1951 college football season

The 1951 college football season finished with Princeton halfback Dick Kazmaier winning the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award. Five teams have laid claim to the 1951 national championship:

Individual statistical leaders for the 1951 season included San Francisco halfback Ollie Matson with 1,566 rushing yards and 126 points scored, Princeton halfback Dick Kazmaier with 1,827 yards of total offense, Loyola quarterback Don Klosterman with 1,843 passing yards, and Wyoming end Dewey McConnell with 47 receptions.

Conference and program changes

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Conference changes

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Membership changes

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School1950 Conference1951 Conference
CCNY BeaversIndependentDropped Program[2]
Duquesne DukesIndependentDropped Program
Georgetown HoyasIndependentDropped Program
High Point PanthersIndependentDropped Program
Houston CougarsGulf CoastMissouri Valley
Kent State Golden FlashesIndependentMAC
Milligan BuffaloesSmoky Mountain Conference/Volunteer State Athletic ConferenceDropped Program[3]
Montana GrizzliesIndependentSkyline (Mountain States)
New Mexico LobosBorderSkyline (Mountain States)
Niagara Purple EaglesWestern New York Little ThreeDropped Program
St. Mary's GaelsIndependentDropped Program

September

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In the preseason poll released on September 24, 1951, Tennessee and Michigan State were ranked first and second, with Tennessee having 60 of the 115 first place votes. MSU had opened its season on the 22nd with a 6–0 win over Oregon State. They were followed by No. 3 Ohio State, defending champion No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 5 California (which had won its opener against Santa Clara, 34–0). As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.

On September 14, the Central Missouri Mules played the Southwestern Moundbuilders in the rejected touchdown game where Southwestern's head coach Harold Hunt "rejected" a touchdown awarded by officials because his player stepped out of bounds.[4]

On September 29 No. 1 Tennessee beat Mississippi State 14–0. No. 2 Michigan State won at No. 17 Michigan, 25–0, to take the top spot from the Vols. No. 3 Ohio State beat visiting SMU 7–0 in a win not deemed good enough to stay in the top five. No. 4 Oklahoma beat William & Mary 49–7. No. 5 California won in Philadelphia against No. 19 Penn, 35–0, and rose to second in the next poll. The game was broadcast in New York in a test for color television [5] No. 14 Notre Dame, which had beaten Indiana 48–6, rose to fifth. The poll: No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 California, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 5 Notre Dame.

October

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October 6 No. 1 Michigan State won at No. 7 Ohio State, 24–20. No. 2 California beat Minnesota, 55–14. No. 3 Tennessee beat No. 16 Duke 26–0. No. 4 Oklahoma lost at No. 10 Texas A&M, 14–7 and fell out of the top five. No. 5 Notre Dame had beaten Mercy College of Detroit, 40–6, the night before. The next poll: No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 California, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Texas A&M, and No. 5 Notre Dame.

October 13 No. 1 Michigan State had trouble in defeating Marquette 20–14. No. 2 California beat Washington State 42–35 and took over the top spot from the Spartans in the next poll. No. 3 Tennessee beat the University of Chattanooga 42–13. No. 4 Texas A&M beat Trinity College 53–14 and fell from the top five. No. 5 Notre Dame lost to visiting SMU, 27–20. Taking the places of the Aggies and the Irish were No. 6 Texas (which had beaten No. 11 Oklahoma in Dallas, 9–7) and No. 8 Georgia Tech (which had beaten LSU 25–7). The next poll: No. 1 California, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Georgia Tech.

October 20 In Los Angeles, No. 1 California and No. 11 USC, both unbeaten at 4–0–0, faced off, and the Golden Bears lost the game, along with the top spot in the poll, 21–14. Earlier, in Birmingham, No. 2 Tennessee defeated Alabama 27–13. No. 3 Michigan State won at Penn State, 32–21. No. 4 Texas lost at Arkansas, 16–14. No. 5 Georgia Tech defeated Auburn 27–7. Appearing in the top five were No. 8 Illinois (which had a 27–20 win over No. 20 Washington) and No. 7 Maryland (which had beaten North Carolina 14–7). The next poll: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Georgia Tech, No. 4 Illinois, and No. 5 Maryland.

