1952 Michigan State Spartans football
Consensus national champion
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record9–0
Head coach
MVPDick Tamburo
CaptainDonald McAuliffe
Home stadiumMacklin Stadium
(capacity: 51,000)
Seasons
← 1951
1953 →
1952 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Michigan State   –   9 – 0 – 0
No. 3 Notre Dame   –   7 – 2 – 1
Carthage   –   5 – 2 – 0
Youngstown   –   4 – 3 – 1
Wabash   –   5 – 4 – 0
Dayton   –   6 – 5 – 0
Baldwin–Wallace   –   4 – 4 – 0
Wayne   –   4 – 4 – 0
Bradley   –   4 – 5 – 0
John Carroll   –   4 – 5 – 0
Washington University   –   4 – 5 – 0
Rose Poly   –   3 – 4 – 1
Xavier   –   4 – 6 – 0
Marquette   –   3 – 5 – 1
Drake   –   2 – 7 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1952 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1952 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, the Spartans recorded a perfect 9–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 312 to 84, and were recognized as the 1952 national champion.[1][2] The season was part of a 28-game winning streak that began in October 1950 and continued until October 1953.

In the final AP Poll released on December 1, 1952, Michigan State was ranked No. 1 with 2,683 points, more than 400 points ahead of No. 2 Georgia Tech.[3] The Spartans also finished with the No. 1 ranking in the final UPI coaches poll.[4][5] The team was also recognized as the 1952 national champion in later analyses issued by the Boand System, DeVold System, Dunkel System, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin Ratings, and Williamson System.[6]: 113  It was Michigan State's first consensus national championship.[6]: 120  Five other selectors chose Georgia Tech as national champion. It was also Michigan State's last year as a football independent, as the Spartans became a football member of the Big Ten Conference in 1953.

Four Michigan State players were recognized on the 1952 All-America college football team: back Don McAuliffe (first-team honors from the United Press, All-America Board, and Collier's); center Dick Tamburo (first-team honors from the Associated Press, Central Press Association, and International News Service); guard Frank Kush (first-team honors from the Associated Press); and end Ed Luke (second-team honors from the Associated Press).[7]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Tom Yewcic with 941 passing yards, halfback Billy Wells with 585 rushing yards, end Ellis Duckett with 323 receiving yards, and halfbacks Don McAuliffe and Leroy Bolden with 54 points each.[8]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 27at MichiganNo. 1
W 27–1397,239[9]
October 4at Oregon StateNo. 1
W 17–1422,595[10]
October 11Texas A&MNo. 2
W 48–649,123[11]
October 18SyracuseNo. 1
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 48–738,254[12]
October 25No. 17 Penn StatedaggerNo. 1
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
W 34–751,162[13]
November 1at No. 8 PurdueNo. 1
W 14–749,500[14]
November 8at IndianaNo. 1
W 41–1422,000[15]
November 15No. 6 Notre DameNo. 1
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
W 21–352,472[16]
November 22MarquetteNo. 1
  • Macklin Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 62–1335,845[17]
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

Roster

[18]

Coaching staff

1953 NFL Draft

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Paul Dekker End 3 27 Washington Redskins
Dick Tamburo Center 4 47 Cleveland Browns
Ed Timmerman Back 14 160 Washington Redskins
Jim Ellis Back 25 299 Cleveland Browns

[19]

References

  1. ^ "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 154. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "1952 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "Michigan State Wins Final AP Poll, Beating Out Georgia Tech: Spartans Take Emblem Of U.S. Championship, The O'Donnell Trophy". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 2, 1952. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Michigan State tops press poll; jackets second". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. December 2, 1952. p. 3B.
  5. ^ Miller, Norman (December 2, 1952). "Board of coaches selects Michigan State's great Spartans for mythical title for '52". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). United Press. p. 2.
  6. ^ a b 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  7. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1228. ISBN 1401337031.
  8. ^ "1952 Michigan State Spartans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ George S. Alderton (September 28, 1952). "State Racks Up 16th Win in Row". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ George S. Alderton (October 5, 1952). "Gene Lekenta's Last-Play Field Goal Earns 'S' 17 to 14 Hair-Raiser Over Oregon State". Lansing State Journal. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Spartans Spin Texans, 48 to 6". Lansing State Journal. October 12, 1952. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ George S. Alderton (October 19, 1952). "Spartans –All 61– Win 19th Straight". Lansing State Journal. pp. 53–54 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ George S. Alderton (October 26, 1952). "Spartan '11' Entertains Grads, 34 to 7". Lansing State Journal. pp. 57, 61 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ George S. Alderton (November 2, 1952). "Michigan State Stops Purcue, 14-7". Lansing State Journal. pp. 61, 65 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ George S. Alderton (November 9, 1952). "State Wins Rough Tilt From Indiana: MSC Adds Hoosiers to Victim List". Lansing State Journal. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ George Alderton (November 16, 1952). "MSC Defense Shines In 21 to 3 Decision". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 57 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ George S. Alderton (November 23, 1952). "State Ends Second Undefeated Season: Slaughters Marquette For No. 24". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ George S. Alderton (September 26, 1952). "Spartans in Strange Role as Game Favorite". Lansing State Journal. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "1953 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
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