1953 Ohio Bobcats football team

1953 Ohio Bobcats football
MAC champion
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	6–2–1 (5–0–1 MAC)
Head coach	Carroll Widdoes (5th season)
Home stadium	Peden Stadium

1953 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Ohio $	5	–	0	–	1			6	–	2	–	1
Miami (OH)	3	–	0	–	1			7	–	1	–	1
Kent State	3	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Toledo	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Western Reserve	1	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Western Michigan	0	–	4	–	1			1	–	6	–	1
Bowling Green	0	–	4	–	0			1	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1953 Ohio Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1953 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Carroll Widdoes, the Bobcats won the MAC championship, compiled a 6–2–1 record (5–0–1 against MAC opponents), and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 245 to 86.^[1] They played their home games in Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio.^[2]

The team's statistical leaders included Tom Ascani with 537 rushing yards, Bill Frederick with 627 passing yards, and Lou Sawchik with 511 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	W 26–0
October 3	at Harvard*	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	L 0–16	14,500	[4]
October 10	Western Reserve	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 39–0		[5]
October 17	Kent State	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 40–21	10,417	[6]
October 24	at Miami (OH)	Miami Field Oxford, OH (rivalry)	T 7–7		[7]
October 31	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	W 67–12		[8]
November 7	Morris Harvey*	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 38–7		[9]
November 14	Bowling Green	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 22–14	4,500	[10]
November 21	at Marshall*	Fairfield Stadium Huntington, WV (rivalry)	L 6–9	3,000	[11]
*Non-conference game

^[12]

References

1. "2015 Ohio Football Media Guide" (PDF). Ohio University. 2015. p. 91. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
2. "Peden Stadium". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
3. 2015 Media Guide, pp. 75-77.
4. Nason, Jerry (October 4, 1953). "Clasby Sparks Harvard to Victory". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 57 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Ohio U. Romps Over Reserve". Dayton Daily News. October 11, 1953. p. IV-2 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Sawchik Sparkles As Ohio U Wins Over Kent State". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 18, 1953. p. 63 – via Newspapers.coma.
7. "Ohio U. Pulls Upset, Ties Favored Miami 11". News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. October 25, 1953. p. III-1 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Bobcats Ramble, 67–12: Ohio U. Smothers Western Michigan". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 1, 1953. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Ohio U Downs Morris Harvey". The Coshocton Tribune. November 8, 1953. p. 16.
10. "Bobcats Cop Mid-Am Title In 22-14 Win". Dayton Daily News. November 15, 1953. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Ohio U Victim In Marshall Upset". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 22, 1953. p. 59.
12. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 19, 2022.