Another significant game on this date, though for a far different reason, was the DrakeOklahoma A&M matchup. Then-unbeaten Drake was led by quarterback Johnny Bright, who was leading the nation in total offense at the time and had been touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Two years earlier, he had been the first black player to appear in a game at A&M's home field, without incident. The same could not be said about this game. Bright was forced to leave the game in the first quarter after suffering three concussions and a broken jaw as the result of a racially motivated attack by white A&M player Wilbanks Smith, and A&M ultimately won 27–14. The attack was immortalized in a photo sequence in the Des Moines Register that won the photographers a Pulitzer Prize. It also had an enduring legacy on the sport:

  • By the end of the school year, Drake and Bradley withdrew from the Missouri Valley Conference in protest over both the attack and the failure of either the conference or Oklahoma A&M to discipline Smith. Bradley would return to the MVC for non-football sports in 1955, with Drake doing the same a year later, but Bradley never returned for football (dropping the sport in 1970) and Drake did not return to MVC football until 1971.
  • The attack led to new NCAA rules regarding illegal blocking and mandating the use of helmets with face guards.

October 27 No. 1 Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech 68–0. No. 2 Michigan State beat visiting Pitt, 53–26. No. 3 Georgia Tech won narrowly at Vanderbilt, 8–7. No. 4 Illinois won at Indiana, 21–0. Unbeaten (4–0–0) and No. 5 Maryland visited once-beaten (4–1–0) LSU, and won convincingly, 27–0. With the top five teams staying unbeaten, the poll changed only slightly: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Illinois, No 4 Maryland, and No. 5 Georgia Tech.

November

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November 3 No. 1 Tennessee won at North Carolina, 27–0 for its fourth shutout. In six games, the Vols had outscored their opponents, 207–14. No. 2 Michigan State was idle and dropped to fifth in the next poll. No. 3 Illinois beat No. 15 Michigan 7–0. No. 4 Maryland shut out Missouri 35–0. No. 5 Georgia Tech was tied by Duke, 14–14. No. 6 Princeton, which rose to 5–0–0 after a 12–0 win over Brown and had not lost a game in more than two years, gave an Ivy League addition to the Top Five. The next poll: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Illinois, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Princeton, and No. 5 Michigan State.

November 10 No. 1 Tennessee beat Washington & Lee, 60–14. No. 2 Illinois beat Iowa 40–13. In Baltimore, No. 3 Maryland beat Navy, 40–21. No. 4 Princeton won at Harvard, 54–13 but left the top five. No. 5 Michigan State (6–0–0) hosted No. 11 Notre Dame (5–1–0), shut out the Irish 35–0, and returned to the No. 1 spot in the poll. In Los Angeles, two unbeaten and untied (7–0–0) powers faced off, as No. 6 USC and No. 7 Stanford met. The Stanford Indians beat the Trojans 27–20. The next poll: No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 Stanford, and No. 5 Maryland.

November 17 No. 1 Michigan State won at Indiana, 30–26. No. 2 Tennessee won at Mississippi, 46–21. No. 3 Illinois got a blemish on its record with a 0–0 tie at Ohio State. No. 4 Stanford beat Oregon State 35–14. No. 5 Maryland overwhelmed N.C. State 53–0. No. 6 Princeton, which had shut out Yale 27–0, came back to the top five. The next poll: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 5 Princeton.

November 24 No. 1 Tennessee beat No. 9 Kentucky 28–0. No. 2 Michigan State beat Colorado 45–7 to finish its season at 9–0–0. No. 3 Stanford suffered its first defeat, falling to No. 19 California 20–7. No. 4 Maryland stayed unbeaten, defeating West Virginia 54–7. No. 5 Princeton closed its season with a 13–0 win over Dartmouth. No. 6 Illinois, which won at Northwestern 3–0, returned to the top five. The penultimate poll: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Illinois, and No. 5 Princeton.

