1955 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1955 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1955 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth season under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference with a record of 7–2. The team was ranked No. 12 and No. 13 in the final AP and UPI Polls. Left end Ron Kramer was selected as a first-team All-American.[1] Kramer and right end Tom Maentz were nicknamed the "touchdown twins,"[2] became the first Michigan football players to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated,[3] and were both first-team selections for the All-Big Ten team. Left halfback Terry Barr was selected as the team's most valuable player.[1]
| 1955 Michigan Wolverines football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 13 |
| AP | No. 12 |
| 1955 record | 7–2 (5–2 Big Ten) |
| Head coach | Bennie Oosterbaan (8th season) |
| MVP | Terry Barr |
| Captain | Ed Meads |
| Home stadium | Michigan Stadium |
| 1955 Big Ten Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Ohio State $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Michigan State | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Michigan | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 6 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 8 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the second week of the season, the Wolverines defeated Michigan State, 14–7.[4] The game was the only loss of the season for Michigan State which was ranked No. 2 in the final AP and UPI polls. The Wolverines were ranked No. 2 in the country after defeating the Spartans and rose to No. 1 after defeating the No. 6 ranked Army football team by a 26–2 score the following week.[5] In late October 1955, quarterback Jim Maddock led a come-from-behind victory in a nationally televised game that included a 65-yard touchdown pass to Ron Kramer and a 60-yard touchdown pass to Tom Maentz.[6] After starting the season 6-0, the team lost to Illinois on November 5, 1955.[7] In the final game of the season, the Wolverines were favored but lost to Ohio State by a 17–0 score.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24 | Missouri* | No. 4 | W 42–7 | 51,801 | [9] | |
| October 1 | Michigan State | No. 2 |
| W 14–7 | 97,239 | [10] |
| October 8 | No. 6 Army* | No. 2 |
| W 26–2 | 97,366 | [11] |
| October 15 | Northwestern | No. 1 |
| W 14–2 | 67,074 | [12] |
| October 22 | at Minnesota | No. 1 | W 14–13 | 64,434 | [13] | |
| October 29 | Iowa | No. 3 |
| W 33–21 | 73,275 | [14] |
| November 5 | at Illinois | No. 3 | L 6–25 | 58,968 | [15] | |
| November 12 | Indiana | No. 7 |
| W 30–0 | 60,613 | [16] |
| November 19 | No. 9 Ohio State | No. 6 |
| L 0–17 | 97,369 | [17] |
| ||||||
Players
Varsity letter winners
The following 39 players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1955 football team.[18]
- Lou Baldacci, fullback, senior, Akron, Ohio - started 7 games at fullback
- Terry Barr, halfback, junior, Grand Rapids, Michigan - started 9 games at left halfback
- James V. Bates, center, senior, Farmington, Michigan - started 7 games at center
- James N. Bowman, center, senior, Charlevoix, Michigan - center
- Tony Branoff, halfback, senior, Flint, Michigan - started 9 games at right halfback
- Charles Brooks, end, junior, Marshall, Michigan - started 2 games at right end
- George R. Corey, halfback, senior, Baden, Pennsylvania
- Clement Corona, guard, junior, Berwick, Pennsylvania
- James H. Davies, tackle, junior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
- Dale L. Eldred, guard, junior, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Lawrence Faul, end, junior, River Forest, Illinois
- James W. Fox, guard, senior, Saginaw, Michigan
- Jerry P. Goebel, center, junior, Grosse Pointe, Michigan - started 2 games at center
- John Greenwood, quarterback, junior, Bay City, Michigan
- Thomas Hendricks, halfback, senior, Detroit, Michigan
- Richard B. Heynen, tackle, junior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Edward L. Hickey, halfback, senior, Anaconda, Montana
