1952 Michigan Wolverines football team
1952 Michigan Wolverines football | |
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Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Record | 5–4 (4–2 Big Ten) |
Head coach |
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MVP | Ted Topor |
Captain | Merritt Green |
Home stadium | Michigan Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 Wisconsin + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 Purdue + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Ohio State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michigan | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota | 3 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1952 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1952 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fifth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 5–4 record (4–2 against conference opponents), tied for fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 207 to 134.[1][2] For the second consecutive season, Michigan was not ranked in the final AP Poll; it was ranked at No. 17 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.[3]
Defensive end Merritt Green was the team captain, and quarterback Tony Branoff received the team's most valuable player award.[2]
Lowell Perry was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a first-team defensive back on the 1952 College Football All-America Team.[4] Five Michigan players received All-Big Ten honors: linebacker Roger Zatkoff (AP-1, UP-1); guard Bob Timm (AP-1); center Dick O'Shaugnessy (UP-1); left halfback Ted Kress (UP-1); and defensive tackle Art Walker (AP-1).[5][6]
The team's statistical leaders included Ted Kress with 559 passing yards and 623 rushing yards and Lowell Perry with 492 receiving yards.[7]
Schedule
[edit]Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 27 | No. 1 Michigan State* | L 13–27 | 96,490 | [8] | ||
October 4 | at Stanford* | L 7–14 | 25,000 | |||
October 11 | Indiana |
| W 28–13 | 53,840 | ||
October 18 | at Northwestern | W 48–14 | 40,000 | |||
October 25 | Minnesota | No. 19 |
| W 21–0 | 72,404 | |
November 1 | Illinois | No. 15 |
| L 13–22 | 65,595 | |
November 8 | Cornell* |
| W 49–7 | 48,614 | [9] | |
November 15 | No. 10 Purdue | No. 20 |
| W 21–10 | 58,964 | |
November 22 | at Ohio State | No. 12 | L 7–27 | 81,541 | ||
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Game summaries
[edit]Northwestern
[edit]Statistical leaders
[edit]Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1952 season include those listed below.[7][11]
Rushing
[edit]Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
Ted Kress | 135 | 627 | 4.6 | 6 |
Tony Branoff | 86 | 342 | 4.0 | 2 |
Dick Balzhiser | 75 | 327 | 4.4 | 2 |
Passing
[edit]Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
Ted Kress | 85 | 45 | 7 | 52.9 | 559 | 12.4 | 4 | 52 |
Ted Topor | 58 | 33 | 4 | 56.9 | 440 | 13.3 | 2 | 25 |
Duncan McDonald | 17 | 7 | 2 | 41.2 | 90 | 12.9 | 2 | 38 |
Receiving
[edit]Player | Receptions | Yards | Yds/Recp | TD | Long |
Lowell Perry | 31 | 492 | 15.9 | 5 | 52 |
Ted Topor | 18 | 208 | 11.6 | 4 | 32 |
Thad Stanford | 12 | 200 | 16.7 | 0 | 48 |
Kickoff returns
[edit]Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
Tony Branoff | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 0 | 31 |
Don Oldham | 7 | 123 | 17.6 | 0 | 30 |
Frank Howell | 6 | 100 | 16.7 | 0 | 26 |
Punt returns
[edit]Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
Lowell Perry | 12 | 73 | 6.1 | 0 | 15 |
Don Oldham | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 0 | |
Dave Tinkham | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 6 |
Personnel
[edit]Letter winners
[edit]The following players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1953 team. Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]
- Fred Baer, 5'11", 180 pounds, sophomore, La Grange, IL – started 3 games at fullback
- James Balog, 6'3", 210 pounds, junior, Wheaton, IL – started 8 games as defensive right tackle
- Richard Balzhiser[12] 6'1", 185 pounds, junior, Wheaton, IL – started 5 games at fullback
- James V. Bates, 6'0", 195 pounds, sophomore, Farmington, MI - end
- Richard Beison, 6'0", 200 pounds, junior, East Chicago, IN – started 8 games at offensive right guard
- Donald Bennett, 6'2", 195 pounds, junior, Chicago, IL – started 4 games as offensive left tackle
- William E. Billings, 5'11", 180 pounds, senior, Flint, MI - quarterback
- Tony Branoff, 5'1", 180 pounds, freshman, Flint, MI – started 6 games as right halfback
- Ted Cachey, 5'11", 185 pounds, junior, Chicago, IL - guard
- J. Daniel Cline, 5'10", 168 pounds, sophomore, Brockport, NY - halfback
- Robert Dingman, 6'0", 180 pounds, senior, Saginaw, MI - end