On December 1 No. 1 Tennessee closed its season unbeaten with a 35–27 win over Vanderbilt. No. 6 Georgia Tech, the only other highly-ranked team which had not finished its season, defeated Georgia 48–6. This result moved the Yellow Jackets up a spot in the final poll: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Georgia Tech, and No. 6 Princeton, with all six teams being undefeated (although Illinois and Georgia Tech both had ties on their record).

The nation's seventh undefeated team was the No. 14 University of San Francisco Dons, who closed their season—and their football program—with a perfect record of 9 wins, 0 losses and 0 ties. After their November 24 game against in-state Jesuit rival Loyola University, a 20–2 win, USF stopped playing football.

Conference standings

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For this article, major conferences defined as those including at least one state flagship public university.

Major conference standings

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1951 Big Seven Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 10 Oklahoma $600820
Colorado510730
Kansas420820
Iowa State240441
Nebraska240280
Missouri240370
Kansas State060090
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Illinois $501901
Purdue410540
No. 8 Wisconsin511711
Michigan420450
Ohio State222432
Northwestern240540
Minnesota141261
Indiana150270
Iowa051252
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Border Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Texas Tech $400740
Arizona State410631
Hardin–Simmons410660
Arizona330650
Texas Western240370
New Mexico A&M140190
West Texas State150270
Arizona State–Flagstaff010170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Cincinnati $3001010
Miami (OH)310730
Kent State210432
Ohio220541
Western Reserve130261
Western Michigan040440
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Middle Three Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lehigh $200720
Rutgers110440
Lafayette020170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 North Central Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
South Dakota $600710
South Dakota State411811
Iowa State Teachers330340
North Dakota230240
Morningside240351
North Dakota State141151
Augustana (SD)140350
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 7 Stanford $610920
No. 17 UCLA411531
No. 12 California520820
USC420730
No. 18 Washington State430730
Oregon State350460
Washington151361
Oregon160280
Idaho030270
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Skyline Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Utah $410740
Wyoming511721
Denver430640
Colorado A&M331541
BYU231631
Utah State241351
New Mexico240470
Montana140270
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Georgia Tech +7001101
No. 1 Tennessee +5001010
LSU421731
Ole Miss421631
No. 15 Kentucky330840
Auburn340550
Vanderbilt350650
Alabama350560
Florida240550
Georgia240550
Mississippi State250450
Tulane150460
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Maryland +5001000
VMI +500730
Washington and Lee510640
William & Mary510730
No. 19 Clemson310730
Duke420541
South Carolina530640
Wake Forest530640
George Washington231261
North Carolina230280
West Virginia230550
NC State260370
Richmond260380
The Citadel130460
Furman141361
Davidson150180
VPI170280
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 11 TCU $510650
No. 9 Baylor411821
Texas330730
Rice330550
Texas A&M132532
Arkansas240550
SMU141361
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Yankee Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Maine $301601
UMass200341
Connecticut210440
New Hampshire121521
Rhode Island130350
Vermont030070
  • $ – Conference champion

Independents

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1951 Eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bucknell  900
No. 6 Princeton  900
Susquehanna  600
Trenton State  600
Northeastern  601
No. 19 Holy Cross  820
Carnegie Tech  620
Hofstra  621
Cornell  630
No. 16 Boston University  640
Temple  640
Columbia  530
Villanova  530
Fordham  540
Franklin & Marshall  540
Penn  540
Penn State  540
Syracuse  540
Buffalo  440
Colgate  450
Dartmouth  450
Drexel  340
Harvard  351
Boston College  360
Yale  252
Pittsburgh  370
Geneva  250
Army  270
Brown  270
NYU  170
Tufts  072
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Michigan State  900
Xavier  901
Wabash  701
No. 13 Notre Dame  721
Dayton  730
Toledo  640
Washington University  540
Wayne  540
Bowling Green  441
Marquette  461
Baldwin–Wallace  350
John Carroll  360
Rose Poly  250
Youngstown  261
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Southern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 13 Virginia  810
Maryland State  710
Arkansas State  1020
Stetson  812
Florida State  620
Northeast Louisiana State  620
Texas Southern  731
Miami (FL)  830
Tampa  731
Delaware  530
Memphis State  530
Sewanee  530
McNeese State  541
Louisville  540
Chattanooga  650
Grambling  451
Navy  261
Delta State  180
Rankings from AP Poll
1951 Western college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 14 San Francisco  900
La Verne  530
Pacific (CA)  650
Fresno State  550
Santa Clara  351
Hawaii  470
Loyola (CA)  360
San Jose State  271
Cal Poly San Dimas  160
Rankings from AP Poll