- David J. Hill, fullback, senior, Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Dick Hill, guard, junior, Gary, Indiana - started 9 games at left guard
- Earl Johnson, Jr., fullback, senior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
- Carl R. Kamhout, tackle, senior, Grand Haven, Michigan
- Stanley Knickerbocker, halfback, senior, Chelsea, Michigan
- William Kolesar, tackle, senior, Mentor, Ohio
- Ron Kramer, end, junior, East Detroit, Michigan - started 6 games at left end
- Jim Maddock, quarterback, junior, Chicago, Illinois - started 6 games at quarterback
- Tom Maentz, end, junior, Holland, Michigan - started 7 games at right end
- Robert L. Marion, guard, senior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
- Ed Meads, guard, senior, Oxford, Michigan - started 9 games at right guard
- John M. Morrow, tackle, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Marvin R. Nyren, guard, junior, Des Plaines, Illinois
- James B. Orwig, tackle, junior, Toledo, Ohio - started 9 games at left tackle
- Jim Pace, halfback, sophomore, Little Rock, Arkansas
- John Peckham, center, senior, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- David F. Rentschler, end, senior, Detroit, Michigan
- Mike Rotunno, end, junior, Canton, Ohio - started 3 games at left end
- Edward J. Shannon, halfback, junior, River Forest, Illinois - started 1 game at fullback
- Lionel Albert Sigman, tackle, junior, Ann Arbor, Michigan - started 9 games at right tackle
- Jim Van Pelt, quarterback, sophomore, Evanston, Illinois - started 3 games at quarterback
Reserves
The following additional players were awarded reserve letters.[18]
- Peter J. Aluzzo, center, Detroit, Michigan
- George J. Armelagos, guard, Allen Park, Michigan
- Paul T. Baldwin, quarterback, senior, Escanaba, Michigan
- Thomas E. Berger, guard, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan
- Alex Bochnowski, guard, sophomore, Munster, Indiana
- James A. Dickey, quarterback, sophomore, Miamisburg, Ohio
- Jerry I. Gonser, end, senior, Saline, Michigan
- James P. Gray, tackle, freshman, Battle Creek, Michigan
- Robert L. Henderson, tackle, Evansville, Indiana
- Jerry Janecke, halfback, sophomore, Rock Island, Illinois
- Walter W. Klinge, halfback, sophomore, West Brooklyn, Illinois
- Charles H. Krahnke, guard, senior, Wyandotte, Michigan
- John C. Kreger, tackle, sophomore, Flat Rock, Michigan
- Frederick Krueger, end, sophomore, Allen Park, Michigan
- Jack Lousma, quarterback, sophomore, Ann Arbor, Michigan - Lousma became a NASA astronaut and politician. He was a member of the Skylab 3 crew in 1973 and the commander of STS-3, the third space shuttle mission in 1983.
- William MacPhee, center, sophomore, Grand Haven, Michigan
- Charles F. Matulis, halfback, junior, East Chicago, Indiana
- Ernest H. McCoy, halfback, State College, Pennsylvania
- Joseph H. McKoan, end, junior, Algonac, Michigan
- John A. Miller, end, Jackson, Michigan
- Gordon Morrow, end, sophomore, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- David G. Owen, tackle, junior, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Donald F. Rembiesa, center, sophomore, Dearborn, Michigan
- Mike Rodriguez, halfback, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Richard J. Ruhuala, fullback, Flint, Michigan
- Michael Shatusky, halfback, junior, Menominee, Michigan
- Robert E. Sriver, halfback, senior, Mishawaka, Indiana
- William B. Steinmeyer, guard, junior, Toledo, Ohio
- Stephen J. Zervas, fullback, senior, Hazel Park, Michigan
Statistical leaders
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
| Tony Branoff | 86 | 387 | 4.5 | 3 |
| Terry Barr | 63 | 245 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Lou Baldacci | 69 | 218 | 3.2 | 4 |
Passing
| Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
| Jim Maddock | 52 | 20 | 3 | 38.5 | 343 | 17.1 | 2 | 65 |
| Jim Van Pelt | 21 | 9 | 1 | 42.9 | 139 | 15.4 | 2 | 36 |
| Terry Barr | 16 | 6 | 2 | 37.5 | 119 | 19.8 | 0 | 57 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Yds/Recp | TD | Long |
