1954 Maine Black Bears football team

1954 Maine Black Bears football
MIAA champion
Conference	Yankee Conference, Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	5–2 (2–2 Yankee, 3–0 MIAA)
Head coach	Harold Westerman (4th season)
Captain	Thomas Golden, Ernest Short
Home stadium	Alumni Field

1954 Yankee Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
New Hampshire $	4	–	0	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
Rhode Island	3	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Maine	2	–	2	–	0			5	–	2	–	0
Vermont	1	–	1	–	0			5	–	1	–	1
UMass	1	–	3	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Connecticut	0	–	4	–	0			1	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1954 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference and Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association during the 1954 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Harold Westerman, the team compiled a 5–2 record (2–2 against Yankee Conference and 3–0 against MIAA opponents), finished third out of the six teams in the Yankee Conference, and won the Maine "State Series" championship. The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Orono, Maine. Thomas Golden and Ernest Short were the team captains.^[1]

The team was led on offense by triple-threat quarterback Billy Pappas.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 25	Rhode Island	Alumni Field Orono, ME	L 7–14		[3]
October 2	at Vermont	Centennial Field Burlington, VT	W 23–20	6,500	[4]
October 9	New Hampshire	Alumni Field Orono, ME (rivalry)	L 10–21		[2]
October 16	at Connecticut	Memorial Stadium Storrs, CT	W 41–13	11,000	[5]
October 23	Bates	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 35–0		[6]
October 30	Colby	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 33–6	6,500	[7]
November 6	at Bowdoin	Whittier Field Brunswick, ME	W 27–13		[8]

^[9]

References

1. "2019 Maine Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Maine. 2019. p. 86. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
2. Owen Osborne (October 11, 1954). "Passing Billy Pappas Paces New Hampshire In YC Victory Over Maine". Bangor Daily News. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Bud Leavitt (September 27, 1954). "Rhody Defeats Maine, 14–7". Bangor Daily News. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Maine Bears defeat UVM Catamounts 23–20". The Barre Daily Times. October 4, 1954. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Bill Newell (October 17, 1954). "Maine Crushes Connecticut By 41 to 13: Ernie Smart Has 89-Yard Kickoff Return". The Hartford Courant. p. IV-1 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Black Bears Wallop Bates Eleven, 35-0". Bangor Daily News. October 25, 1954. pp. 7, 18 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Bud Leavitt (November 1, 1954). "Maine Bears Halt Mule Attack: Co-Captain Ernie Smart Paces 33-6 Series Win". Bangor Daily News. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Owen Osborne (November 8, 1954). "Maine Defeats Bowdoin To Win 20th State Grid Title". Bangor Daily News. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 25, 2022.