Minor conferences

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ConferenceChampion(s)Record
California Collegiate Athletic AssociationSan Diego State4–0
Central Church College ConferenceConcordia (NE)3–0
Central Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationWest Virginia State5–0–1
Central Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceKansas State Teachers
Pittsburg State
4–1
College Conference of IllinoisIllinois Wesleyan5–0
Evergreen ConferencePacific Lutheran
Puget Sound
Western Washington College
4–1
Far Western ConferenceNBCA3–1
Gulf Coast ConferenceNorth Texas State2–0
Indiana Collegiate ConferenceValparaiso4–0
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSaint Ambrose5–0
Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceCollege of Emporia6–0
Lone Star ConferenceEast Texas State Teachers5–0
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationAlma
Hope
4–1
Mid-American ConferenceCincinnati3–0
Midwest Collegiate Athletic ConferenceLawrence7–0
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceGustavus Adolphus6–0
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationNortheast Missouri State
Southwest Missouri State
4–0–1
Nebraska College ConferenceDoane
Peru State
6–1
New Mexico Intercollegiate ConferenceEastern New Mexico5–0
North Central Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSouth Dakota6–0
North Dakota College Athletic ConferenceDickinson State
Valley City State
4–0
Ohio Athletic ConferenceOhio Wesleyan6–0
Ohio Valley ConferenceMurray State College5–1
Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic ConferenceNortheastern State College (OK)5–0
Oregon Collegiate ConferenceOregon College
Pennsylvania State Athletic ConferenceBloomsburg State Teachers7–0
Pacific Northwest ConferenceLewis & Clark
Pacific (OR)
4–1
Rocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceColorado Mines4–0
South Dakota Intercollegiate ConferenceSouth Dakota Mines6–0
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceOccidental4–0
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceMorris Brown8–0
Southwestern Athletic ConferencePrairie View A&M College6–1
State Teacher's College Conference of MinnesotaSt. Cloud State Teachers4–0
Texas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceAbilene Christian
Howard Payne
Texas A&I
3–1
Wisconsin State Teachers College ConferenceLa Crosse State Teachers6–0

