After winning its first four games against Utah, Stanford, California, and Oregon State, Santa Clara was ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll. The team lost to No. 14 UCLA, then rebounded with three consecutive victories, including victories over rivals San Francisco and Saint Mary's. In the final game of the season, the Broncos lost to the powerful service team assembled at Saint Mary's Preflight School.
In March 1943, coach Shaw cancelled spring football practice. At that point, 98% of the school's male students were in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and their free time was occupied by Army training. Shaw noted that "fall football looks hopeless," and added that it was "improbable that we could get a football team from among the 4-F boys or those under 18."[12]
On August 18, 1943, the school announced that it was abandoning football for the duration of World War II. Athletic director George Barsi noted that 94% of the prior year's student body was in the armed services, and the shortage of manpower made it "inadvisable to field a team".[13] The Broncos did not field a football team again until 1946.