- Donald Dugger, 5'10", 178 pounds, junior, Charleston, WV - guard
- George Dutter, 6'2", 190 pounds, junior, Fort Wayne, IN – started 9 games as defensive right guard
- H. Ronald Geyer, 6'2", 215 pounds, sophomore, Toledo, OH - tackle
- Merritt Green, 6'0", 180 pounds, senior, Toledo, OH – started 9 games as defensive left end
- Frank Howell, 5'8", 165 pounds, senior, Muskegon Heights, MI – started 3 games as right halfback, 1 game as safety
- Robert Hurley, 5'10", 185 pounds, junior, Alaamosa, CO - fullback
- Stanley Knickerbocker, 5'10", 165 pounds, sophomore, Chelsea, MI - halfback
- Gene Knutson, 6'4", 210 pounds, junior, Beloit, WI – started 9 games as defensive right end
- Ted Kress, 5'11", 175 pounds, junior, Detroit – started 9 games as left halfback
- Laurence LeClair, 6'0", 190 pounds, senior, Anaconda, MT – started 9 games as linebacker
- Robert K. Matheson, 5'10", 190 pounds, senior, Detroit - guard
- Duncan McDonald, 6'0", 175 pounds, sophomore, Flint, MI - quarterback
- Wayne F. Melchiori, 6'0", 185 pounds, senior, Stambaugh, MI - center
- Don Oldham, 5'9", 167 pounds, senior, Indianapolis – started 4 games as defensive back, 2 games as safety
- Dick O'Shaughnessy, 5'11", 190 pounds, junior, Seaford, NY – started 9 games at center
- Bernhardt Pederson, 6'2", 215 pounds, senior, Marquette, MI -started 6 games at offensive right tackle
- Lowell Perry, 6'0", 180 pounds, senior, Ypsilanti, MI – started 9 games as offensive left end, 4 games as safety
- Russell Rescorla, 5'11", 180 pounds, senior, Grand Haven, MI – started 3 games as defensive back
- Thad Stanford, 6'0", 190 pounds, junior, Midland, MI – started 9 games at offensive right end
- Ralph Stribe, 6'1", 205 pounds, senior, Detroit - tackle
- Dick Strozewski, 6'0", 200 pounds, senior, South Bend, IN – started 5 games as offensive left tackle
- Bob Timm, 5'11", 185 pounds, senior, Toledo, OH – started 8 games as offensive left guard
- David Tinkham, 5'10", 178 pounds, senior, East Grand Rapids, MI – started 9 games as defensive back
- Ted Topor, 6'1", 212 pounds, senior, East Chicago, IN – started 9 games as quarterback
- Bob Topp, 6'2", 190 pounds, junior, Kalamazoo, MI - end
- Art Walker, 5'11", 198 pounds, sophomore, South Haven, MI – started 9 games as defensive left tackle
- Ronald Williams, 5'9", 185 pounds, junior, Massillon, OH – started 7 games as defensive left guard
- Thomas Witherspoon, 5'11", 185 pounds, senior, Detroit - halfback
- Roger Zatkoff, 6'2", 210 pounds, senior, Hamtramck, MI – started 9 games as linebacker, 1 game as offensive right tackle
Coaching staff
[edit]- Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
- Assistant coaches:[13]
- Jack Blott - line coach
- George Ceithaml - backfield coach
- Cliff Keen - head wrestling coach and assistant football coach
- Bill Orwig - end coach
- Don Robinson - junior varsity coach
- Wally Weber - freshman coach and scout
- J. T. White - assistant line coach
- Trainer: Jim Hunt
- Manager: Gerry Dudley
Awards and honors
[edit]Honors and awards for the 1952 season went to the following individuals.[2]
- Captain: Merritt Green
- All-Americans: Lowell Perry[4]
- All-Conference: Roger Zatkoff, Art Walker, Bob Timm, Dick O'Shaughnessy, Ted Kress
- Most Valuable Player: Ted Topor
- Meyer Morton Award: Gene Knutson
References
[edit]- ^ a b "1952 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "1952 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ "Michigan State Tops Litratings; Tech Is Runnerup". The Nashville Banner. October 19, 1952. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1228. ISBN 1401337031.
- ^ "3 Badgers on AP All Big Ten Team". The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin. November 24, 1952. p. 19.
- ^ Ed Sainsbury (November 26, 1952). "Michigan, Badgers Each Land Trio On All-Big Ten Squad". Nevada State Journal. p. 11.
- ^ a b "1952 Michigan Wolverines Statistics". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ George S. Alderton (September 28, 1952). "State Racks Up 16th Win in Row". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Middlesworth, Hal (November 9, 1952). "Cornell Pays Penalty for Upset, 49-7". The Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Mich. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ University of Michigan Football Record Book Pt. 1
- ^ "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 "1952" in the box for "Games & Totals by Season" and then, at the next screen, choosing "Display Season Totals")
- ^ Balzhiser was the first University of Michigan athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Expert Coaching Staff Makes Wolverines Grid Power". The Michigan Daily. September 17, 1952. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.