Minor conference standings

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1951 Badger-Illini Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northwestern (WI) $601601
Milton510510
St. Procopius312322
Concordia (IL)221231
Mission House240240
Wisconsin–Extension240240
Wisconsin Tech240240
Aurora060070
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
San Diego State $4001001
Cal Poly211541
Pepperdine211541
Santa Barbara130540
Los Angeles State040170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Central Church College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Concordia (NE) $300810
York (NE)210530
Tarkio120170
Dana030260
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 West Virginia State $501621
No. 1 North Carolina A&T510711
No. 6 North Carolina College511721
Virginia Union540550
No. 19 Lincoln (PA)420620
No. 16 Virginia State530530
No. 18 Hampton440540
Winston-Salem State420440
Howard540540
Morgan State340350
Bluefield State330360
Johnson C. Smith340350
Delaware State240270
St. Augustine's250360
Shaw180190
Saint Paul's (VA)070080
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Associated Negro Press[6]
1951 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pittsburg State +410730
Emporia State +410531
Washburn320630
Fort Hays State230540
St. Benedict's230450
Southwestern (KS)050171
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 College Conference of Illinois football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Illinois Wesleyan $500800
Wheaton (IL)310620
Lake Forest320341
Millikin320340
Illinois College330440
Augustana (IL)230341
North Central (IL)230350
Elmhurst130440
Carthage050090
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Evergreen Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Western Washington +410810
Puget Sound +410710
Pacific Lutheran +410430
Whitworth140431
Eastern Washington140260
Central Washington140160
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 Far Western Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Cal Aggies $310540
San Francisco State200820
Humboldt State210431
Southern Oregon120180
Chico State040070
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Gulf Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
North Texas State $200840
Midwestern (TX)011541
Trinity (TX)011451
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Gulf States Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Mississippi Southern $400650
Southeastern Louisiana410730
Southwestern Louisiana320640
Louisiana Tech230450
Louisiana College140560
Northwestern State050180
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Hoosier Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Hanover $600630
Indiana Central420530
Earlham330440
Manchester (IN)330440
Taylor330350
Franklin (IN)150260
Anderson (IN)150170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Valparaiso $400900
Saint Joseph's (IN)310440
Butler320441
Evansville110550
Indiana State031061
Ball State041061
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Illinois State600900
Western Illinois411711
Central Michigan420530
Eastern Illinois222422
Michigan State Normal240450
Illinois State Normal141351
Southern Illinois060090
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Iowa Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Loras xy500640
Luther410630
Buena Vista320340
Wartburg230250
Upper Iowa140150
Westmar050161
Southern Division
St. Ambrose xy$500920
Iowa Wesleyan320521
Dubuque320340
Simpson230270
Parsons140440
Central (IA)140360
Championship: St. Ambrose 44, Loras 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1951 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
College of Emporia $600800
McPherson510720
Ottawa420630
Kansas Wesleyan330540
Bethany (KS)240450
Baker150270
Bethel (KS)060180
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
East Texas State $500920
Southwest Texas State221631
Sam Houston State221441
Stephen F. Austin230441
Lamar Tech230460
Sul Ross140370
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Western Maryland $300800
Randolph–Macon311531
Hampden–Sydney112432
Bridgewater120130
Johns Hopkins021251
Gallaudet020140
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Conference standings were based on the Dickinson Scoring System.
1951 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Alma +410720
Hope +410540
Albion320620
Hillsdale230260
Kalamazoo230260
Adrian050060
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 Mid-Ohio League football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bluffton +410620
Findlay +410520
Ohio Northern320450
Cedarville230???
Ashland230251
Defiance050060
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 Midlands Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lewis $300710
St. Ambrose210920
St. Norbert220540
Loras130640
Saint Joseph's (IN)130440
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Midwest Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Central State (OH) $300720
No. 3 Tennessee A&I210820
No. 10 Lincoln (MO)120720
Kentucky State030270
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from the Pittsburgh Courier[7]
1951 Midwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lawrence $700700
Ripon610620
Knox321431
Carleton330430
Monmouth (IL)231332
Coe240350
Grinnell150161
Cornell (IA)060070
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Gustavus Adolphus $600801
Minnesota–Duluth510521
St. Thomas (MN)510620
Saint John's (MN)410430
St. Olaf320340
Hamline330330
Concordia (MN)240440
Saint Mary's (MN)150160
Macalester060270
Augsburg060070
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Minnesota Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
St. Cloud State $400520
Bemidji State310620
Mankato State220440
Moorhead State130340
Winona State040060
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Missouri Valley $4001010
William Jewell310830
Culver–Stockton220340
