1951 South Dakota Coyotes football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1951

| team = South Dakota Coyotes

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = North Central Conference

| short_conf = NCC

| record = 7–1

| conf_record = 6–0

| head_coach = Harry Gamage

| hc_year = 14th

| captain =

| stadium = Inman Field

| champion = NCC champion

}}

{{1951 North Central Conference football standings}}

The 1951 South Dakota Coyotes football team was an American football team that represented the University of South Dakota as a member of the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1951 college football season. In their 14th season under head coach Harry Gamage, the Coyotes compiled a 7–1 record (6–0 against NCC opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 218 to 107, and won the NCC championship.{{cite web|title=2017 Coyote Football Media Guide|publisher=University of South Dakota |year=2017|page=50|url=https://issuu.com/sdcoyotes/docs/2017_fbmediasupplement}}

Training camp began on September 3 with a squad of 50 men, including 19 returning lettermen and 20 freshmen. For the 1951, coach Gamage converted his offensive scheme from the single wing offense used in prior years to a T-formation.{{cite news|title=Gamage Goes To T-Formation To Utilize Speed|newspaper=The Daily Plainsman|author=Al Neuharth|date=September 7, 1951|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122834022/gamage-goes-to-t-formation-to-utilize/|via=Newspapers.com}}

The team played its home games at Inman Field in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| attend = y

| source = y

|September 22|at|Marquette|Marquette Stadium|Milwaukee, WI|L 6-48|8,000|{{cite news|title=Marquette Trounces South Dakota, 48-6|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|author=Henry J. McCormick|date=September 23, 1951|pages=V-1, V-2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122834417/marquette-trounces-south-dakota-48-6/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 29|at|{{cfb link|year=1951|team=Omaha Indians|title=Omaha}}||Omaha, NE|W 27-19|3,200|{{cite news|title=Coyote Offense, Defense Will Be Stressed for Omaha Clash|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|date=September 24, 1951|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122834203/coyote-offense-defense-will-be/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Sodaks Spoil Omaha U. Home Opener by 27 to 19|newspaper=Sunday World-Herald|author=Maurcie Shadle|date=September 30, 1951|pages=1C, 7C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122834542/sodaks-spoil-omaha-u-home-opener-by-27/}}

|October 6|at|{{cfb link|year=1951|team=Augustana (South Dakota) Vikings|title=Augustana (SD)}}||Sioux Falls, SD (Viking Day)|W 54-7||{{cite news|title=South Dakota Speed, Not Passing, Clips Augustana: 54 to 7 Win Is Loop Opener for Coyotes|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|author=Dick Dozer|date=October 7, 1951|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122834707/south-dakota-speed-not-passing-clips/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 12|at|North Dakota State|Dacotah Field|Fargo, ND|W 18-0||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86650426/usd-blasts-bison-for-nc-win-180/|work=Rapid City Journal|title=USD blasts Bison for NC win, 18–0|date=October 13, 1951|accessdate=October 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 20||{{cfb link|year=1951|team=Morningside Maroons|title=Morningside}}|Inman Field|Vermillion, SD (Dakota Day)|W 27-7|5,000|{{cite news|title=South Dakota Wins Dakota Day Tilt, 27-7: Ground, Air Game Drops Morningside|date=October 21, 1951|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122835036/south-dakota-wins-dakota-day-tilt-27-7/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 27|at|South Dakota State||Brookings, SD (Hobo Day)|W 26-6|10,000|{{cite news|title=Coyotes Blast Jackrabbit String in Hobo Match|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|author=Dick Dozier|date=October 28, 1951|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122835247/coyotes-blast-jackrabbit-string-in-hobo/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 3||Iowa State Teachers|Inman Field|Vermillion, SD|W 25-7|500|{{cite news|title=Coyotes' North Central Title Effort Successful: Rip Iowa Teachers In Storm, 25 to 7|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|author=Dick Dozier|date=November 4, 1951|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122835562/coyotes-north-central-title-effort/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 10||North Dakota|Inman Field|Vermillion, SD|W 35-13||{{cite news|title=Coyote Rally Tips NoDaks 35 to 13|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|author=Dean Belbas|date=November 11, 1951|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122835682/coyote-rally-tips-nodaks-35-to-13/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

References