1953 Michigan Wolverines football team

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]

1953 Michigan Wolverines football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 20
1953 record6–3 (3–3 Big Ten)
Head coachBennie Oosterbaan (6th season)
MVPTony Branoff
CaptainDick O'Shaughnessy
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
1953 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW 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

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*
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*No. 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
L 6–1451,421
November 21Ohio State
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)
W 20–087,048
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • 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
PlayerAttemptsNet yardsYards per attemptTouchdowns
Tony Branoff1005015.05
Ted Kress1013393.45
Bob Hurley472826.01

Passing
PlayerAttemptsCompletionsInterceptionsComp %YardsYds/CompTDLong
Duncan McDonald4620343.529314.7449
Lou Baldacci5121641.228513.6136
Ted Kress4319744.223812.5144

Receiving
PlayerReceptionsYardsYds/RecpTDLong
Gene Topp2333114.4266
Gene Knutson1120118.3133
Tony Branoff1115113.7144

Kickoff returns
PlayerReturnsYardsYds/ReturnTDLong
Ted Kress1020320.3033
Tony Branoff613021.7028

Punt returns
PlayerReturnsYardsYds/ReturnTDLong
Tony Branoff89011.3018
Ted Kress12635.3016

Players
Dick O'Shaughnessy, captain of the 1953 team

The starting lineup of the 1953 football team was made up of the following players. Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]

  • Lou Baldacci - started 9 games at quarterback
  • James Balog - started 9 games at left tackle
  • Richard Balzhiser[6] - started 9 games at fullback
  • Richard Beison - started 9 games at right guard
  • Tony Branoff - started 9 games at right halfback
  • Donald Dugger - started 9 games at left end
  • Gene Knutson - started 8 games at right end
  • Ted Kress - started 9 games at left halfback
  • John Morrow - started 4 games at center
  • Dick O'Shaughnessy - started 5 games at center
  • Dick Strozewski - started 9 games at left tackle
  • Bob Topp - started 8 games at left end, 1 game at right end
  • Jerry Williams - started 1 game at left end

Awards and honors

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

Coaching 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

Notes
  1. "1953 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. "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. "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. Balzhiser was the first University of Michigan athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
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