1952 Santa Clara Broncos football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1952
| team = Santa Clara Broncos
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 2–6–1
| head_coach = Richard F. Gallagher
| hc_year = 3rd
| captain =
| stadium = Kezar Stadium
| next_year = 1959
}}
{{1952 Western college football independents records}}
The 1952 Santa Clara Broncos football team was an American football team that represented the University of Santa Clara as an independent during the 1952 college football season. In their third season under head coach Richard F. Gallagher, the independent Broncos compiled a 2–6–1 record and were outscored 182 to 80.{{cite web|title=1952 Santa Clara Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=August 31, 2018|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/santa-clara/1952-schedule.html}} Their three home games were played off campus in San Francisco, Lodi, and Sacramento.
A month after the season ended, Rev. Herman J. Hauck, president of the university, announced on December 29 that the football program was being dropped.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9vJXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b_YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6674%2C4769712 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Broncos abandon grid competition |date=December 30, 1952 |page=11}} The state's other major college football programs at Catholic institutions, all NCAA independents, had recently been halted: Saint Mary's after the 1950 season and San Francisco and Loyola after 1951. Father Hauck stated that the football program had lost substantial money in the previous two seasons; other sources put the losses at $80,000 in 1952 and $72,000 in 1951.{{cite news|title=Santa Clara Drops Out of Football|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|date=December 30, 1952|author=Dick Toner|pages=22, 25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23312116/santa_clara_drops_out_of_fooball/|via=Newspapers.com}}
By early 1954, there was already support for reviving the program,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6OVXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g_YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6887%2C1787397 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Broncs may revive football program |date=January 29, 1954 |page=11}} which returned for the 1959 season.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1952
| poll = AP
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 20|at|No. 13 Stanford||Stanford Stadium|Stanford, CA|L 13-28|27,500|{{cite news|title=Cards Slap Broncs, 28-13: Stanford Roars From 'Way Back to Nail It|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|author=Bob Brachman|date=September 21, 1952|page=37|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99924965/cards-slap-broncs-28-13-stanford/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 27|at|No. 17 Kansas||Memorial Stadium|Lawrence, KS|L 9-21|25,579|{{cite news|title=Kansas Rally Chokes Bronc Upset Bid, 21-9: Reich Leads Way as Jayhawks Wipe Out Santa Clara Lead in Second Half|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|author=Bill Mulligan|date=September 28, 1952|pages=37, 39|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99925330/kansas-rally-chokes-bronc-upset-bid/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 4|at|Tulane||Tulane Stadium|New Orleans, LA|L 0-35||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85408517/tulanes-mcgee-tips-santa-clara/|work=The San Francisco Examiner|title=Tulane's McGee tips Santa Clara|date=October 5, 1952|accessdate=September 15, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 18|at|No. 3 California||California Memorial Stadium|Berkeley, CA|L 7-27|33,000|{{cite news|title=Powell Paces Cal to 27-7 Victory Over Broncos: Santa Clara Gives Bears Tough Game|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|author=Emmons Byrne|date=October 19, 1952|page=49|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99926577/powell-paces-cal-to-27-7-victory-over/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 24||Idaho||Kezar Stadium|San Francisco, CA|W 9-7| 5,000|{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=StlXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y_YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4247%2C3437148 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=United Press |title=Broncos trim Vandals with late field goal |date=October 25, 1952 |page=8}}
|November 1||Hardin–Simmons||Grape Bowl|Lodi, CA|T 14-14| 3,500|{{cite news|title=Broncs Tie Texas Team|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|author=Harry M. Hayward|date=November 2, 1952|page=44|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23311727/broncs_tie_texas_team/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 8|at|Pacific (CA)||Pacific Memorial Stadium|Stockton, CA|L 0-27|15,280|{{cite news|title=COP Routs Broncs, 27-0; Nagler Ejected for Beef|newspaper=San Francisco Examiner|author=Harry M. Hayward|date=November 9, 1952|page=45|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23311826/cop_routs_broncs_270_nagler_ejected/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 15||Utah||Hughes Memorial Stadium|Sacramento, CA|L 13-16|5,253|{{cite news|title=Utah Nips Broncs on Field Goal|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|author=Harry M. Hayward|date=November 16, 1952|pages=39, 45|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99927250/utah-nips-broncs-on-field-goal/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B5AnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fE4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6821%2C2876085 |title=Utes Point for Aggies After Breaking Broncos |author=Hack Miller |publisher=Deseret News |accessdate=2010-08-10}}
|November 27|at|San Jose State||Spartan Stadium|San Jose, CA|W 15-7|12,924|{{cite news|title=Broncs Score Upset! Spartans Bow, 15-7|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|author=Harry M. Hayward|date=November 28, 1952|page=33|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99926881/broncs-score-upset-spartans-bow-15-7/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}