1952 Michigan State Spartans football team

1952 Michigan State Spartans football
Consensus national champion
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 1
Record	9–0
Head coach	Clarence Munn (6th season)
MVP	Dick Tamburo
Captain	Donald McAuliffe
Home stadium	Macklin Stadium (capacity: 51,000)

1952 Midwestern college football independents records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Michigan State			–					9	–	0	–	0
No. 3 Notre Dame			–					7	–	2	–	1
Carthage			–					5	–	2	–	0
Youngstown			–					4	–	3	–	1
Wabash			–					5	–	4	–	0
Dayton			–					6	–	5	–	0
Baldwin–Wallace			–					4	–	4	–	0
Wayne			–					4	–	4	–	0
Bradley			–					4	–	5	–	0
John Carroll			–					4	–	5	–	0
Washington University			–					4	–	5	–	0
Rose Poly			–					3	–	4	–	1
Xavier			–					4	–	6	–	0
Marquette			–					3	–	5	–	1
Drake			–					2	–	7	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1952 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1952 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, the Spartans recorded a perfect 9–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 312 to 84, and were recognized as the 1952 national champion.^[1][2] The season was part of a 28-game winning streak that began in October 1950 and continued until October 1953.

In the final AP Poll released on December 1, 1952, Michigan State was ranked No. 1 with 2,683 points, more than 400 points ahead of No. 2 Georgia Tech.^[3] The Spartans also finished with the No. 1 ranking in the final UPI coaches poll.^[4][5] The team was also recognized as the 1952 national champion in later analyses issued by the Boand System, DeVold System, Dunkel System, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin Ratings, and Williamson System.^[6]: 113 It was Michigan State's first consensus national championship.^[6]: 120 Five other selectors chose Georgia Tech as national champion. It was also Michigan State's last year as a football independent, as the Spartans became a football member of the Big Ten Conference in 1953.

Four Michigan State players were recognized on the 1952 All-America college football team: back Don McAuliffe (first-team honors from the United Press, All-America Board, and Collier's); center Dick Tamburo (first-team honors from the Associated Press, Central Press Association, and International News Service); guard Frank Kush (first-team honors from the Associated Press); and end Ed Luke (second-team honors from the Associated Press).^[7]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Tom Yewcic with 941 passing yards, halfback Billy Wells with 585 rushing yards, end Ellis Duckett with 323 receiving yards, and halfbacks Don McAuliffe and Leroy Bolden with 54 points each.^[8]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 27	at Michigan	No. 1	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	W 27–13	97,239	[9]
October 4	at Oregon State	No. 1	Multnomah Stadium Portland, OR	W 17–14	22,595	[10]
October 11	Texas A&M	No. 2	Macklin Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 48–6	49,123	[11]
October 18	Syracuse	No. 1	Macklin Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 48–7	38,254	[12]
October 25	No. 17 Penn State	No. 1	Macklin Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	W 34–7	51,162	[13]
November 1	at No. 8 Purdue	No. 1	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	W 14–7	49,500	[14]
November 8	at Indiana	No. 1	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN (rivalry)	W 41–14	22,000	[15]
November 15	No. 6 Notre Dame	No. 1	Macklin Stadium East Lansing, MI (rivalry)	W 21–3	52,472	[16]
November 22	Marquette	No. 1	Macklin Stadium East Lansing, MI	W 62–13	35,845	[17]
Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

Roster

• Howard Adams, guard
• Wayne Benson, fullback
• Alex Bleahu, tackle
• Doug Bobo, end
• Leroy Bolden, halfback
• Leo Boyd, halfback
• Bob Breniff, guard
• Hank Bullough, guard
• Rex Corless, halfback
• Don Cutler, tackle
• Paul Dekker, end
• Don Dohoney, end
• Rollie Dotsch, guard/tackle
• Ellis Duckett, end
• Jim Ellis, safety
• Chuck Fairbanks
• Larry Fowler, tackle
• Al Fracassa, quarterback
• Chuck Frank, tackle
• Don Kauth, end
• Joe Klein, tackle
• Frank Kush, guard
• Gene Lekenta, fullback
• Ed Luke, end
• Don McAuliffe, halfback
• Jack Morgan, tackle
• Morley Murphy, tackle
• Jim Neal, center
• Dick Panin, fullback
• Vince Pisano, halfback
• Bill Quinlin, end
• Don Schiesswohl, guard
• Gordon Serr, guard
• Evan Slonac, fullback
• Dick Tamburo, center
• Willie Thrower, quarterback
• Ed Timmerman, fullback
• Ray Vogt, halfback
• Doug Weaver, center
• Billy Wells, halfback
• John Wilson, halfback
• Johnny Wilson, quarterback
• Tom Yewcic, quarterback
• Bert Zagers, halfback

^[18]

Coaching staff

• Head coach - Clarence "Biggie" Munn
• Assistant coaches - Duffy Daugherty, Dan Devine, Earle Edwards, Dewey King, Steve Sebo

1953 NFL draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Paul Dekker	End	3	27	Washington Redskins
Dick Tamburo	Center	4	47	Cleveland Browns
Ed Timmerman	Back	14	160	Washington Redskins
Jim Ellis	Back	25	299	Cleveland Browns

^[19]

References

1. "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 154. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
2. "1952 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
3. "Michigan State Wins Final AP Poll, Beating Out Georgia Tech: Spartans Take Emblem Of U.S. Championship, The O'Donnell Trophy". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 2, 1952. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Michigan State tops press poll; jackets second". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. December 2, 1952. p. 3B.
5. Miller, Norman (December 2, 1952). "Board of coaches selects Michigan State's great Spartans for mythical title for '52". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). United Press. p. 2.
6. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
7. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1228. ISBN 1401337031.
8. "1952 Michigan State Spartans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
9. George S. Alderton (September 28, 1952). "State Racks Up 16th Win in Row". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
10. George S. Alderton (October 5, 1952). "Gene Lekenta's Last-Play Field Goal Earns 'S' 17 to 14 Hair-Raiser Over Oregon State". Lansing State Journal. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Spartans Spin Texans, 48 to 6". Lansing State Journal. October 12, 1952. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
12. George S. Alderton (October 19, 1952). "Spartans –All 61– Win 19th Straight". Lansing State Journal. pp. 53–54 – via Newspapers.com.
13. George S. Alderton (October 26, 1952). "Spartan '11' Entertains Grads, 34 to 7". Lansing State Journal. pp. 57, 61 – via Newspapers.com.
14. George S. Alderton (November 2, 1952). "Michigan State Stops Purcue, 14-7". Lansing State Journal. pp. 61, 65 – via Newspapers.com.
15. George S. Alderton (November 9, 1952). "State Wins Rough Tilt From Indiana: MSC Adds Hoosiers to Victim List". Lansing State Journal. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
16. George Alderton (November 16, 1952). "MSC Defense Shines In 21 to 3 Decision". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 57 – via Newspapers.com.
17. George S. Alderton (November 23, 1952). "State Ends Second Undefeated Season: Slaughters Marquette For No. 24". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
18. George S. Alderton (September 26, 1952). "Spartans in Strange Role as Game Favorite". Lansing State Journal. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "1953 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2013.