out at Faurot's first football practice session. Faurot said he would use a T formation and promised at the time that "we will have a fighting squad and a fighting team."[4]
Four Iowa Pre-Flight players were named to the Associated Press' 1943 AP Service All-America team. Center Vince Banonis and back Dick Todd were named to the first team. End Perry Schwartz and guard Nick Kerasiotis were named to the second team.[5]
In the final Litkenhous Ratings, Iowa Pre-Flight ranked fifth among the nation's college and service teams with a rating of 113.5.[6]
See also: 1943 NCAA football rankings.
Players who started at least half of the games are shown in bold.[8]
| Player | Position | Previous team | Games started | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vince Banonis | Center | Chicago Cardinals (1942) | 5 games: OSU, FR, Marquette, CG, ND | |
| Burk | End | 1 game: MN | ||
| Bob Carlson | Tackle | 9 games: Illinois, OSU, Iowa, Missouri, FR, Marquette, CG, ND, MN | ||
| Ray Carlson | Guard | 3 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU | ||
| Chesbro | End | 3 games: Marquette, ND, MN | ||
| Claffey | Tackle | 1 games: ISU | ||
| Clements | End | 9 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU, Iowa, Missouri, FR, Marquette, CG, ND | ||
| Connor | End | 2 games: FR, CG | ||
| Dusenbury | End | 5 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU, Iowa, Missouri | ||
| Back | Marquette (1934-1936) | 2 games: ND, MN | ||
| Angelo Guerriero | Center | 3 games: ISU, Iowa, Missouri | ||
| Heinz | Halfback | 5 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU, Marquette, CG | ||
| Higgins | Halfback | 2 games: ND, MN | ||
| Hook | Guard | 2 games: Marquette, CG | ||
| Jebb | Center | 1 game: Illinois | ||
| Nick Kerasiotis | Guard | Ambrose | 9 games: OSU, ISU, Iowa, Missouri, FR, Marquette, CG, ND, MN | |
| Dick Kieppe | Halfback | Michigan State | 2 games: Iowa, Missouri | |
| Kramer | Tackle | 4 games: Marquette, CG, ND, MN | ||
| Large | Tackle | 3 games: Iowa, Missouri, FR | ||
| Magel | Tackle | 3 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU | ||
| Frank Maznicki | Halfback | Chicago Bears (1942) | 7 games: OSU, ISU, Iowa, Missouri, FR, Marquette, CG | |
| Bus Mertes | Fullback | Iowa (1941) | 10 games: Illinois, OSU, ISU, Iowa, Missouri, FR, Marquette, CG, ND, MN | |
| Olson | Center | 1 game: MN | ||
| End | Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1942) | No starts | ||
| Jimmy Smith | HB, QB | Illinois | 7 games: Illinois (HB), OSU (QB), ISU (QB), Iowa (QB), CG (QB), ND (QB), MN (QB) | |
| Back | Pittsburgh | No starts | ||
| Tobin | Guard | 5 games: Iowa, Missouri, FR, ND, MN | ||
| Halfback | Washington Redskins (1939–1942) | 1 game: FR | ||
| Williams | QB | 4 games: Illinois, Missouri, FR, Marquette | ||
| Ziebarth | Guard | 1 game: Illinois |