1955 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
The 1955 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1955 college football season. In their 11th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 7–1–1 record, won the SIAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 369 to 94. The team played its home games at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
1955 Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
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SIAC champion | |
Orange Blossom Classic, L 21–28 vs. Grambling | |
Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
1955 record | 7–1–1 (6–0 SIAC) |
Head coach | Jake Gaither (11th season) |
Home stadium | Bragg Stadium |
The Rattlers' sole loss was to undefeated Grambling in the Orange Blossom Classic. Florida A&M had been favored prior to the game, but Grambling upset the Rattlers to win the black college football national championship.[1] Florida A&M was ranked No. 3 in the final rankings of black college football times issued by the Pittsburgh Courier.[2]
The team's statistical leaders included Willie Galimore with 780 rushing yards, Lawrence Williams with 299 passing yards, and Al Frazier with 258 receiving yards and 78 points scored.[3] Galimore later played seven years with the Chicago Bears and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 1 | Benedict |
| W 80–6 | ||||
October 8 | at Fort Valley State | Fort Valley, GA | W 49–0 | ||||
October 15 | Morris Brown |
| W 14–6 | ||||
October 22 | vs. Bethune–Cookman |
| W 32–0 | 18,214 | [4] | ||
October 29 | at Xavier (LA) | New Orleans, LA | W 60–19 | ||||
November 5 | at North Carolina A&T* | Greensboro, NC | T 28–28 | ||||
November 12 | at Allen | Columbia, SC | W 34–7 | ||||
November 19 | Southern* |
| W 51–0 | 9,000 | [5] | ||
December 3 | vs. Grambling* | L 21–28 | 40,319 | [1] | |||
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References
- "Grambling's Eddie Murray Rattles Florida A&M 28-21". The Miami Daily News. December 4, 1955. pp. 1D, 2D – via Newspapers.com.
- "Final National Football Rating". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 10, 1955. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Florida A&M Rattler Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015. pp. 80–81.
- "A&M Triumphs Over Bethune In Gator Bowl". Tallahassee Democrat. October 23, 1955. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rattlers Trample Southern, 51-0". The Orlando Sentinel. November 20, 1955. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.