1964 Detroit Titans football team
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1964
| team = Detroit Titans
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 3–7
| head_coach = John Idzik
| hc_year = 3rd
| captain = Fred Beier
| stadium = University of Detroit Stadium
| next_year = none
}}
{{1964 NCAA University Division independents football records}}
The 1964 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit as an independent during the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. In their third and final season under head coach John Idzik, the Titans played their home games on campus at University of Detroit Stadium, finished 3–7, and were outscored 158 to 127.{{cite web|title=1964 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=November 23, 2015|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/detroit-mercy/1964-schedule.html}}
Basketball head coach Bob Calihan was named the school's athletic director in September 1964.{{cite news|title=Titans Pick Calihan As Athletic Director|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=September 18, 1964|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15705848/titans_pick_calihan_as_athletic_director/|via=Newspapers.com}} The football team's assistant coaches were Joe Clark, Dave Nusz, and Tony Hanley. Fullback Fred Beier was the team captain.
Discontinuance of football program
On November 30, nine days after the season ended with a road loss at Boston College, the university announced that the football program was being discontinued.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H64RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vegDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5762%2C73566 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Students yip as Detroit drops grid |date=December 1, 1964 |page=10}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M-ojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MU8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7353%2C204930 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Detroit kicks out football, students stage big protest |date=December 1, 1964 |page=41}} The university's president, the Very Rev. Laurence V. Britt, SJ, noted that the football program had not made a profit since 1951, had operated at a deficit for years, and had lost $65,000 in 1964 – a figure critics said was a bookkeeping device attempting to estimate the loss of tuition from players receiving football scholarships. With limited resources and mounting academic costs, Father Britt stated that the university could not subsidize the program at the level demanded by alumni and students.{{cite news|title=U-D Football Finally Dies of Neglect: Sport Couldn't Pay Its Own Way -- Britt|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Jack Berry|date=December 1, 1964|page=1D, 2D|url=https://freep.newspapers.com/clip/3713408/ud_football_finally_die_of_neglect/}} The decision stunned players and angered alumni.{{cite news|title=U-D Football Players Stunned: Football Requiem|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Joe Dowdall|date=December 1, 1964|page=1D|url=https://freep.newspapers.com/clip/3713425/ud_players_stunned_football_requiem/}}{{cite news|title=NOW They Care for U-D Football|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Lyall Smith|author-link=Lyall Smith|date=December 1, 1956|page=1D|url=https://freep.newspapers.com/clip/3713425/ud_players_stunned_football_requiem/}} A protest by students included the removal of the stadium's goalposts.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 19|at|Kentucky|McLean Stadium|Lexington, KY|L 6–13|34,000|{{cite news|title=Kentucky Troubled In Beating U-D|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=September 21, 1964|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703544/kentucky_troubled_in_beating_ud/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Birds Heroics Wing Wildcats To 13-6 Win|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|author=Dave Whitaker|date=September 20, 1964|page=2-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15955270/birds_heroics_wing_wildcats_to_136_win/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 25| |Toledo|University of Detroit Stadium|Detroit, MI|W 22–6|10,181|{{cite news|title=Titans Whip Toledo, 22-6|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|author=Bob Pille|date=September 26, 1964|pages=7–8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703456/titans_whip_toledo_226/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 2| |Cincinnati|University of Detroit Stadium|Detroit, MI|L 0–19|16,539|{{cite news|title=Titans Lose, 19-0|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|author=Bob Pille|date=October 3, 1964|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703389/titans_lose_190/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 10|at|Villanova|Villanova Stadium|Philadelphia PA|L 0–34|12,700|{{cite news|title=Cats Swamp Titans, 34-0|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=October 11, 1964|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703309/cats_swamp_titans_340/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 17|at|Wichita State|Veterans Field|Wichita, KS|L 7–8|10,960|{{cite news|title=Titans Protest Loss|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=October 19, 1964|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703243/titans_protest_loss/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 23| |{{cfb link|year=1964|team=Dayton Flyers|title=Dayton}}|University of Detroit Stadium|Detroit|W 21–6|12,050|{{cite news|title=U-D Clips Dayton, 21-6|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|author=Bob Pille|date=October 24, 1964|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703168/ud_clips_dayton_216/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 30| |Miami (FL)|University of Detroit Stadium|Detroit, MI|L 7–10|15,180|{{cite news|title=Miami Nips Titans, 10-7|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=October 31, 1964|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15703113/miami_nips_titans_107/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 6| |VMI|University of Detroit Stadium|Detroit, MI|W 28–7| 8,373|{{cite news|title=Soph Sparks Titans to 28-7 Win|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|author=Jack Berry|date=November 7, 1964|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15702860/soph_sparks_titans_to_287_win/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 14|at|Xavier|Xavier Stadium|Cincinnati, OH|L 27–38| 6,102|{{cite news|title=Xavier Wins, 38-27: Titans' Soph QB Meets His Master|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=November 16, 1964|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15706031/xavier_wins_3827_titans_soph_qb/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=XU Drubs Detroit, 38-27|newspaper=Cincinnati Enquirer|author=Bill Ford|date=November 15, 1964|page=1E|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15954957/xu_drubs_detroit_3827/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 21|at|Boston College|Alumni Stadium|Chestnut Hill, MA|L 9–17|25,100|{{cite news|title=B.C. Whips Titans|newspaper=The Detroit Daily Press|date=November 22, 1964|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15702949/bc_whips_titans/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Players
- Dennis Assenmacher, halfback
- Fred Beier, fullback/defensive back and captain
- Tom Beer, end/guard
- Ron Bishop, quarterback
- Joe D'Angelo, halfback
- Jerry Dudley, guard
- John Everly, end
- Dennis Hackett, fullback
- Mike Haggerty, tackle
- Mike Randall, halfback
- Tony Richardson, end
- Tony Rossi, center
- Tom Siedlaczek, halfback
- Dick Waring, quarterback
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://libraries.udmercy.edu/archives/special-collections/index.php?collectionCode=football_ftb&field=DC_date&term=1964 1964 University of Detroit football programs]
{{Detroit Titans football navbox}}