1953 Westminster Titans football team

The 1953 Westminster Titans football team was an American football team that represented Westminster College as an independent during the 1953 college football season. In their second season under head coach Harold Burry, the Titans compiled a perfect 8–0 record, shut out four opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 143 to 33.[1]

1953 Westminster Titans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record8–0
Head coach
Home stadiumMemorial Field
Seasons
← 1952
1954 →
1953 Eastern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Westminster (PA)     8 0 0
Juniata     7 0 0
No. 14 Army     7 1 1
Harvard     6 2 0
Franklin & Marshall     5 2 0
Hofstra     6 3 0
Penn State     6 3 0
Yale     5 2 2
Carnegie Tech     5 3 0
Boston College     5 3 1
Boston University     5 3 1
Syracuse     5 3 1
Princeton     5 4 0
Tufts     4 3 0
Cornell     4 3 2
Holy Cross     5 5 0
Temple     4 4 1
Colgate     3 4 2
Columbia     4 5 0
Fordham     4 5 0
Villanova     4 6 0
Drexel     2 3 1
Brown     3 5 1
Penn     3 5 1
Pittsburgh     3 5 1
Dartmouth     2 7 0
Buffalo     1 5 1
Bucknell     1 8 0
Rankings from AP Poll

On offense, the Titans tallied 2,474 yards (1,486 rushing, 862 passing). On defense, they held opponents to 1,022 yards (524 rushing, 498 passing). Quarterback Harold Davis led the team with 741 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes, and 11 interceptions. Davis also tallied 150 rushing yards for 891 yards of total offense. White was the team's leading rusher and scorer with 424 yards and 30 points scored.[2]

Three Westmminster players were named to the All-District Class B football team: Jesse James at tackle; Ralph Veights at guard; and Roy Eckstrom at center. Harold Davis was named to the second team.[3] Eckstrom was also selected by the Associated Press as the first-team center on the 1953 all-Pennsylvania football team.[4]

1953 was Westminster's first undefeated season since the school began playing football in 1892.[5] Additional undefeated seasons followed under Burry's leadership in 1956, 1964, and 1970. Burry was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.[6]

The team played its home games at Westminster College's Memorial Field in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 26Carnegie Tech
W 6–03,000[7]
October 3at ThielGreenville, PAW 32–7[8]
October 10Bethany (WV) 
  • Memorial Field
  • New Wilmington, PA
W 32–6[9]
October 17at Grove CityGrove City, PAW 20–14[10]
October 24at GenevaBeaver Falls, PAW 8–03,000[11]
October 31at WaynesburgWaynesburg, PAW 20–0[12]
November 7Allegheny
  • Memorial Field
  • New Wilmington, PA
W 12–0[13]
November 14Slippery Rock
  • Memorial Field
  • New Wilmington, PA
W 13–65,000[14]
  •  Homecoming

References

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  1. ^ "1953 Football Schedule". Westminster College. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Westminster Statistics". New Castle News. November 18, 1953. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Titans, Fiorante On All-District Team". New Castle News. December 7, 1953. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Eckstrom Named On Penna. College Team". New Castle News. December 2, 1953. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Westminster Ends Season Undefeated and Untied: New Wilmington Whoops It Up Saturday Night For Champs". New Castle News. November 16, 1953. pp. 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Harold Burry". National Football Foundation. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "Westminster Upsets Carnegie Tech: Titans Beat Plaid In Third Quarter". New Castle News. September 28, 1953. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Davis Stars As Titans Vanquish Thiel, 32-7". New Castle News. October 5, 1953. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ George Lindow (October 12, 1953). "Titans Score Third Straight Win, Defeat Bethany 32 To 6". New Castle News. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ George Lindow (October 19, 1953). "Titans Defeat Grove City, Win Fourth Straight; Davis' Pass To White In Fourth Period Wins For Westminster". New Castle News. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ George Lindow (October 26, 1953). "Titans Defeat Geneva 8-0, Win Fifth Straight". New Castle News. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Titans Beat Waynesburg 20-0, Win Sixth Straight Victory". New Castle News. November 2, 1953. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Titans Drop Allegheny In 12-0 Tilt". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. November 8, 1953. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ George Lindow (November 16, 1953). "Titans Beat Rockets, Win College 'B' Title: Davis Hurls Two Passes To End Season Unbeaten, Untied". New Castle News. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.