1959 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 1959 Bowling Green Falcons football team was an American football team that represented Bowling Green State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1959 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Doyt Perry, the Falcons compiled a perfect 9–0 record (6–0 against MAC opponents), won the MAC championship, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 274 to 83.[1] The team was voted by the United Press International Board of Coaches as the 1959 national small college champion.[2] The team was inducted as a group into the Bowling Green Hall of Fame in 2013.[3]
| 1959 Bowling Green Falcons football | |
|---|---|
MAC champion UPI national small college champion | |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| 1959 record | 9–0 (6–0 MAC) |
| Head coach | Doyt Perry (5th season) |
| MVP | Bob Colburn |
| Captain | Bob Colburn, Bob Zimpfer |
| Home stadium | University Stadium |
| 1959 Mid-American Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshall | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders were Bob Colburn with 788 passing yards, Chuck Comer with 361 rushing yards, and Bernie Casey with 264 receiving yards.[4] Colburn and tackle Bob Zimpfer were selected by the UPI as first-team All-Ohio players.[5] Colburn received the team's Most Valuable Player award.[6] Jack Harbaugh, who later gained fame as a football coach, set a school record with three interceptions in the November 14 game against No. 1 Delaware.[7][8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | at Marshall | W 51–7 | 4,000 | [9] | ||||
| October 3 | Dayton* | No. 14 |
| W 14–0 | 7,500 | [10] | ||
| October 10 | Western Michigan | No. 17 |
| W 34–0 | [11] | |||
| October 17 | Toledo | No. 11 |
| W 51–21 | [12] | |||
| October 24 | at No. 15 Kent State | No. 8 | W 25–8 | 11,000 | [13] | |||
| October 31 | Miami | No. 6 |
| W 33–16 | 9,400 | [14] | ||
| November 7 | at Southern Illinois* | No. 4 | W 23–14 | 5,500 | [15] | |||
| November 14 | No. 1 Delaware* | No. 3 |
| W 30–8 | 8,700 | [8] | ||
| November 21 | at No. 9 Ohio | No. 1 | W 13–9 | 12,000 | [16] | |||
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References
- "2016 BGSU Football Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green State University. 2016. pp. 148, 153.
- "Bowling Green Voted UPI Small College Champions". Kingsport Times. November 27, 1959. p. 8.
- 2016 Media Guide, p. 141.
- 2016 Media Guide, p. 133.
- 2016 Media Guide, p. 139.
- 2016 Media Guide, p. 140.
- 2016 Media Guide, p. 123.
- "Harbaugh Sparks Defense: BeeGee Stomps Delaware". The Mansfield News-Journal. November 15, 1959. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- Skip Johnson (September 27, 1959). "Bowling Green Romps Over Marshall, 51-7". Sunday Gazette-Mail. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
- Joe Burns (October 4, 1959). "Colburn Engineers BG To 14-0 Win Over UD". Dayton Daily News. pp. IV-1, IV-5 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Western Michigan Handed 34-0 Loss". The Battle Creek Enquirer and News. October 11, 1959. p. IV-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- "BeeGees Spring Past Toledo, 51-21". Akron Beacon Journal. October 18, 1959. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
- Phil Dietrich (October 25, 1959). "BeeGees Kill Kent's Mid-Am Hopes: Falcons Roll Up 25-7 Advantage". The Akron Beacon-Journal. pp. 1B, 6B – via Newspapers.com.
- "BG Batters Miami, 33-16, Kills Redskin's Title Hopes". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 1, 1959. p. 1H – via Newspapers.com.
- Merle Jones (November 8, 1959). "Salukis Scare Falcons, Lose 23-14". Southern Illinoisan. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Falcons Capture Grid Title". Sunday Times Signal. November 22, 1959. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.