What Is 1935 Kansas Jayhawks football team

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1935 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas during the 1935 college football season, finishing with a 4–4 overall record under head coach Phog Allen, who served his first year as the team's gridiron coach.

Key Facts

The 1935 Kansas Jayhawks finished with a 4–4 overall record.
Phog Allen became head football coach in 1935, his only season in the role.
The team played as an independent and was not part of a conference.
They scored 103 points total, averaging 12.9 points per game.
Home games were played at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

Overview

The 1935 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas during the 1935 college football season. Competing as an independent with no conference affiliation, the team was led by Phog Allen, better known for his legendary basketball career, who took over as head football coach that year.

Under Allen's sole season as gridiron coach, the Jayhawks posted a 4–4 overall record. Despite modest results, the season marked a transitional period for the program amid shifting leadership and evolving college football dynamics in the Midwest.

Record: The team finished with a 4–4 overall record, including three wins at home and one on the road, reflecting a balanced but unspectacular season.
Head Coach: Phog Allen, primarily famed for his basketball success, coached football for the first and only time in 1935 before returning to focus on basketball.
Scoring: The Jayhawks scored 103 total points across eight games, averaging 12.9 points per contest, while allowing approximately 14.5 points per game defensively.
Home Field: All home games were played at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, a venue that has hosted Jayhawks football since 1921.
Independence: The team competed as an independent, meaning they were not part of any athletic conference, a common arrangement for many schools at the time.

Season Structure and Performance

The 1935 season followed a standard eight-game schedule typical of the era, with matchups against regional opponents from both major and smaller programs. Games were played primarily on Saturdays, and travel logistics limited long-distance competition.

Opening Game: The Jayhawks opened the season with a 13–0 victory over Haskell Indians, showcasing early defensive strength and offensive cohesion.
Key Win: A 14–0 shutout of Nebraska highlighted the season, marking a significant achievement against a regional rival and boosting team morale.
Loss to Missouri: The team fell to Missouri 13–0 in the annual Border War game, a setback in one of the most storied rivalries in college football.
Road Challenges: The Jayhawks struggled away from home, winning only one of four road games, indicating difficulties in adapting to unfamiliar environments.
Season Finale: The final game was a 20–13 loss to Oklahoma, ending the season on a disappointing note despite earlier promise.
Player Development: Several underclassmen saw significant playing time, laying groundwork for future seasons under new coaching leadership.

Comparison at a Glance

The 1935 season can be better understood by comparing it to surrounding years in terms of record, coaching, and scoring trends.

Season	Record (W-L)	Head Coach	Points For	Points Against
1933	5–2–1	B.H. Paul	97	66
1934	5–3	B.H. Paul	105	78
1935	4–4	Phog Allen	103	116
1936	2–7	Ray Bussard	66	132
1937	1–7–1	Ray Bussard	41	104

The table illustrates a decline in performance following 1935, suggesting that while the 4–4 record was middling, it was better than the steep drop seen in subsequent years. Phog Allen’s brief tenure coincided with a temporary plateau before a prolonged downturn in the late 1930s.

Why It Matters

The 1935 season holds historical significance as a unique chapter in Kansas football history, marked by an unusual coaching appointment and transitional program dynamics. It serves as a case study in how cross-sport leadership and scheduling independence influenced team performance during the early 20th century.

Coaching Experiment: Phog Allen’s move from basketball to football underscores the fluid roles coaches played before specialization became standard in college athletics.
Historical Context: The 1935 season occurred during the Great Depression, affecting travel budgets, attendance, and athlete recruitment across college sports.
Rivalry Continuity: Games against Missouri and Nebraska maintained key regional rivalries that remain important in Big 12 football today.
Program Legacy: Though not a standout season, it contributed to the long-term development of the Kansas football identity and tradition.
Statistical Baseline: The team’s scoring and defensive metrics provide a benchmark for analyzing future improvements and declines.
Memorial Stadium: Continued use of the stadium reinforced its role as a central fixture in Kansas athletics and fan culture.

While the 1935 Kansas Jayhawks did not achieve national prominence, the season remains a notable footnote in the evolution of the program, reflecting broader trends in college sports during a transformative era.