1954 Maine Black Bears football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1954
| team = Maine Black Bears
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Yankee Conference
| short_conf = Yankee
| conference2 = Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association
| short_conf2 = MIAA
| record = 5–2
| conf_record = 2–2
| conf2_record = 3–0
| head_coach = Harold Westerman
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = Thomas Golden
| captain2 = Ernest Short
| stadium = Alumni Field
| champion = MIAA champion
}}
{{1954 Yankee Conference football standings}}
The 1954 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference and Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association during the 1954 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Harold Westerman, the team compiled a 5–2 record (2–2 against Yankee Conference and 3–0 against MIAA opponents), finished third out of the six teams in the Yankee Conference, and won the Maine "State Series" championship. The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Orono, Maine. Thomas Golden and Ernest Short were the team captains.{{cite web|title=2019 Maine Football Media Guide |publisher=University of Maine |year=2019 |page=86 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/umaine.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/17/2019_Maine_Football_Media_Guide.pdf|accessdate=September 22, 2021}}
The team was led on offense by triple-threat quarterback Billy Pappas.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 25||Rhode Island|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|L 7–14||{{cite news|title=Rhody Defeats Maine, 14–7|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|author=Bud Leavitt|date=September 27, 1954|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-rhody-defeats-main/134431412/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 2|at|Vermont|Centennial Field|Burlington, VT|W 23–20|6,500|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79282473/maine-bears-defeat-uvm-catamounts-2320/|work=The Barre Daily Times|title=Maine Bears defeat UVM Catamounts 23–20|date=October 4, 1954|accessdate=June 9, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 9||New Hampshire|Alumni Field|Orono, ME (rivalry)|L 10–21||{{cite news|title=Passing Billy Pappas Paces New Hampshire In YC Victory Over Maine|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|author=Owen Osborne|date=October 11, 1954|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-passing-billy-papp/134431114/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 16|at|Connecticut|Memorial Stadium|Storrs, CT|W 41–13|11,000|{{cite news|title=Maine Crushes Connecticut By 41 to 13: Ernie Smart Has 89-Yard Kickoff Return|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|author=Bill Newell|date=October 17, 1954|page=IV-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-maine-crushes-connectic/134430695/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 23||{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Bates Bobcats|title=Bates}}|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|W 35–0||{{cite news|title=Black Bears Wallop Bates Eleven, 35-0|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|date=October 25, 1954|pages=7, 18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-black-bears-wallop/134430446/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 30||{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Colby Mules|title=Colby}}|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|W 33–6|6,500|{{cite news|title=Maine Bears Halt Mule Attack: Co-Captain Ernie Smart Paces 33-6 Series Win|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|author=Bud Leavitt|date=November 1, 1954|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-maine-bears-halt-m/134430265/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 6|at|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Bowdoin Polar Bears|title=Bowdoin}}|Whittier Field|Brunswick, ME|W 27–13||{{cite news|title=Maine Defeats Bowdoin To Win 20th State Grid Title|newspaper=Bangor Daily News|author=Owen Osborne|date=November 8, 1954|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-maine-defeats-bowd/134430020/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Maine) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/380/stats/13796 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 25, 2022 }}