Central (MO)130180
Tarkio040170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Kirksville State +401711
SW Missouri State +401631
Missouri Mines320350
NW Missouri State230261
SE Missouri State041251
Central Missouri State041072
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Tulsa $400920
Drake310720
Oklahoma A&M320370
Houston220650
Detroit240470
Wichita240270
Bradley030450
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Carroll (MT) $400611
Rocky Mountain310???
Western Montana220???
Eastern Montana130230
Montana Mines040???
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Nebraska College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Peru State +610820
Doane +610720
Wayne State (NE)520630
Kearney State430530
Hastings430540
Nebraska Wesleyan250280
Chadron State160180
Midland070170
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 New Mexico Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Eastern New Mexico $500810
New Mexico Western311621
Adams State320360
Panhandle A&M230640
New Mexico Highlands131341
New Mexico Military050260
  • $ – Conference champion
1952 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Dickinson State +400430
Valley City State +400430
Minot State320430
Ellendale220220
Wahpeton Science121131
Jamestown131151
Mayville State130130
Bismarck JC040040
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 North State Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Lenoir Rhyne $6001010
Elon420630
Catawba320550
Appalachian State330630
East Carolina140460
Western Carolina140360
Guilford140170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Pacific (OR) +410820
Lewis & Clark +410620
College of Idaho320540
Linfield131333
Whitman131351
Willamette140350
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Ohio Wesleyan $600810
Heidelberg301711
Mount Union210341
Muskingum321521
Denison321431
Oberlin220440
Otterbein221242
Wooster230630
Akron130180
Wittenberg150460
Capital021241
Marietta031241
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Murray State $510810
Eastern Kentucky420730
Marshall420551
Evansville330550
Tennessee Tech330551
Western Kentucky240450
Morehead State060170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Northeastern State $500910
SW Oklahoma State320460
SE Oklahoma State320360
Central State (OK)230270
NW Oklahoma State131441
East Central041161
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Oregon Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Oregon College $300601
Oregon Tech210630
Vanport120350
Eastern Oregon030360
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Bloomsburg $700800
California (PA)410720
Clarion310421
West Chester310820
Kutztown320520
Shippensburg430530
East Stroudsburg220440
Slippery Rock120340
Indiana (PA)531531
Edinboro031051
Mansfield140250
Millersville350350
Cheyney030240
Lock Haven060080
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Conference standings were based on the Saylor system of ratings.
1951 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Colorado Mines $400720
Colorado College320450
Idaho State320540
Colorado State–Greeley230430
Western State (CO)230350
Montana State040070
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Emory and Henry $200901
East Tennessee State110450
Carson–Newman020460
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
South Dakota Mines $600800
Southern State610611
Black Hills310620
Northern State320440
Huron330530
Yankton330340
General Beadle140150
Sioux Falls050070
Dakota Wesleyan060060
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Occidental $400620
Redlands220350
Whittier220270
Caltech130250
Pomona130170
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Morris Brown $8001010
No. 10 Xavier (LA)510810
No. 3 Florida A&M410711
No. 22 Fisk520620
No. 23 South Carolina State420520
No. 12 Bethune–Cookman420720
No. 15 Benedict530730
No. 24 Tuskegee530630
Alabama A&M330350
Lane220340
Morehouse230340
Clark (GA)350350
Allen150370
Knoxville050081
Alabama State060080
Fort Valley State000180
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Associated Negro Press[8]
1951 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Prairie View A&M $610910
No. 17 Texas College412532
No. 21 Southern412542
No. 20 Arkansas AM&N421541
Langston430450
Wiley241351
Samuel Huston160180
Bishop070090
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Associated Negro Press[9]
1951 Texas Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Abilene Christian +310640
Texas A&I +310540
Howard Payne +310440
McMurry130370
Austin040270
  • + – Conference co-champions
1951 Virginia Little Six Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Emory and Henry $200901
Randolph–Macon111531
Hampden–Sydney111432
Bridgewater020130
  • $ – Conference champion
1951 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Morris Harvey $400631
[[{{{school}}}|West Virginia Tech]]510710
[[{{{school}}}|Potomac State]]310410
[[{{{school}}}|Fairmont State]]420630
[[{{{school}}}|Davis & Elkins]]420440
[[{{{school}}}|West Liberty State]]220350
[[{{{school}}}|Glenville State]]340340
[[{{{school}}}|Shepherd]]130350
[[{{{school}}}|Concord]]150170
[[{{{school}}}|Salem]]060080
[[{{{school}}}|Bethany (WV)]] *010350
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Conference standings based on power ratings
1951 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
[[{{{school}}}|La Crosse State]] $600720
[[{{{school}}}|Stout Institute]]510710
[[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]]320330
[[{{{school}}}|Superior State]]321422
[[{{{school}}}|Platteville State]]222232
[[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]]123143
[[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]]240350
[[{{{school}}}|River Falls State]]132332
[[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]]033034
[[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]]041041
  • $ – Conference champion

