1952 Big Ten Conference football season

The 1952 Big Ten Conference football season was the 57th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) and was a part of the 1952 college football season.

1952 Big Ten Conference football season
SportAmerican football
Number of teams9
Top draft pickBernie Flowers
Co-championsWisconsin, Purdue
Season MVPPaul Giel
1952 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 11 Wisconsin + 4 1 1  6 3 1
No. 18 Purdue + 4 1 1  4 3 2
No. 17 Ohio State 5 2 0  6 3 0
Michigan 4 2 0  5 4 0
Minnesota 3 1 2  4 3 2
Illinois 2 5 0  4 5 0
Northwestern 2 5 0  2 6 1
Iowa 2 5 0  2 7 0
Indiana 1 5 0  2 7 0
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1952 Wisconsin Badgers football team, under head coach Ivy Williamson, compiled a 6–3–1 record, tied for the Big Ten championship, was ranked No. 10 in the final UP poll and No. 11 in the final AP poll, and lost to USC in the 1953 Rose Bowl. Tackle Dave Suminski was the team's only first-team All-American and was selected as the team's most valuable player. Sophomore Alan Ameche was a first-team All-Big Ten player, set a Wisconsin record with 946 rushing yards, and went on to win the 1954 Heisman Trophy.

The 1952 Purdue Boilermakers football team, under head coach Stu Holcomb, was the Big Ten co-champion and ranked No. 12 in the final UP poll and No. 18 in the final AP poll. Purdue end Bernie Flowers was the Big Ten's only consensus first-team All-American in 1952 and was the first Big Ten player selected in the 1953 NFL Draft. Dale Samuels was the first Purdue quarterback to pass for over 1,000 yards in a season.

The conference's statistical leaders included Illinois quarterback Tommy O'Connell with 1,761 passing yards and 1,724 yards of total offense,[1] Alan Ameche with 946 rushing yards,[1] and Indiana's Gene Gedman with 54 points scored.[2]

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Conf. Rank Team Head coach AP final AP high Overall record Conf. record PPG PAG MVP
1 (tie)WisconsinIvy Williamson#11#16–3–14–1–122.815.0Dave Suminski
1 (tie)PurdueStu Holcomb#18#84–3–24–1–120.916.8Earl Heninger
3Ohio StateWoody Hayes#17#146–35–221.913.2Fred Bruney
4MichiganBennie OosterbaanNR#125–44–223.014.9Ted Topor
5MinnesotaWes FeslerNRNR4–3–23–1–214.619.0Paul Giel
6IllinoisRay EliotNR#24–52–521.619.4Al Brosky
7 (tie)NorthwesternBob VoigtsNRNR2-6-12-518.428.0Chuck Hren
7 (tie)IowaForest EvashevskiNRNR2–72–513.424.4Bill Fenton
9IndianaBernie CrimminsNRNR2–71–515.924.9Gene Gedman

Key
AP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1952 season[3]
AP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1952 season[3]
PPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold[3]
PAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in bold[3]
MVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy; trophy winner in bold[4]

September 27

  • Wisconsin 42, Marquette 19.
  • Ohio State 33, Indiana 13.
  • Purdue 20, Penn State 20.
  • Michigan State 27, Michigan 13.

October 4

  • Wisconsin 20, Illinois 6.
  • Purdue 21, Ohio State 14.
  • Stanford 14, Michigan 7.

October 11

  • Ohio State 23, Wisconsin 14.
  • Purdue 41, Iowa 14.
  • Michigan 28, Indiana 13.

October 18

  • Wisconsin 42, Iowa 13.
  • Ohio State 35, Washington State 7.
  • Notre Dame 26, Purdue 14.
  • Michigan 48, Northwestern 14.

October 25

  • UCLA 20, Wisconsin 7.
  • Iowa 8, Ohio State 0.
  • Purdue 40, Illinois 12.
  • Michigan 21, Minnesota 0.

November 1

  • Wisconsin 21, Rice 7.
  • Ohio State 24, Northwestern 21.
  • Michigan State 14, Purdue 7.
  • Illinois 22, Michigan 13.

