1954 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

1954 Central Michigan Chippewas football
IIAC co-champion
Conference	Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	8–2 (5–1 IIAC)
Head coach	Kenneth Kelly (4th season)
MVP	Dick Kackmeister
Home stadium	Alumni Field

1954 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Michigan State Normal +	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Central Michigan +	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Western Illinois	3	–	1	–	2			6	–	1	–	3
Illinois State Normal	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Eastern Illinois	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
Southern Illinois	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Northern Illinois State	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The 1954 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan College of Education, renamed Central Michigan University in 1959, in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1954 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Kenneth Kelly, the Chippewas compiled an 8–2 record (5–1 against IIAC opponents), tied for the IIAC championship, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 321 to 107.^[1]

The team's statistical leaders included Jim King with 399 passing yards, Jim Podoley with 1,079 rushing yards, and Jerry Thomas with 121 receiving yards.^[2] Center Dick Kackmeister received the team's most valuable player award.^[3] Four Central Michigan players (Podoley, Kackmeister, guard Ray Figg, and halfback LaVerne Wolf) received first-team honors on the All-IIAC team.^[4]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	vs. Milwaukee State*	Saginaw, MI	W 26–7		[5]
September 18	Iowa State Teachers*	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	W 42–21		[6]
September 25	at Western Michigan*	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI (rivalry)	W 25–19		[7]
October 2	at Eastern Illinois	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL	W 60–0	1,200	[8]
October 9	at Great Lakes Naval*	Chicago, IL	L 28–32		[9]
October 16	Southern Illinois	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	W 33–0	3,000	[10]
October 23	at Western Illinois	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 7–14	10,000	[11]
October 30	Illinois State Normal	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	W 26–0		[12]
November 6	at Northern Illinois State	Glidden Field DeKalb, IL	W 46–7		[13]
November 13	Michigan State Normal	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry)	W 28–7		[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[15]

References

1. "Central Michigan 2015 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Central Michigan University. 2015. pp. 100, 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
2. 2015 Media Guide, pp. 88-89.
3. 2015 Media Guide, p. 95.
4. 2015 Media Guide, p. 96.
5. "Milwaukee Falls Prey To Central". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. September 12, 1954. p. 61. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Iowa Teachers Lose, 42-21". Des Moines Register. September 19, 1954. p. 8S. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Western Michigan Loses To Chippewas, 25 to 19". Battle Creek Enquirer. Associated Press. September 26, 1954. p. 4:2. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Central Michigan Drubs Eastern's Panthers, 60-0". The Daily Journal-Gazette and Commercial-Star. October 4, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved February 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Great Lakes Nips Chips". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. October 10, 1954. p. 56. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Young, Bill (October 18, 1954). "Southern Bows To Central, 33-0". The Southern Illinoisan. p. 9. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Western Illinois Upsets Central Michigan, 14-7". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. October 24, 1954. p. 62. Retrieved February 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Central Michigan Zips Past State Normal, 26-0, in IIAC". The Pantagraph. October 31, 1954. p. 12. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Chippewas Take Advantage Of Huskie Errors To Win Easily". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. November 8, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Hurons Lose; Tie For Crown; Chippewas Hand Michigan Normal First Loss of Season, 28-7". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1954. p. 12. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 14, 2022.