| Tom Maentz | 11 | 253 | 23.0 | 3 | 60 |
| Ron Kramer | 12 | 224 | 18.7 | 4 | 65 |
| Terry Barr | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 0 | 40 |
Kickoff returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Tony Branoff | 6 | 140 | 23.3 | 0 | 27 |
| Terry Barr | 4 | 84 | 21.0 | 0 | 25 |
| Ed Hickey | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 0 | 28 |
Punt returns
| Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
| Terry Barr | 14 | 219 | 15.6 | 1 | 82 |
| Jim Pace | 4 | 69 | 17.3 | 0 | 34 |
| Tony Branoff | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 0 | 11 |
Awards and honors
- Captain: Ed Meads
- All-Americans: Ron Kramer
- All-Conference: Ron Kramer (AP and UPI first team), Tom Maentz (AP and UPI first team), Tony Branoff (UPI first team and AP honorable mention), Jim Bates (UPI second team and AP honorable mention)[19][20]
- Most Valuable Player: Terry Barr
- Meyer Morton Award: Jim Van Pelt
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
- Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, Don Dufek, Robert Hollway, Cliff Keen, Pete Kinyon, Matt Patanelli, Don Robinson, Walter Weber
- Trainer: Jim Hunt
- Manager: Casper Grathwol
References
- "1955 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
- John Barbour (October 30, 1955). "Coaches Heap Praise Upon Great Ends". Council Bluffs Nonpareil.
- Ernie Harwell (June 7, 2004). "Michigan Has Covered SI 67 Times". Detroit Free Press.
- "Michigan Defeats Michigan State in Big Ten Contest Before 97,239 Fans". The New York Times. October 2, 1955.
- "Michigan Routs Army Jinx, 26-2: Fumbles Fatal To Cadets". The Miami News (AP story). October 9, 1955.
- Edward Prell (October 30, 1955). "Michigan Beats Iowa, 33-21; Badgers, Illini Lose: WOLVERINES WIN WITH 4TH PERIOD RALLY; Maddock Tosses 2 Scoring Passes What a Finish! Michigan's 4th Period Rally Overcomes Iowa, 33 to 21". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. A1.
- "Rampaging Illini Upset Mighty Michigan: No. 3 Team Handed First Loss of Year". The Spencer Sunday Times (AP story). November 6, 1955.
- "Ohio State Upsets Michigan, 17-0". The New York Times. November 20, 1955.
- Lyall Smith (September 25, 1955). "Kramer 'Shows 'Em' As M Rips Missouri". Detroit Free Press. pp. C1, C5 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hal Middlesworth (October 2, 1955). "U-M Frustrates Inspired Spartans". Detroit Free Press. pp. C1, C3 – via Newspapers.com.
- Tommy Devine (October 9, 1955). "Even Davy Couldn't Pin This Barr: Barr's 2 Tallies Pace M". Detroit Free Press. pp. C1, C4 – via Newspapers.com.
- Tommy Devine (October 16, 1955). "Michigan's Defense Beats Northwestern". Detroit Free Press. pp. C1, C4 – via Newspapers.com.
- Charles Johnson (October 23, 1955). "Michigan 14, Minnesota 13: Wolverines Rally from 13-0 First Quarter Deficit for Victory". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. pp. Sports 1, 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- Lyall Smith (October 30, 1955). "20 Points in 9 Minutes; U-M by a Miracle, 33-21!". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
- Fred Young (November 6, 1955). "Illinois Stuns Michigan With 25-6 Upset Victory". The Pantagraph. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- Tommy Devine (November 13, 1955). "Wolverines Conquer Indiana Like Champs". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D4 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ohio State Humbles Michigan, 17-0: 97,369 See Contest". Democrat and Chronicle. November 20, 1955. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Coaches Award 38 Varsity Letters". The Michigan Daily. November 23, 1955. p. 7 – via Bentley Historical Library.
- Ed Sainsbury (November 22, 1955). "Ohio State Dominates Big Ten All-Conference". Warsaw Times Union (UPI story).
- "'55 All-Big Ten Team". The Portsmouth Times (AP story). November 22, 1955.
External links
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