1951 William & Mary Indians football team

The 1951 William & Mary Indians football team represented the College of William & Mary as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1951 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Marvin Bass, the Indians compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, and finished tied for third in the SoCon. William & Mary played home games at Cary Field in Williamsburg, Virginia.

1951 William & Mary Indians football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record7–3 (5–1 SoCon)
Head coach
CaptainDickie Lewis, George Zupko
Home stadiumCary Field
Seasons
← 1950
1952 →
1951 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Maryland + 5 0 0 10 0 0
VMI + 5 0 0 7 3 0
Washington and Lee 5 1 0 6 4 0
William & Mary 5 1 0 7 3 0
No. 19 Clemson 3 1 0 7 3 0
Duke 4 2 0 5 4 1
South Carolina 5 3 0 6 4 0
Wake Forest 5 3 0 6 4 0
George Washington 2 3 1 2 6 1
North Carolina 2 3 0 2 8 0
West Virginia 2 3 0 5 5 0
NC State 2 6 0 3 7 0
Richmond 2 6 0 3 8 0
The Citadel 1 3 0 4 6 0
Furman 1 4 1 3 6 1
Davidson 1 5 0 1 8 0
VPI 1 7 0 2 8 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The season was notable for a scandal that involved former head coach Rube McCray tampering with football players' transcripts and credits to enable NCAA eligibility.

William & Mary was ranked at No. 91 in the 1951 Litkenhous Ratings.[1]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 22Boston University*W 34–2510,000[2]
September 29at No. 4 Oklahoma*L 7–4939,184[3]
October 6VMI
  • Cary Field
  • Williamsburg, VA (rivalry)
L 7–2016,000[4]
October 13vs. Wake ForestW 7–620,000[5]
October 20at NC StateW 35–287,000[6]
October 27at Richmond
W 20–145,000[7]
November 3at Penn*W 20–1212,801[8]
November 10VPI 
  • Cary Field
  • Williamsburg, VA
W 28–78,000[9]
November 17Duke
  • Cary Field
  • Williamsburg, VA
W 14–1314,000[10]
November 24at No. 15 Virginia*L 0–4626,000[11]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[12]

NFL Draft selections

edit
= Pro Football Hall of Fame = Canadian Football Hall of Fame = College Football Hall of Fame
Year Round Pick Overall Name Team Position
1952 20 12 241 Ed Weber Los Angeles Rams Back

References

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  1. ^ "Vols Top Final 1951 Litkenhous Ratings". The Nashville Banner. December 14, 1951. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "W-M beats Boston, 34–25". The Knoxville Journal. September 23, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Sooners display blasting power". Monroe Morning World. September 30, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "VMI rallies to trip W&M by 20–7 count". The Tampa Tribune. October 7, 1951. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "W-M defeats Wake Forest by 7–6". Tampa Sunday Tribune. October 14, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Hard luck still dogs Wolfpack". Greensboro Daily News. October 21, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Fired-up Spiders beaten by Indians in last minute, 20–14". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 28, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "William and Mary Upsets Penn, 20–12". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. November 4, 1951. p. S1.
  9. ^ "Indians Top Gobblers With Three Scores In Third Period; Mioduzewski Shines" (PDF). The Flat Hat. College of William & Mary. November 13, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "William & Mary shades Duke in sizzling loop clash, 14–13". The Charlotte Observer. November 18, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Virginia trounces William and Mary, 46–0, as Mel Roach paces offense". The Baltimore Sun. November 25, 1951. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "1951 William & Mary Tribe Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2023.