1958 Wheaton Crusaders football team

The 1958 Wheaton Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented Wheaton College as a member of the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) during the 1958 NAIA football season. In their 15th year under head coach Harvey Chrouser, the Crusaders compiled a perfect 8–0 record (7–0 in conference games), won the CCI championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 357 to 70.^[1][2] It was Wheaton's seventh consecutive CCI championship.^[3]

The team led the country's small colleges in total offense with an average of 466 yards per game.^[4] It also set a single-game CCI record by scoring 90 points on 12 touchdowns against Elmhurst. The prior record was 81 points by both teams.^[5]

Senior quarterback Bruce Anderson was selected as Wheaton's most valuable player. He set a new Wheaton record by completing 33 of 58 passes for 638 yards and nine touchowns.^[6][7] Senior tackle Bob Bakke was selected as a first-team player on the 1958 Little All-America college football team.^[8]

Wheaton players were selected by the conference coaches to fill ten spots on the first team of the 1958 All-CCI football team: Don Branda (halfback on offense, defense at back); fullback Steve Murray; end (offense) Dick Foushee; guard (offense) Al Seeland; tackle (offense) Dick Plaep; end (defense) Bill Hoppel; tackle (defense) Bob Bakke; linebacker Skippy Meier; and back Bruce Whipple (defense).^[9]

Bob Bakke and Bill Hoppel were Wheaton's co-captains.^[10]

The team played its home games at McCully Field in Wheaton, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	Northern Illinois*	McCully Field Wheaton, IL	W 40–20		[11]
September 27	Lake Forest	McCully Field Wheaton, IL	W 48–0		[12]
October 4	at Augustana (IL)	Rock Island, IL	W 67–12		[13][14]
October 11	Elmhurst	McCully Field Wheaton, IL	W 90–6		[15]
October 18	at Millikin	Millikin Field Decatur, IL	W 26–0		[16]
October 25	at Carroll (WI)	Waukesha, WI	W 16–12		[17]
November 1	North Central (IL)	McCully Field Wheaton, IL	W 33–6	6,500	[18]
November 8	at Illinois Wesleyan	Bloomington, IL	W 37–14		[19]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References