1954 Michigan Wolverines football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1954

| team = Michigan Wolverines

| sport = football

| image = 1954 Michigan team.jpg

| image_size = 285

| conference = Big Ten Conference

| short_conf = Big Ten

| CoachRank = 15

| APRank = 15

| record = 6–3

| conf_record = 5–2

| head_coach = Bennie Oosterbaan

| hc_year = 7th

| mvp = Fred Baer

| captain = Ted Cachey

| stadium = Michigan Stadium

}}

The 1954 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1954 Big Ten Conference football season. In its seventh year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record (5–2 against conference opponents), tied for second place in the Big Ten, outscored opponents by a combined total of 139 to 87, and was ranked No. 15 in the final AP and Coaches Polls.{{cite web|title=1954 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=November 6, 2017|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/1954-schedule.html}}

Left guard Ted Cachey was the team captain, and fullback Fred Baer received the team's most valuable player award,{{cite web|title=1954 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=November 6, 2017|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1954fbt.htm}}

Two Michigan players received All-American honors: left end Ron Kramer was selected as a first-team All-American by the Central Press Association,{{cite news|title=Penn State's Lenny Moore Named To Captains' All-America|author=Walter Johns|newspaper=Reading Eagle|page=34|date=November 28, 1954|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19541128&id=eAsrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MJoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4178,5607247}} and left tackle Art Walker received first-team honors from the All-America Board and the Football Writers Association of America.{{cite book|title=ESPN College Football Encyclopedia|page=1236|publisher=ESPN Books|year=2005|isbn=1401337031}}{{cite web|title=FWAA All America|publisher=Football Writers Association of America|url=http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf|access-date=2017-11-06|archive-date=2009-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326165534/http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf|url-status=dead}}

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jim Maddock with 293 passing yards, Fred Baer with 439 rushing yards, and Ron Kramer with 303 receiving yards.{{cite web|title=1954 Michigan Wolverines Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=November 6, 2017|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/1954.html}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1954

| poll = AP Poll released prior to game

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 25

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Washington

| site_stadium = Husky Stadium

| site_cityst = Seattle, WA

| score = 14–0

| attend = 35,076

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 2

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Army

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| score = 7–26

| attend = 69,161–69,783

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 9

| w/l = w

| opponent = Iowa

| opprank = 4

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| score = 14–13

| attend = 64,283

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 16

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Northwestern

| site_stadium = Dyche Stadium

| site_cityst = Evanston, IL

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 7–0

| attend = 32,972

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 23

| w/l = w

| homecoming = y

| opponent = Minnesota

| opprank = 8

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| gamename = Little Brown Jug

| score = 34–0

| attend = 70,740

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 30

| w/l = l

| rank = 11

| opponent = Indiana

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| score = 9–13

| attend = 49,817

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 6

| w/l = w

| opponent = Illinois

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 14–7

| attend = 58,777

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 13

| w/l = w

| opponent = Michigan State

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 33–7

| attend = 97,239

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 20

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = 12

| opponent = Ohio State

| opprank = 1

| site_stadium = Ohio Stadium

| site_cityst = Columbus, OH

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 7–21

| attend = 78,447

}}

Statistical leaders

Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1954 season include those listed below.{{cite web|title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page|publisher=University of Michigan|access-date=November 6, 2017|url=http://statsarchive.ath.umich.edu/VS-Football/footstart.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151629/http://statsarchive.ath.umich.edu/VS-Football/footstart.php|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}(statistics retrieved by entering "1954" in the box for "Games & Totals by Season" and then, at the next screen, choosing "Display Season Totals")

=Rushing=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	Attempts	Net yards	Yards per attempt	Touchdowns
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Fred Baer	107	439	4.1	3
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Dan Cline	97	340	3.5	3
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Ed Hickey	45	169	3.8	0
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Lou Baldacci	46	152	3.3	4

=Passing=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	Attempts	Completions	Interceptions	Comp %	Yards	Yds/Comp	TD	Long
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Jim Maddock	35	16	5	45.7	293	18.3	1	33
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Dan Cline	43	15	4	34.9	281	18.7	3	63
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Duncan McDonald	36	15	6	41.7	237	15.8	1	32

=Receiving=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	Receptions	Yards	Yds/Recp	TD	Long
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Ron Kramer	23	303	13.2	2	29
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Lou Baldacci	8	211	26.4	1	63
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Dan Cline	6	61	10.2	0	33

=Kickoff returns=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	Returns	Yards	Yds/Return	TD	Long
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Dan Cline	8	164	20.5	0	34
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Ed Hickey	2	32	16.0	0	24

=Punt returns=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	Returns	Yards	Yds/Return	TD	Long
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Dan Cline	13	113	8.7	0	22
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Tom Hendricks	1	67	67.0	1	67
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Terry Barr	4	56	14.0	0	25
align="center" bgcolor="" \|Ron Kramer	3	43	14.3	0	26

