1955 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1955
| team = Western Illinois Leathernecks
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| short_conf = IIAC
| record = 5–4–1
| wins_forfeited = 1
| conf_record = 2–3–1
| conf_wins_forfeited = 1
| head_coach = Wes Stevens
| hc_year = 2nd
| captain =
| stadium = Hanson Field
| bowl = Corn Bowl
| bowl_result = L 20–24 vs. {{cfb link|year=1955|team=Luther Norse|title=Luther}}
}}
{{1955 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
The 1955 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1955 college football season. Led by second-year head coach Wes Stevens, the Leathernecks finished the season with an overall record of 6–3–1 and a mark of 3–2–1 in conference play, placing fourth in the IIAC.{{cite news |author= |title=SIU Defeats Northern, 20-0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85427019/alton-evening-telegraph/ |newspaper=Alton Evening Telegraph |location=Alton, Illinois |agency=Associated Press |date=November 21, 1955 |page=6 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} Western Illinois later forfeited its win over Illinois State Normal, dropping its season record to 5–4–1 overall and 2–3–1 in the IIAC, putting the team into a fourth-place tie with Illinois State.{{cite web |author= |title=Western Illinois Football Record Book |url=https://goleathernecks.com/documents/2021/9/12/Football_Record_Book_Updated_Sept_2021_.pdf |publisher=Western Illinois University |location=Macomb, Illinois |date=September 2021 |page=69 |access-date=September 16, 2021 }} The forfeit came as a result of Western Illinois using an ineligible player, quarterback Sam Esposito; while Esposito also played in other games for the team, Illinois State Normal was the only school to protest their result.{{cite news |title=Western Illinois Forfeits Football Game to Normal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87532539/ |access-date=October 21, 2021 |work=The Rock Island Argus |agency=Associated Press |date=December 6, 1955 |page=37 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Western Illinois back Don Lashmet was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the 1955 All-Interstate Conference football team.{{cite news|title=Williams First Team IIAC End|newspaper=Southern Illinoisan|date=December 2, 1955|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86294180/williams-first-team-iiac-end/|via=Newspapers.com}} Lashmet led the conference in pass receiving with 16 catches for 299 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Western Illinois led the conference with 40 pass completions for 611 yards. Bill Vandermerkt was credited with 30 of the team's completed passes.{{cite news|title=Central Tops in Statistics|newspaper=The Daily Chronicle|date=December 2, 1955|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86294230/central-tops-in-statistics/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 17
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1955|team=Loras Duhawks|title=Loras}}
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = Dubuque, IA
| score = 15–0
| source = {{cite news|title=Western Has Romp; Whips Loras, 29-0|newspaper=The Rock Island Argus|date=September 19, 1955|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86293991/western-has-romp-whips-loras-29-0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 29
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1955|team=Bradley Braves|title=Bradley}}
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 25–6
| source = {{cite news|title=Teachers Win From Bradley For 1st Time|newspaper=Quad City Times|date=September 30, 1955|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86294015/teachers-win-from-bradley-for-1st-time/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = l
| opponent = Michigan State Normal
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 2–6
| source = {{cite news |title=Michigan Normal Beats Western |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96377979/the-belleville-news-democrat/ |access-date=February 24, 2022 |work=Belleville News-Democrat |agency=United Press |date=October 8, 1952 |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 15
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Central Michigan
| site_stadium = Alumni Field
| site_cityst = Mount Pleasant, MI
| score = 0–20
| attend = 6,400
| source = {{cite news|title=Central Michigan Wins, 20 to 0|newspaper=Lansing State Journal|date=October 16, 1955|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86294041/central-michigan-wins-20-to-0/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 22
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Northern Illinois State
| site_stadium = Glidden Field
| site_cityst = Dekalb, IL
| score = 39–6
| source = {{cite news|title=Huskies Find Leathernecks Mighty Tough; Lose 39-6|newspaper=The DeKalb Daily Chronicle|date=October 24, 1955|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86294116/huskies-find-leathernecks-mighty-tough/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 29
| w/l = t
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Southern Illinois
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 13–13
| attend = 8,000
| source = {{cite news |title=Salukis Fight Back, Tie Western 13-13 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92144548/southern-illinoisan/ |access-date=January 8, 2022 |work=The Southern Illinoisan |date=October 31, 1955 |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Illinois State Normal
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = Normal, IL
| score = 32–13 (forfeit)
| source = {{cite news |last=Young |first=Fred |title=Western Defeats State Normal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85428429/the-pantagraph/ |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |date=November 5, 1955 |page=9 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1955|team=St. Ambrose Fighting Bees|title=St. Ambrose}}
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 19–13
| source = {{cite news|title=Bees Lose In Thriller, 19 To 13|newspaper=The Daily Times|date=November 12, 1955|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86293931/bees-lose-in-thriller-19-to-13/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 19
| time = 1:30 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Eastern Illinois
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 13–7
| source = {{cite news |author= |title=EICS Host To Western Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85426721/herald-and-review/ |newspaper=Decatur Herald |location=Decatur, Illinois |date=November 19, 1955 |page=9 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Western TopS Easter, 13-7 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85426659/herald-and-review/ |newspaper=Decatur Sunday Herald and Review |location=Decatur, Illinois |date=November 20, 1955 |page=18 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 24
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1955|team=Luther Norse|title=Luther}}
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| gamename = Corn Bowl
| score = 20–24
| attend = 5,000
| source = {{cite news |author= |title=Luther Nips Western in 'Corn' Bowl' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85428266/the-rock-island-argus/ |newspaper=The Rock Island Argus |location=Rock Island, Illinois |date=November 25, 1955 |page=20 |access-date=September 16, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/771/stats/13492 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 10, 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Western Illinois Leathernecks football navbox}}