1953 Army Cadets football team

The 1953 Army Cadets football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 1953 college football season. Led by head coach Earl Blaik, the team finished with a record of 7–1–1. The Army Cadets finished the season by winning the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, awarded to the top college team in the East.

1953 Army Cadets football
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 16
AP	No. 14
1953 record	7–1–1
Head coach	Earl Blaik (13th season)
Offensive coordinator	Vince Lombardi
Offensive scheme	T formation
Home stadium	Michie Stadium

1953 Eastern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 14 Army			–					7	–	1	–	1
Harvard			–					6	–	2	–	0
Franklin & Marshall			–					5	–	2	–	0
Yale			–					5	–	2	–	2
Penn State			–					6	–	3	–	0
Carnegie Tech			–					5	–	3	–	0
Boston College			–					5	–	3	–	1
Boston University			–					5	–	3	–	1
Syracuse			–					5	–	3	–	1
Princeton			–					5	–	4	–	0
Tufts			–					4	–	3	–	0
Cornell			–					4	–	3	–	2
Holy Cross			–					5	–	5	–	0
Temple			–					4	–	4	–	1
Colgate			–					3	–	4	–	2
Columbia			–					4	–	5	–	0
Fordham			–					4	–	5	–	0
Villanova			–					4	–	6	–	0
Drexel			–					2	–	3	–	1
Brown			–					3	–	5	–	1
Penn			–					3	–	5	–	1
Pittsburgh			–					3	–	5	–	1
Dartmouth			–					2	–	7	–	0
Buffalo			–					1	–	5	–	1
Rankings from AP Poll

Regular season

The Cadets had lost six players, including Freddie Myers, to academic ineligibility.[1] The Cadets defeated Furnam 41–0, the team's first shutout since the 1951 scandal.[2] After a loss to Northwestern, the Cadets were undefeated for the rest of the season. In a scoreless tie against the Tulane Green Wave, future Green Bay Packer Max McGee starred for Tulane.[3] In the Army–Navy Game, Army's 20–7 victory over Navy was its first since 1949.[4] The turning point of the season was an October victory over #7 ranked Duke University. Duke featured stars such as Red Smith and Worth (A Million) Lutz. Tommy Bell ran up the middle. Quarterback Pete Vann switched the ball to his left hand, and made a southpaw pass. Red Smith was tackled by Bob Mischak in the final minutes of the game. Mischak ran 73 yards to make the tackle catching up eight yards of separation to save a touchdown. Inspired by Mischak, Army held Duke inside the one yard line, took over on downs, and eventually won the game. "When Bob Mischak, who was posthumously enshrined in the Army/West Point Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, made that unlikely play, what Blaik called " a marvelous display of heart and pursuit," the Army football team regained it's soul." Direct quote from Maraness[5]

Season schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
September 26	Furman	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	W 41–0
October 3	at Northwestern	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 20–33
October 10	Dartmouth	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	W 27–0
October 17	vs. Duke	Polo Grounds New York, NY	W 14–13
October 24	Columbia	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	W 40–7
October 31	at Tulane	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA	T 0–0
November 7	NC State	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	W 27–7
November 14	at Penn	Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA	W 21–14
November 28	vs. Navy	Municipal Stadium Philadelphia, PA (Army–Navy Game)	W 20–7

Personnel

1953 Army Black Knights football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class HB Tommy Bell Jr G Ralph Chesnauskas So E Don Holleder So FB Pat Uebel So QB Pete Vann Jr G Leroy Lunn (C) Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Earl Blaik Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

New York Giants coaching vacancy

Before the end of the 1953 season, the New York Daily News had a headline in their paper that Vince Lombardi was the top candidate to become the Giants new head coach.[6] Although Giants co-owner Wellington Mara was a classmate of Lombardi at Fordham University, the Giants were actually interested in Army head coach, Colonel Red Blaik. Blaik had declined the job, but recommended Lombardi, who was his offensive co-ordinator at Army.[7] Despite being Red Blaik's top aide, Vince Lombardi was anxious and frustrated. Three other Army assistants, including Murray Warmath were now head coaches.[8] In June, Lombardi had turned forty years old. Lombardi would be hired as the offensive co-ordinator for the 1954 season.[9]

References

1. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
2. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
3. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
4. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.147, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
5. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.148, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
6. Giants Among Men, p. 152, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
7. Giants Among Men, p. 153, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
8. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p.146, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
9. Giants Among Men, p. 154, Jack Cavanaugh, 2008, Random House, New York ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6