1954 Fordham Rams football
ConferenceIndependent
Record1–7–1
Head coach
Home stadiumPolo Grounds
Seasons
← 1953
1964 →
1954 Eastern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Hobart   –   8 – 0 – 0
Juniata   –   8 – 0 – 0
Pennsylvania Military   –   7 – 0 – 0
Trinity (CT)   –   7 – 0 – 0
Worcester Tech   –   6 – 0 – 0
Carnegie Tech   –   7 – 0 – 1
Boston College   –   8 – 1 – 0
Boston University   –   7 – 2 – 0
Hofstra   –   7 – 2 – 0
No. 20 Penn State   –   7 – 2 – 0
Tufts   –   6 – 2 – 0
Brown   –   6 – 2 – 1
Drexel   –   5 – 2 – 0
Bucknell   –   6 – 3 – 0
Colgate   –   5 – 2 – 2
Princeton   –   5 – 3 – 1
Yale   –   5 – 3 – 1
Cornell   –   5 – 4 – 0
Harvard   –   4 – 3 – 1
Syracuse   –   4 – 4 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   4 – 5 – 0
Franklin & Marshall   –   3 – 5 – 0
Temple   –   3 – 5 – 0
Dartmouth   –   3 – 6 – 0
Holy Cross   –   3 – 7 – 0
Buffalo   –   2 – 7 – 0
Fordham   –   1 – 7 – 1
Columbia   –   1 – 8 – 0
Villanova   –   1 – 9 – 0
Penn   –   0 – 9 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1954 Fordham Rams football team represented Fordham University as an independent during the 1954 college football season. The Rams went 1–7–1 and amassed 96 points while their defense allowed 292 points. It was their worst season since the winless 1946 campaign. Shortly afterwards, and following a disastrous, 41–0 season finale home loss to previously winless (0–9) Villanova, head coach Ed Danowski resigned.[1] Speculation grew around five coaches, all former Fordham players, rumored as replacements. In order of likeliness the candidates were Vince Lombardi, at the time a backfield coach with the New York Giants; Johnny Druze, at the time a line coach with Notre Dame; Harry Jacunski, at the time a line coach with Yale and two long shots who were each successful in the high school ranks. They were Ray Riddick, at the time head coach of Lowell High School's powerhouse program in Massachusetts and Leo Paquin, in charge of Xavier High School's program in Manhattan.[2]

In the end none of the five were chosen.[3] Instead, sighting poor attendance numbers and financial losses of $100,000 per year, the school decided to drop its football program on December, 15th.[4][5]

Alumni, many hoping Lombardi would be named head coach, led a campaign to cover all operating costs for the 1955 season and honor an already announced schedule [6] in the process. The university however stood by their decision.[7][8][9][10] After more pushing, the alumni movement was finally abandoned in May, 1955.[11] With that came the lost opportunity at hiring, arguably, the single greatest football coach of all time. They also lost the services of freshmen quarterbacks Chuck Zimmerman and Jim Reese who had platooned the freshman team to a promising 3-1 record. Reese transferred to Minnesota where in 1958 he became the first Golden Gopher to throw for 200 yards in a game. Zimmerman transferred to Syracuse where in that same season he threw for over 700 yards while leading the Orangemen to the Orange Bowl.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 2at Rutgers
W 13–710,000[12]
October 9at Boston University
L 20–5518,000[13]
October 16Boston College
L 7–2113,676[14]
October 23at Marquette
T 14–1419,500[15]
October 29at No. 10 Miami (FL)
L 7–7537,498[16]
November 6at No. 17 West Virginia
L 9–3910,000[17]
November 13Holy Cross
  • Polo Grounds
  • New York, NY
L 19–2013,557[18]
November 20Syracuse
  • Polo Grounds
  • New York, NY
L 7–2010,423[19]
November 27Villanova
  • Polo Grounds
  • New York, NY
L 0–419,699[20]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ^ "Danowski Resigns After 9 Seasons as Fordham's Football Coach; DRUZE, LOMBARDI IN LINE FOR POST but Fordham Plans Screening of All Applicants for Job Vacated by Danowski".
  2. ^ "Reference at digital.library.fordham.edu".
  3. ^ "Fordham Football 'Under Advisement' with No Decision Reached on Retention".
  4. ^ "Reference at digital.library.fordham.edu".
  5. ^ "Fordham Abandons Football, Citing 'Continuing Financial Loss'; SPORT IS DROPPED AFTER 63 SEASONS Fordham's Defection Leaves Columbia as City's Only Major College Eleven".
  6. ^ "FORDHAM TO PLAY NINE GAMES IN '55; Will Renew Football Series with Penn State, Missouri in First Two Games".
  7. ^ "Reference at digital.library.fordham.edu".
  8. ^ "FORDHAM RETAINS STAND; Sticks to Decision to Abandon Football Despite Pressure".
  9. ^ "FORDHAM ALUMNI IN FOOTBALL DRIVE; Seek to Raise $100,000 to Revive Sport Dropped by University in December".
  10. ^ "FORDHAM ALUMNI START FUND DRIVE; Group Seeks to Raise Money to Save Football Despite Opposition of School".
  11. ^ "FORDHAM ALUMNI QUIT FUND DRIVE; Abandon Move to Reinstate Football Because School's Officials Oppose It".
  12. ^ Smith, Art (October 3, 1954). "Rams Tally in 2d to Rap Rutgers, 13-7". Sunday News. New York, N.Y. p. 101 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Keane, Clif (October 10, 1954). "Boston U. Swamps Fordham, 55-20". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Roberts, Ernie (October 17, 1954). "Gagliardi, Kane Spark Eagles, 21-7". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Strickler, George (October 24, 1954). "Marquette Rallies to Tie Fordham, 14-14". Chicago Sunday Tribune. Chicago, Ill. sect. 2, p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Evans, Luther (October 30, 1954). "Revenge-Mad Miami Humiliates Fordham, 75-7". The Miami Herald. Miami, Fla. p. 14A – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ McKowen, Bob (November 7, 1954). "WVU Trims Fordham; Six Men Get Touchdowns". The Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, W.Va. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "Mountaineers Whip Rams, 39-9". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pa. November 7, 1954. sect. 4, p. 2.
  18. ^ Smith, Art (November 14, 1954). "Rams Butt, Can't Kick – Holy Cross Wins, 20-19". Sunday News. New York, N.Y. p. 100 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Reddy, Bill (November 21, 1954). "Syracuse U. Whips Fordham in Finale, 20 to 7". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, N.Y. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Turkin, Hy (November 28, 1954). "Villanova Slams Rams for First Victory, 41-0". Sunday News. New York, N.Y. p. 111 – via Newspapers.com.
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