1953 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

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1953
Memorial Stadium
Seasons
1953 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   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

The 1953 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an

AP Poll. The sole defeat was a 34–7 loss to Wisconsin.[1]

Tackle Don Ernst was selected as the team's most valuable player.[2] Sophomore halfback J. C. Caroline led the team with 1,256 rushing yards on 194 attempts (6.5 yards per carry) and was selected as a consensus first-team player on the 1953 College Football All-America Team.[3] Guard John Bauer was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as a third-team All-American.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 26
Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
  • T 21–2140,011
    October 3Stanford*
    • Memorial Stadium
    • Champaign, IL
    W 33–2132,737
    October 10at No. 3 Ohio StateW 41–2081,745
    October 17MinnesotaNo. 9
    • Memorial Stadium
    • Champaign, IL
    W 27–755,641
    October 24Syracuse*No. 7
    • Memorial Stadium
    • Champaign, IL
    W 20–1330,076
    October 31PurdueNo. 4
    • Memorial Stadium
    • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
    W 21–057,210
    November 7No. 17 MichigandaggerNo. 4
    • Memorial Stadium
    • Champaign, IL (series)
    W 19–369,507
    November 14at WisconsinNo. 3L 7–3452,887
    November 21at NorthwesternNo. 7W 3–051,039
    • *Non-conference game
    • daggerHomecoming
    • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

    Roster

    Player Position
    Peter Palmer
    Robert Bishop
    John Ryan End, Defensive Back
    Robert Lenzini (captain) Guard
    Roger Wolf
    Jan Smid Guard
    Stephen Nosek Quarterback
    John Bauer Guard, Tackle
    Michael Gaus
    Jack Chamblin
    David Bauer Defensive Back
    Paul Furimsky
    Dean Wilmann
    Dale Foster
    Paul Luhrsen
    Baird Stewart
    James Pollitt
    Richard Kohlhagen
    Kenneth Swienton
    Floyd McAfee
    James Calder
    Ronald Yochem
    Robert Wiman
    Don Ernst
    Randall Rayborn
    Francis Hoffman
    Joseph Yusko
    Walter Vernasco End
    Donald Bostrom
    James Bronson
    Em Lindbeck
    Hugh Woodson
    Patrick Phillips
    Jerry Markbreit
    George Walsh
    Clarence DeMoss Halfback
    Herbert Badal
    James Minor
    Terry Matthews
    Kenneth Miller Fullback
    Stan Wallace Defensive Back
    Donald Tate
    James Dunne
    Jack Sopkin
    Robert Alexander
    Gus Mackris
    Roger Meuller
    Richard Piggott
    Charles Schiesser
    Richard Rosenberg
    Robert Desenfants
    Rudolf Siegert
    Donald Grothe
    Thomas Miller Placekicker
    J. C. Caroline Halfback, Defensive Back
    Robert Graeff
    Richard Ohls
    Melvin Bates Fullback
    Dean Renn
    Clifford Waldbeser
    Elry Falkenstein Quarterback
    Herbert Borman
    • Head coach: Ray Eliot (12th year at Illinois)

    References

    1. ^ "1953 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
    2. ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
    3. ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
    4. ^ Harry Grayson (November 29, 1953). "Harry Grayson Picks All-America for 1953". Independent Record. Helena, Montana.