1951 Michigan State Spartans football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1951
| team = Michigan State Spartans
| sport = football
| image = 1951 Michigan State Spartans football team.png
| image_size = 285
| conference = Independent
| CoachRank = 2
| APRank = 2
| record = 9–0
| head_coach = Biggie Munn
| hc_year = 5th
| mvp = Don Coleman
| captain = LeRoy R. Crane
| stadium = Macklin Stadium
| champion = National champion (Billingsley, Helms, Poling)
}}
{{1951 Midwestern college football independents records}}
The 1951 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1951 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Biggie Munn, the Spartans compiled a perfect 9–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 270 to 114.{{cite news|title=2016 Football Media Guide|publisher=Michigan State University|pages=146, 154|access-date=June 16, 2017|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/msu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/msu-media-guide-history-145-19.pdf|archive-date=January 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117203046/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/msu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/msu-media-guide-history-145-19.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=1951 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=June 16, 2017|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan-state/1951-schedule.html}} The Spartans played their home games at Macklin Stadium (now known as Spartan Stadium) in East Lansing, Michigan.
In the final AP and UPI coaches polls, both released on December 3, 1951, Michigan State was ranked No. 2 behind No. 1 Tennessee. Tennessee went on to lose to No. 3 Maryland in the 1952 Sugar Bowl. However, neither the AP nor UPI took post-bowl poll in this time period. In later rankings and analyses, Michigan State was recognized as the 1951 national champion by three NCAA-recognized selectors: Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation, and Poling System. Other selectors have designated Maryland as the national champion.{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf | title=2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records | publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association | date=August 2018 | access-date=December 11, 2018 |page=113}}
Two Michigan State players, end Bob Carey and tackle Don Coleman, were recognized as consensus first-team players on the 1951 College Football All-America Team.{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=October 21, 2017|page=8|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf}} Two other Spartans were designated as first-team All-Americans by one or more selectors: Al Dorow (first-team defensive back selected by the International News Service) and Jim Ellis (first-team defensive back selected by the Chicago Tribune.{{cite news|title=Wheat, Lauricella, Daffer Named on INS All-America Team|newspaper=Rome News-Tribune|agency=INS|date=November 26, 1951}}{{cite news|author=Arch Ward|title=Players Name 1951 All-American Teams: Football Stars Who Rate as Nation's Best Offensive Group|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=December 9, 1951|url=https://secure.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/498371282.html?dids=498371282:498371282&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+09,+1951&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=PLAYERS+NAME+1951+ALL-AMERICA+TEAMS&pqatl=google|access-date=September 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303122401/https://secure.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/498371282.html?dids=498371282:498371282&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+09,+1951&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=PLAYERS+NAME+1951+ALL-AMERICA+TEAMS&pqatl=google|archive-date=March 3, 2012|url-status=dead}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1951
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 22
| w/l = w
| rank = 2
| opponent = Oregon State
| site_stadium = Macklin Stadium
| site_cityst = East Lansing, MI
| score = 6–0
| attend = 33,373
| source = {{cite news|title=Spartans Edge Past OSC To Win 1951 Opener, 6-0: Ellis Paces Team With Long Runs|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=September 23, 1951|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182296/spartans-edge-past-osc-to-win-1951/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 29
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 2
| opponent = Michigan
| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium
| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 25–0
| attend = 97,239
| source = {{cite news|title=Spartan Power Crushes Wolverine Hopes, 25-0: MSC's Defense Is Rock-Ribbed; Ellis, Benson and Dorow Spark Win; Widest Margin Over Michigan|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=September 30, 1951|pages=1, IV-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182549/spartan-power-crushes-wolverine-hopes/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 6
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 1
| opponent = Ohio State
| opprank = 7
| site_stadium = Ohio Stadium
| site_cityst = Columbus, OH
| score = 24–20
| attend = 82,640
| source = {{cite news|title=Never-Say-Die Spartans Tip OSU|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Tommy Devine|date=October 7, 1951|pages=C1, C3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99226111/never-say-die-spartans-tip-osu/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 13
| w/l = w
| rank = 1
| opponent = Marquette
| site_stadium = Macklin Stadium
| site_cityst = East Lansing, MI
| score = 20–14
| attend = 39,251
| source = {{cite news|title=Late Rally by Michigan State Turns Back Marquette, 20-14: Spartans Overcome 8-Point Deficit|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=October 14, 1951|page=63|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99226591/late-rally-by-michigan-state-turns-back/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 20
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 3
| opponent = Penn State
| site_stadium = New Beaver Field
| site_cityst = University Park, PA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 32–21
| attend = 30,684
| source = {{cite news|title=Michigan State's Second-Half Rally Beats Lions, 32-21|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|author=Carl Hughes|date=October 21, 1951|page=61|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99227059/michigan-states-second-half-rally/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 27
| w/l = w
| homecoming = y
| rank = 2
| opponent = Pittsburgh
| site_stadium = Macklin Stadium
| site_cityst = East Lansing, MI
| score = 53–26
| attend = 42,163
| source = {{cite news|title=Spartans Gladden Old Grads, 53-26: Pitt Passes Scare MSC In 1st Half; Munn's Team Outscores Panthers in Last Two Periods, 33-7|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=October 28, 1951|pages=51, 52|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182593/spartans-gladden-old-grads-53-26-pitt/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 10
| w/l = w
| rank = 5
| opponent = Notre Dame
| opprank = 11
| site_stadium = Macklin Stadium
| site_cityst = East Lansing, MI
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 35–0
| attend = 51,296
| source = {{cite news|title=Rout of Notre Dame Bolsters M.S.C. Bid for National Title: Near-Record Crowd Sees Stunned Irish Humbled by State|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=November 11, 1951|pages=1, IV-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182442/rout-of-notre-dame-bolsters-msc-bid/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 17
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 1
| opponent = Indiana
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Bloomington, IN
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 30–26
| attend = 16,000
| source = {{cite news|title=MSC Teeters, Then Indiana Bows, 30-26|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=November 18, 1951|pages=51–52|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182662/msc-teeters-then-indiana-bows-30-26/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 24
| w/l = w
| rank = 2
| opponent = Colorado
| site_stadium = Macklin Stadium
| site_cityst = East Lansing, MI
| score = 45–7
| attend = 29,987
| source = {{cite news|title=Spartans Complete Unbeaten Season: MSC Eleven Rips Past Colorado For 9th Victory|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|author=George S. Alderton|date=November 25, 1951|pages=53, 54|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99182398/spartans-nine-game-road-to-undefeated/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Michigan State Spartans football navbox}}
{{College Football National Champion navbox}}
Category:Michigan State Spartans football seasons
Category:College football undefeated seasons
Michigan State Spartans football
{{collegefootball-1951-season-stub}}