The Demon Deacons spent the 1940s as a member of the Southern Conference. The decade saw the Deacons reach their first two bowl games. The first appearance came in the 1945 season, when the team reached the Gator Bowl and defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 28-14. Three seasons later, the Deacons reached the Dixie Bowl, which they lost to Baylor. The overall record for the Deacons in the 1940s was 57-36-3. The coach of the team for the entire decade was D.C. "Peahead" Walker, who is still the team's all-time winningest coach.