1955 Michigan State Spartans football team

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1955 Michigan State Spartans football
Michigan State Spartans script.svg
National champion (Boand)
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 17–14 vs. UCLA
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 2
1955 record9–1 (5–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPCarl Nystrom
CaptainCarl Nystrom
Home stadiumMacklin Stadium
(Capacity: 51,000)
Seasons
← 1954
1956 →
1955 Big Ten Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Ohio State $ 6 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
No. 2 Michigan State 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 12 Michigan 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Purdue 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Illinois 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Wisconsin 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Iowa 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Minnesota 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Indiana 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Northwestern 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 8 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1955 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1955 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season in Big Ten play and their second season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 9–1 overall record (5–1 against Big Ten opponents) and were ranked No. 2 behind Oklahoma in the final AP Poll.[1][2] Michigan State was named national champion by Boand, an NCAA-designated major selector.[3]

Three Michigan State players were selected by the AP as first-team players on the 1955 All-Big Ten Conference football team: quarterback Earl Morrall, tackle Norm Masters, and guard Carl Nystrom. Halfback Jerry Planutis was selected for the second team.[4]

The 1955 Spartans won two of their three annual rivalry games. In the annual Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers by a 20–13 score. In the Notre Dame rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Fighting Irish by a 21–7 score. And, in the annual Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans suffered their only loss, losing to the Wolverines by a 14–7 score.[2]

In non-conference play, the Spartans also defeated Stanford, 38–14, and defeated UCLA, 17–14, in the 1956 Rose Bowl.[2]

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 24at Indiana
W 20–1323,000
October 1at No. 2 Michigan
L 7–1497,239
October 8No. 20 Stanford*
W 38–1447,586
October 15No. 4 Notre Dame*No. 13
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
W 21–752,007
October 22IllinoisNo. 6
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 21–751,851
October 29at WisconsinNo. 5
W 27–053,529
November 5at PurdueNo. 4
W 27–041,000
November 12MinnesotaNo. 3
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 42–1451,605
November 19Marquette*No. 3
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 33–041,814
January 2, 1956vs. No. 4 UCLA*No. 2
W 17–14100,809
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[5][6]

References[]

  1. ^ "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 155. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "1955 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  3. ^ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. p. 113. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "Cassady, Kramer, Jones Repeat on Big 10 Team". The Milwaukee Sentinel. November 22, 1955.
  5. ^ "Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  6. ^ "1955 Michigan State Spartans". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
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