1951 Football Team

Overall Record: 4-5 Conference Record: 4-2
Conference Finish: 4th place
Coach: Bennie G. Oosterbaan
Captain: Bill Putich
All-Americans: Lowell Perry
All-Conference: Lowell Perry, Tom Johnson
Most Valuable Player: Don Peterson
Meyer Morton Award: Merritt Greene
Trainer: Jim Hunt
Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, George Ceithaml, Clifford Keen, Ernest McCoy, Bill Orwig, Don Robinson, Walter Weber, J.T. White
Manager: Leon Stock
OpponentRankDateSiteResult Attend.
Michigan State 17/2 09/29 H L 0-25 96,541
Stanford   -/- 10/06 H L 13-23 54,824
Indiana   -/- 10/13 H W 33-14 60,165
Iowa   -/- 10/20 A W 21-0 45,215
Minnesota (HC)   -/- 10/27 H W 54-27 83,060
Illinois 15/3 11/03 A L 0-7 68,997
Cornell   -/- 11/10 A L 7-20 33,752
Northwestern   -/- 11/17 H L 0-6 57,634
Ohio State   -/- 11/24 H W 7-0 93,411
Totals 135-122 593,599
Starting Lineups Ofense                  
PositionPlayer
left end Lowell Perry (8)
Merritt Green
left tackle Thomas Johnson (9)
left guard Peter Kinyon (7)
Donald Dugger
Jim Wolter
center Dick O'Shaughnessy (9)
right guard Jim Wolter (8)
Peter Kinyon
right tackle Ralph Stribe (7)
Larry LeClaire
Don Bennett
right end Fred Pickard (8)
Russ Osterman
quarterback Ted Topor (7)
Bill Putich (2)
fullback Donald Peterson (7)
Roger Zatkoff
Tom Witherspoon
left halfback Bill Putich (6)
Dave Tinkham (2)
Don Oldham
right halfback Wes Bradford (6)
Frank Howell (2)
Lowell Perry
Starting Lineups Defense         
PositionPlayer
left end Merritt Green (9)
left tackle Thomas Johnson (9)
left guard Donald Dugger (5)
Richard Beison (3)
Ray Kelsey (1)
rignt guard Robert Timm (9)
right tackle Ben Pederson (8)
James Balog (1)
right end Russ Osterman (9)
linebacker Roger Zatkoff (9)
linebacker Ted Topor (8)
Laurence LeClaire (1)
left haflback David Tinkham (9)
right halfback Don Oldham (7)
Don Peterson (2)
safety Bill Putich (6)
Lowell Perry (3)

View full 1951 roster (from all-time roster database, includes non-lettermen and freshmen)

1951 Team Photo
1951 team photo
view larger image

[Note: photo includes only varsity letter winners]

Back Row
Jim Hunt (trainer), Dick O'Shaughnessy, Thad Stanford, Gene Knutson, Jim Balog, Dick Bieson, Leon Stock (manager)
4th Row
Bob Matheson, Duncan McDonald, Leo Schlicht, Don Bennett, Russ Rescorla, Bill Billings, Don Zanfagna
3rd Row
Dave Tinkham, Bob Timm, Roger Zatkoff, Bruce Bartholomew, Bernhardt Pederson, Larry LeClaire, Frank Howell, Don Oldman
2nd Row
Don Dugger, Ted Topor, Tom Johnson, Ray Kelsey, Ralph Stribe, Don Peterson, Bob Dingman, Tom Witherspoon, Lowell Perry
Front Row
Fred Pickard, Jim Wolter, H.O. Crisler (Athletic Director), Bill Putich (captain), Bennie Oosterbaan (coach), Merritt Green (capt. elect), Pete Kinyon, Russ Osterman