Rankings

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Bowl games

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All seven games played were on Tuesday, January 1, 1952.[10][11]

Bowl gameWinning teamLosing team
Cotton BowlNo. 15 Kentucky20No. 11 TCU7
Sugar BowlNo. 3 Maryland28No. 1 Tennessee13
Rose BowlNo. 4 Illinois40No. 7 Stanford7
Orange BowlNo. 5 Georgia Tech17No. 9 Baylor14
Gator BowlMiami (FL)14No. 20 Clemson0
Sun BowlTexas Tech25Pacific (CA)14
Tangerine BowlStetson35Arkansas State20

Heisman Trophy voting

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The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player

PlayerSchoolPosition1st2nd3rdTotal
Dick KazmaierPrincetonHB506107451,777
Hank LauricellaTennesseeHB4510873424
Babe ParilliKentuckyQB327990344
Bill McCollStanfordE425675313
Johnny BrightDrakeHB314939230
Johnny KarrasIllinoisHB156058223
Larry IsbellBaylorQB292428163
Hugh McElhennyWashingtonHB181715103
Ollie MatsonSan FranciscoHB6282195
Don ColemanMichigan StateOT6232993

Source: [12][13]

Statistical leaders

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Individual

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Total offense

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The following players were the individual leaders in total offense among major college football players during the 1951 season:
1. Dick Kazmaier, Princeton, 1,827 yards
2. Don Klosterman, Loyola (CA), 1,803 yards
3. Bill Wade, Vanderbilt, 1,646 yards
4. Zeke Bratkowski, Georgia, 1,634 yards
5. Tom Dublinski, Utah, 1,633 yards
6. Hair, Clemson, 1,579 yards
7. Morris, Tulsa, 1,572 yards
8. Ollie Matson, San Francisco, 1,566 yards
9. Larry Isbell, Baylor, 1,556 yards
10. Johnny Bright, Drake, 1,553 yards
[14]

Passing

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The following players were the individual leaders in pass completions among major college football players during the 1951 season:
1. Don Klosterman, Loyola (CA), 159 of 315 (50.5%), 1,843 yards, 21 interceptions, 9 touchdowns
2. Babe Parilli, Kentucky, 136 of 239 (56.9%), 1,643 yards, 12 interceptions, 19 touchdowns
3. Don Leahy, Marquette, 127 of 232 (54.7%), 1,543 yards, 15 interceptions, 12 touchdowns
4. Tom Dublinski, Utah, 124 of 239 (51.9%), 1,418 yards, 11 interceptions, 14 touchdowns
5. Don Babers, Oklahoma A&M, 121 of 247 (49.0%), 1,352 yards, 13 interceptions, 10 touchdowns
6. Hart, Hardin-Simmons, 117 of 229 (51.1%), 1,380 yards, 14 interceptions, 8 touchdowns
7. Zeke Bratkowski, Georgia, 116 of 248 (46.8%), 1,578 yards, 29 interceptions, 6 touchdowns
8. Bill Wade, Vanderbilt, 111 of 223 (49.8%), 1,609 yards, 10 interceptions, 13 touchdowns
9. Fred Benners, SMU, 108 of 204 (52.9%), 1,306 yards, 12 interceptions, 9 touchdowns
10. Larry Isbell, Baylor, 105 of 214 (49.1%), 1,430 yards, 18 interceptions, 10 touchdowns
[15]

Rushing

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The following players were the individual leaders in rushing yards among major college football players during the 1951 season:
1. Ollie Matson, San Francisco, 1,566 yards on 245 carries (6.39 average)
2. Dunny Goode, Hardin-Simmons, 1,399 yards on 270 carries (5.18 average)
3. Howard Waugh, Tulsa, 1,118 yards on 165 carries (6.78 average)
4. Shannon, Houston, 1,059 yards on 144 carries (7.35 average)
5. Thomas McCormick, Pacific, 1,001 yards on 191 carries (5.24 average)
6. Hugh McElhenny, Washington, 936 yards on 169 carries (5.54 average)
7. Johnny Bright, Drake, 927 yards on 160 carries (5.79 average)
8. John Kastan, Boston University, 886 yards on 133 carries (6.66 average)
9. Hank Lauricella, Tennessee, 881 yards on 111 carries (7.94 average)
10. Buck McPhail, Oklahoma, 865 yards on 101 carries (8.56 average)
[16]

