1951 Houston Cougars football
Salad Bowl champion
Salad Bowl, W 26–21 vs. Dayton
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record6–5 (2–2 MVC)
Head coach
CaptainGene Shannon, John O'Hara, Buck Miller
Home stadiumRice Stadium
Seasons
← 1950
1952 →
1951 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Tulsa $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Drake 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Oklahoma A&M 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Houston 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Detroit 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Wichita 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Bradley 0 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1951 Houston Cougars football team was an American football team that represented the University of Houston in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1951 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Clyde Lee, the team compiled a 6–5 record, finished fourth in the MVC, and defeated Dayton in the 1952 Salad Bowl. Gene Shannon, John O'Hara, and Buck Miller were the team captains.[1] The team was ranked at No. 63 in the 1951 Litkenhous Ratings.[2]

The team played its home games at Rice Stadium in Houston.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 22 No. 13 Baylor*
L 0–1955,000–60,000
September 28at Detroit
W 33–713,521[3]
October 6Texas Tech*
W 6–014,651
October 13at Tulsa
L 27–4615,000
October 20Hardin–Simmons*
  • Rice Stadium
  • Houston, TX
W 35–2715,000
October 27Villanova*
  • Rice Stadium
  • Houston, TX
L 27–33
November 3at Wichita
L 14–196,000
November 10at Louisville*
L 28–352,500–3,000[4][5]
November 24Oklahoma A&M
  • Rice Stadium
  • Houston, TX
W 31–712,500
November 30at North Texas State
W 20–14[6]
January 1, 1952vs. Dayton
W 26–2117,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ^ "2018 Houston Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Houston. pp. 126, 144. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. ^ "Vols Top Final 1951 Litkenhous Ratings". The Nashville Banner. December 14, 1951. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Dick Peters (September 29, 1951). "Feeble Titans Swamped By Houston Speed Demons, 33 to 7". Detroit Free Press. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Brown, Jimmy (November 11, 1951). "Louisville Upsets Houston 35-28". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. 1, section 2. Retrieved December 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ Brown, Jimmy (November 11, 1951). "Louisville Surprises Houston (continued)". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. 6, section 2. Retrieved December 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ "Houston tops Eagles 20–14". The Austin Statesman. December 1, 1951. Retrieved November 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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