1953 Football Team

Overall Record: 6-3 Conference Record: 3-3
Conference Finish: 5 th place tie
National Ranking: AP - No. 20, UPI - No. 19
Coach: Bennie G. Oosterbaan
Captain: Dick O'Shaughnessy
All-Conference: Ted Kress, Bob Topp
Most Valuable Player: Tony Branoff
Meyer Morton Award: Tony Branoff, Donald Dugger
Trainer: Jim Hunt
Assistant coaches: Jack Blott, Clifford Keen, Bill Orwig, Matt Patanelli, Don Robinson, Walter Weber, J.T. White
Manager: Richard Petrie

OpponentRankDateSiteResult Attend.
Washington   -/- 09/26 H W 50-0 44,086
Tulane  4/- 10/03 H W 26-7 51,960
Iowa  5/- 10/10 H W 14-13 49,551
Northwestern  5/- 10/17 H W 20-12 64,420
Minnesota  5/- 10/24 A L 0-22 62,795
Pennsylvania (HC) 16/- 10/31 H W 24-14 56,795
Illinois 17/4 11/07 A L 3-19 69,507
Michigan State   -/4 11/14 A L 6-14 51,421
Ohio State   -/- 11/21 H W 20-0 87,048
Totals163-101 537,583

Starting Lineups         
PositionPlayer
left end Gene Topp (8)
Jerry Williams
left tackle Dick Strozewski (9)
left guard Donald Dugger (9)
center Dick O'Shaughnessy (5)
John Morrow (4)
right guard Richard Beison (9)
right tackle James Balog (9)
right end Gene Knutson (8)
Gene Topp
quarterback Lou Baldacci (9)
fullback Richard Balzhiser (9)
left halfback Ted Kress (9)
right halfback Tony Branoff (9)

View full 1953 roster (from all-time roster database, includes non-lettermen and freshmen)


1953 Team Photo
1953 team photo
view larger image

[Note: photo includes only varsity letter winners]

Back Row
Richard Petrie (Senior Manager), Gerald Williams, Tony Branoff, Louis Baldacci, John Morrow, Edgar Meads, William Kolesar
3rd Row
James Hunt (Trainer), Arthur Walker, Fred Baer, Duncan McDonald, John Veselenak, Raymond Kenaga, Daniel Cline
2nd Row
Edward Hickey, Robert Hurley, Richard Balzhiser, Thad Stanford, Robert Topp, Donald Bennett, Richard Beison
Front Row
Theodore Kress, Donald Dugger, Theodore Cachey, Richard O'Shaughnessy (Captain), Bennie Oosterbaan (head coach), James Balog, Ronald Williams

1953 Full Squad Photo
1953 full squad photo
view larger image