1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1956 college football season. In its 13th year under head coach Eddie Anderson, the team compiled a 5–3–1 record.[1] The team played its home games at Fitton Field on the college's campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–3–1
Head coach
CaptainRichard J. Arcand
Home stadiumFitton Field
Seasons
← 1955
1957 →
1956 NCAA University Division independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Miami (FL)     8 1 1
No. 16 Navy     6 1 2
No. 8 Syracuse     7 2 0
Air Force     6 2 1
Penn State     6 2 1
No. 13 Pittsburgh     7 3 1
Pacific (CA)     6 3 1
Army     5 3 1
Holy Cross     5 3 1
Villanova     5 4 0
Boston College     5 4 0
Florida State     5 4 1
Cincinnati     4 5 0
Colgate     4 5 0
Dayton     4 6 0
Drake     3 6 0
San Jose State     2 7 1
Texas Tech     2 7 1
Notre Dame     2 8 0
Boston University     1 5 2
Marquette     0 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30 Dayton L 13–14 20,000 [2]
October 6 Colgate  
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 20–6 12,000 [3]
October 13 at Penn State L 0–43 24,870 [4]
October 20 at Dartmouth T 7–7 12,000 [5]
October 28 Quantico Marines^
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 13–0 17,000 [6]
November 3 at Boston University W 21–12 12,089 [7]
November 10 at No. 9 Syracuse L 20–41 17,000 [8]
November 18 Marquette
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 41–0 7,000 [9]
December 1 at Boston College
W 7–0 34,176 [10]
  •  Homecoming
  • ^ Family weekend
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Statistical leaders

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Statistical leaders for the 1956 Crusaders included:[1]

  • Rushing: Dick Surrette, 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 53 attempts
  • Passing: Bill Smithers, 699 yards, 44 completions and 8 touchdowns on 87 attempts
  • Receiving: Dick Arcand, 200 yards and 4 touchdowns on 13 receptions
  • Scoring: Dick Arcand, 24 points on 4 touchdowns
  • Total offense: Bill Smithers, 796 yards (699 passing, 97 rushing)
  • All-purpose yards: Dick Surrette, 252 yards (168 rushing, 84 receiving)

References

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  1. ^ a b "2019 Holy Cross Football Fact Book" (PDF). Worcester, Mass.: College of the Holy Cross. p. 121. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  2. ^ Burns, Joe (October 1, 1956). "DeFabio Goes 49 and U.D. Beats Holy Cross". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Holy Cross Upsets Colgate Team, 20-6". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. Associated Press. October 7, 1956. p. S1.
  4. ^ Smith, Chester L. (October 14, 1956). "Penn State Wallops Holy Cross, 43-0". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pa. sect. 4, p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Strauss, Michael (October 21, 1956). "Dartmouth Ties Holy Cross, 7-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  6. ^ Keane, Clif (October 29, 1956). "H.C. Scores Upset, Downs Quantico, 13-0". The Boston Daily Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ The Associated Press (November 4, 1956). "Holy Cross Gains 21-to-12 Conquest". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. 207.
  8. ^ Keane, Clif (November 11, 1956). "Mistakes Hurt Holy Cross; Syracuse Wins, 41 to 20". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Keane, Clif (November 19, 1956). "Holy Cross Wallops Marquette, 41 to 0". The Boston Daily Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Strauss, Michael (December 2, 1956). "Boston College Vanquished, 7-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.