November 8

  • Wisconsin 24, Northwestern 20.
  • Pittsburgh 21, Ohio State 14.
  • Minnesota 14, Purdue 14.
  • Michigan 49, Cornell 7.

November 15

  • Wisconsin 37, Indiana 14.
  • Ohio State 27, Illinois 7.
  • Michigan 21, Purdue 10.

November 22

  • Minnesota 21, Wisconsin 21.
  • Ohio State 27, Michigan 7.
  • Purdue 21, Indiana 16.

Bowl games

Awards and honors

All-Big Ten honors

The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP)as first-team players on the 1952 All-Big Ten Conference football team. The AP picked separate offensive and defensive units, whereas the UP selected a single, eleven man unit.

AP offense and UP overall selections

Position Name Team Selectors
BackAlan AmecheWisconsinAP, UP
BackPaul GielMinnesotaAP, UP
BackTommy O'ConnellIllinoisAP, UP
BackGeorge GedmanIndianaAP
BackTed KressMichiganUP
EndJoe CollierNorthwesternAP, UP
EndBernard FlowersPurdueAP, UP
TackleRoger ZatkoffMichiganAP [linebacker], UP [tackle]
TackleGeorge JacobyOhio StateAP
TackleDavid SuminskiWisconsinAP
TackleRay HuizingaNorthwesternUP
GuardBob KennedyWisconsinAP [defensive guard], UP [guard]
GuardJames ReichenbachOhio StateAP
GuardRobert TimmMichiganAP
GuardGeorge O'BrienWisconsinUP
CenterWalter CudzikPurdueAP
CenterDick O'ShaughnessyMichiganUP

AP defensive unit

Position Name Team Selectors
Defensive endBill FentonIowaAP
Defensive endFrank WodziakIllinoisAP
Defensive tackleFred PreziosioPurdueAP
Defensive tackleArt WalkerMichiganAP
Defensive guardBob KennedyWisconsinAP [defensive guard], UP [guard]
Defensive guardPercy ZacharyMinnesotaAP
LinebackerRoger ZatkoffMichiganAP [linebacker], UP [tackle]
LinebackerTony CurcilloOhio StateAP
Defensive backFred BruneyOhio StateAP
Defensive backRobert McNamaraMinnesotaAP
SafetyAl BroskyIllinoisAP

All-American honors

At the end of the 1952 season, only one Big Ten player secured a consensus first-team pick on the 1952 College Football All-America Team.[5] The Big Ten's consensus All-Americans were:

Position Name Team Selectors
EndBernie FlowersPurdueAAB, FWAA, NEA, TSN, UP, WCFF

Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:

Position Name Team Selectors
EndJoe CollierNorthwesternINS
TackleDave SuminskiWisconsinAP
GuardMike TakacsOhio StateINS
BackPaul GielMinnesotaAP, FWAA
BackLowell PerryMichiganNEA

Other awards

Minnesota running back Paul Giel finished third in the voting for the 1952 Heisman Trophy.[6]

1953 NFL Draft

The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1953 NFL Draft:[7]

Name Position Team Round Overall pick
Bernie FlowersEndPurdue214
Gene GedmanBackIndiana225
Dale SamuelsQuarterbackPurdue328
Fred BruneyBackOhio State335
Roger ZatkoffTackleMichigan555
Rex SmithEndIllinois561
Tony CurcilloBackOhio State663
Bob KennedyGuardWisconsin667
Lowell PerryEndMichigan890

References

  1. "Needs Last Fling". The Kansas City Times. November 26, 1952. p. 17.
  2. "Gedman Chosen Most Valuable at Indiana". Muncie Evening Press. November 26, 1952. p. 9.
  3. "1952 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  4. Wilfrid Smith (December 14, 1952). "Paul Giel Voted Big 10's Most Valuable: Gophers' Back Gets 14 First Place Ballots". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
  5. "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. pp. 5–6. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  6. "1952 Heisman Trophy Voting". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  7. "1953 NFL Draft: Full Draft". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
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