The team's prior head coach, George Sauer, enlisted in the Navy in April 1942.[2] Justice, who had been the team's line coach, was named as Sauer's successor in early May.[3]
After the 1942 season, the Wildcats' football program would be idle due to World War II until a four-game limited schedule in 1944, with their next full season being 1946.
Highlights
This was the Wildcats' first undefeated football season in school history.[1] New Hampshire averaged 310 yards rushing per game, while holding their opponents to a 225-yard average, and completed 47% of their passes while holding opponents to 25% pass completion.[1]Running back Theo "Tuffy" Fitanides gained 735 yards on 144 carries,[1] while missing the final game of the season due to an injury sustained during military training on campus.[5] Fitanides was later selected to captain New Hampshire's 1943 team;[6] however, the season was cancelled due to the war.[7] Fitanides became the first Wildcat drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team, being selected in the fifth round of the 1944 NFL draft by the New York Giants.[8]
‡ Games against Colby and Bates were cancelled due to an expected delay in players arriving at the university due to "working in war industries during the summer".[9]
The 1942 game remains the last time that the New Hampshire and Norwich football programs have met.[20]
Wildcat captain Charles Judd became a high school teacher and restaurant owner; he died in July 2006 at age 89.[21] Tuffy Fitanides died in March 2012 at age 90.[22]
