1953 Michigan Wolverines football team

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1953 Michigan Wolverines football
1953 Michigan Football Team.jpg
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 20
1953 record6–3 (3–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
  • Bennie Oosterbaan (6th season)
MVPTony Branoff
CaptainDick O'Shaughnessy
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
Seasons
← 1952
1954 →
1953 Big Ten Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Michigan State + 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 7 Illinois + 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 1
No. 15 Wisconsin 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Ohio State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Minnesota 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
No. 20 Michigan 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
No. 9 Iowa 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Purdue 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Indiana 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Northwestern 0 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1953 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1953 Big Ten Conference football season. In its sixth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record (3–3 against conference opponents), tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, outscored opponents by a combined total of 163 to 101, and was ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Polls.[1][2]

Center Dick O'Shaughnessy was the team captain, and right halfback Tony Branoff received the team's most valuable player award.[2] Two Michigan players received All-Big Ten honors: left end Bob Topp was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player, and left halfback Ted Kress.[2][3]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Duncan McDonald with 293 passing yards, Tony Branoff with 501 rushing yards, and Bob Topp with 331 receiving yards.[4]

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 26Washington*
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 50–044,086
October 3Tulane*No. 4
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 26–751,960
October 10IowaNo. 5
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 14–1349,551
October 17NorthwesternNo. 5
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 20–1264,420
October 24at MinnesotaNo. 5
L 0–2262,795
October 31Penn*daggerNo. 16
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
W 24–1456,795
November 7at No. 4 IllinoisNo. 17
L 3–1969,507
November 14at No. 4 Michigan State
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
L 6–1451,421
November 21Ohio State
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 20–087,048
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game

[1][2]

Statistical leaders[]

Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1953 season include those listed below.[4][5]

Rushing[]

Player Attempts Net yards Yards per attempt Touchdowns
Tony Branoff 100 501 5.0 5
Ted Kress 101 339 3.4 5
Bob Hurley 47 282 6.0 1

Passing[]

Player Attempts Completions Interceptions Comp % Yards Yds/Comp TD Long
Duncan McDonald 46 20 3 43.5 293 14.7 4 49
Lou Baldacci 51 21 6 41.2 285 13.6 1 36
Ted Kress 43 19 7 44.2 238 12.5 1 44

Receiving[]

Player Receptions Yards Yds/Recp TD Long
Bob Topp 23 331 14.4 2 66
Gene Knutson 11 201 18.3 1 33
Tony Branoff 11 151 13.7 1 44

Kickoff returns[]

Player Returns Yards Yds/Return TD Long
Ted Kress 10 203 20.3 0 33
Tony Branoff 6 130 21.7 0 28

Punt returns[]

Player Returns Yards Yds/Return TD Long
Tony Branoff 8 90 11.3 0 18
Ted Kress 12 63 5.3 0 16

Personnel[]

Letter winners[]

Dick O'Shaughnessy, captain of the 1953 team
End Bob Topp

The following 31 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1953 team.[6] Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]

  • Fred Baer, 5'11", 180 pounds, junior, LaGrange, IL - fullback
  • Lou Baldacci, 6'0", 205 pounds, sophomore, Akron, OH - started 9 games at quarterback
  • James T. Balog, 6'3", 210 pounds, senior, Wheaton, IL - started 9 games at left tackle
  • Richard E. Balzhiser,[7] 6'0", 186 pounds, senior, Wheaton, IL - started 9 games at fullback
  • Richard A. Beison, 6'0", 200 pounds, senior, East Chicago, IN - started 9 games at right guard
  • Donald C. Bennett, 6'2", 195 pounds, senior, Chicago - tackle
  • Tony Branoff, 5'11", 180 pounds, sophomore, Flint, MI - started 9 games at right halfback
  • Theodore J. Cachey, 5'11", 185 pounds, senior, Chicago - guard
  • J. Daniel Cline, 5'10", 168 pounds, junior, Brockport, NY - halfback
  • Donald Dugger, 5'10", 185 pounds, senior, Charleston, WV - started 9 games at left end
  • George S. Dutter, 6'2", 190 pounds, senior, Fort Wayne, IN - end
  • James W. Fox, 6'0", 185 pounds, sophomore, Saginaw, MI - guard
  • H. Ronald Geyer, 6'2", 220 pounds, junior, Toledo, OH - tackle
  • Edward L. Hickey, 5'8", 160 pounds, senior, Anaconda, MT - halfback
  • Robert S. Hurley, 5'10", 180 pounds, senior, Alamosa, CO- fullback
  • Raymond K. Kenaga, 5'11", 170 pounds, junior, Sterling, IL - quarterback
  • Eugene P. Knutson, 6'4", 210 pounds, senior, Beloit, WI - started 8 games at right end
  • William P. Kolesar, 6'0", 190 pounds, sophomore, Mentor, OH - tackle
  • Ted Kress, 5'11", 175 pounds, senior, Kansas City, MO - started 9 games at left halfback
  • Duncan B. McDonald, 6'0", 175 pounds, junior, Flint, MI - quarterback
  • G. Edgar Meads, 6'0", 190 pounds, sophomore, Oxford, MI - guard
  • John M. Morrow, 6'2", 220 pounds, sophomore, Ann Arbor, MI - started 4 games at center
  • Dick O'Shaughnessy, 5'11", 190 pounds, senior, Seaford, NY - started 5 games at center
  • H. John Peckham Jr., 6'2", 220 pounds, sophomore, Sioux Falls, SD - center
  • Thad C. Stanford, 6'0", 175 pounds, senior, Midland, MI - end
  • Dick Strozewski, 6'0", 205 pounds, senior, South Bend, IN - started 9 games at left tackle
  • Bob Topp, 6'2", 190 pounds, senior, Kalamazoo, MI - started 8 games at left end, 1 game at right end
  • John J. Veselenak, 6'2", 190 pounds, junior, Flint, MI - end
  • Art Walker, 5'11" 200 pounds, junior, South Haven, MI - tackle
  • Gerald H. Williams, 6'2", 188 pounds, sophomore, Flint, MI - started 1 game at left end
  • Ronald M. Williams, 5'9", 185 pounds, senior, Massillon, OH - guard

Coaches and staff[]

Michigan's 1953 coaching, training, and support staff included the following persons.[2]

Oosterbaan lifted to players' shoulders after 20-0 win over Ohio State
  • Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
  • Assistant coaches:
  • Trainer: Jim Hunt
  • Manager: Richard Petrie

Awards and honors[]

Tony Branoff, 1954 Most Valuable Player

Honors and awards for the 1953 season went to the following individuals.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "1953 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "1953 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Coaches Pick Gopher's Giel". Ludington Daily News. November 24, 1953. p. 6.
  4. ^ a b "1953 Michigan Wolverines Statistics". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2017.(statistics retrieved by entering "1953" in the box for "Games & Totals by Season" and then, at the next screen, choosing "Display Season Totals")
  6. ^ "31 Wolverines Given Major Grid Letters". The Michigan Daily. November 24, 1953. p. 3.
  7. ^ Balzhiser was the first University of Michigan athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
  8. ^ a b c d "Robinson, Orwig In New Grid Jobs". March 26, 1953. p. 3 – via Bentley Historical Library.
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