=Scoring=

class="wikitable" width="90%"
align="center" style="background:yellow;color:blue;" \| Player	TD (rush)	TD (rec.)	TD (oth.)	Other type	PAT att	PAT made	Points
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Ron Kramer	0	2	1	Blk Punt	14	13	31
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Lou Baldacci	4	1	0		1	1	31
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Fred Baer	3	0	0		0	0	18
align="center" bgcolor="" \| Dan Cline	3	0	0		0	0	18

Personnel

=Letter winners=

The following 33 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1954 team.{{cite news|title=Oosterbaan Awards 34 Grid Letters|newspaper=The Michigan Daily|date=November 23, 1954|page=3|url=https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071756360/417|via=Bentley Historical Library}} Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.

File:Ted Cachey.png

Fred Baer, 5'11", 188 pounds, senior, LaGrange, IL – started 6 games at fullback
Lou Baldacci, 6'1", 196 pounds, junior, Akron, OH – started 5 games at quarterback, 1 game at fullback
Terry Barr, 6'1", 172 pounds, sophomore, Grand Rapids, MI - halfback
James Bates, 6'0", 198 pounds, senior, Farmington, MI – started 4 games at center
Tony Branoff, 5'11", 188 pounds, junior, Flint, MI – started 2 games at right halfback
Charles Brooks, 6'1", 202 pounds, sophomore, Marshall, MI - end
Ted Cachey, 5'10", 178 pounds, senior, Chicago – started 9 games at left guard
Daniel Cline, 5'10" 175 pounds, senior, Brockport, NY – started 9 games at left halfback
George Corey, 5'10", 163 pounds, junior, Baden, PA - halfback
Don Drake, 5'11", 213 pounds, senior, Ypsilanti, MI - center
Jim Fox, 6'0", 190 pounds, junior, Saginaw, MI - guard
Ronald Geyer, 6'2", 225 pounds, senior, Toledo, OH – started 6 games at right tackle
Jerry Goebel, 6'3", 214 pounds, sophomore, Grosse Pointe, MI - center
Tom Hendricks, 5'11", 181 pounds, junior, Detroit - halfback
Edward Hickey, 5'8", 173 pounds, senior, Anaconda, MT – started 1 game at right halfback
Dave Hill, 6'0", 188 pounds, junior, Ypsilanti, MI – started 2 games at fullback
Stan Knickerbocker, 5'11", 173 pounds, senior, Chelsea, MI - halfback
Bill Kolesar, 6'0", 221 pounds, junior, Mentor, OH - tackle
Ron Kramer, 6'3", 210 pounds, sophomore, East Detroit, MI – started 9 games at left end
Jim Maddock, 6'0", 187 pounds, sophomore, Chicago – started 1 game at quarterback
Tom Maentz, 6'2", 205 pounds, sophomore, Holland, MI – started 5 games at right end
Bob Marion, 5'10", 192 pounds, junior, Muskegon Heights, MI - guard
Duncan McDonald, 6'0", 170 pounds, senior, Flint, MI – started 3 games at quarterback
Ed Meads, 6'0", 199 pounds, junior, Oxford, MI – started 9 games at right guard
John Morrow, 6'2", 228 pounds, junior, Ann Arbor, MI – started 3 games at right tackle
John Peckham, 6'2", 227 pounds, junior, Sioux Falls, SD – started 2 games at center
Chuck Ritter, 6'0", 195 pounds, senior, Cassopolis, MI - guard
Mike Rotunno, 6'0", 187 pounds, sophomore, Canton, OH - guard
Ed Shannon, 5'8", 172 pounds, sophomore, River Forest, IL – started 6 games at right halfback
Gene Snider, 6'0", 195 pounds, sophomore, Hamtramck, MI – started 3 games at center
John Veselenak, 6'2", 192 pounds, senior, Flint, MI - end
Art Walker, 5'11", 218 pounds, senior, South Haven, MI – started 9 games at left tackle
Gerry Williams, 6'2", 189 pounds, junior, Flint, MI – started 4 games at right end

=Coaches and staff=

Michigan's 1954 coaching, training, and support staff included the following persons.

Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, Don Dufek, Robert Hollway, Cliff Keen, Pete Kinyon,Peter Chatfield Kinyon, born December 5, 1929, died November 16, 2012. Played football at Michigan 1948–1951 (varsity 1950–51). Coached football at Michigan 1954–56. Matt Patanelli, Don Robinson, Walter Weber, J. T. White
Trainer: Jim Hunt
Manager: Glenn Bearss

Awards and honors

Honors and awards for the 1954 season went to the following individuals.

Captain: Ted Cachey
All-Americans: Art Walker
All-Conference: Art Walker, Ron Kramer
Most Valuable Player: Fred Baer
Meyer Morton Award: Don Dugger

References

Michigan

Category:Michigan Wolverines football seasons

Michigan Wolverines football