Receiving

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The following players were the individual leaders in receptions among major college football players during the 1951 season:
1. Dewey McConnell, Wyoming, 47 receptions for 725 yards and 8 touchdowns
2. Ed Barker, Washington State, 46 receptions, 864 yards, 9 touchdowns
3. Jim David, Colorado A&M, 46 receptions, 551 yards, 5 touchdowns
4. Karl Kluckhohn, Colgate, 45 receptions, 616 yards, 5 touchdowns
5. Fred Snyder, Loyola (CA), 45 receptions, 539 yards, 2 touchdowns
6. Bill McColl, Stanford, 42 receptions, 607 yards, 7 touchdowns
7. Harry Babcock, Georgia, 41 receptions, 666 yards, 2 touchdowns
8. Ben Roderick, Vanderbilt, 40 receptions, 627 yards, 5 touchdowns
8. George Wooden, Oklahoma A&M, 40 receptions, 502 yards, 2 touchdowns
8. Wesley Bomm, Columbia, 40 receptions, 444 yards, 1 touchdown
8. Jim Walker, Texas Western, 40 receptions, 440 yards, 3 touchdowns
[17]

Scoring

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The following players were the individual leaders in scoring among major college football players during the 1951 season:
1. Ollie Matson, San Francisco, 126 points (21 TD)
2. Hugh McElhenny, Washington, 125 points (17 TD, 23 PAT)
3. Bill Parsons, Tulsa, 96 points (16 TD)
4. Ray Oliverson, BYU, 90 points (15 TD)
4. John "Babe" Kastan, Boston University, 90 points (15 TD)
6. Johnny Bright, Drake, 84 points (14 TD)
6. Frank Goode, Hardin-Simmons, 84 points (14 TD)
6. Eddie Macon, Pacific, 84 points (14 TD)
6. Harold "Herky" Payne, Tennessee, 84 points (14 TD)
[18]

Team

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Total offense

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The following teams were the leaders in total offense in major college football during the 1951 season:
1. Tulsa, 480.1 yards per game
2. Maryland, 423.3 yards per game
3. Princeton, 417.0 yards per game
4. Arizona State, 416.2 yards per game
5. Cincinnati, 408.3 yards per game
6. Oklahoma, 406.2 yards per game
7. Holy Cross, 405.5 yards per game
8. Michigan State, 403.0 yards per game
9. Pacific, 401.6 yards per game
10. California, 398.0 yards per game
[19]

Total defense

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The following teams were the leaders in total defense in major college football during the 1951 season:
1. Wisconsin, 154.8 yards per game
2. Princeton, 176.9 yards per game
3. Georgia Tech, 199.1 yards per game
4. Kentucky, 205.9 yards per game
5. San Francisco, 209.4 yards per game
6. Illinois, 217.1 yards per game
7. Holy Cross, 221.2 yards per game
8. Oklahoma, 221.5 yards per game
9. Virginia, 221.7 yards per game
10. Denver, 223.0 yards per game
[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1951 Preseason AP Football Poll". CollegePollArchive.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "City College drops varsity football". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 14, 1952. Retrieved September 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Like a Rock for 50 years at Milligan College, Duard Walker has taught traditional values".
  4. ^ McDermott, William F (December 9, 1951). "Football's Man of the Year". Los Angeles Times. p. H10. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  5. ^ "Once Over Lightly", The Independent (Long Beach, California), Oct 8, 1951, p18
  6. ^ "The Pigskin Huddle". The Call. December 14, 1951. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Courier Rates Morris Brown No. 1 in National Grid Race". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 8, 1951. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "The Pigskin Huddle". The Call. December 14, 1951. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "The Pigskin Huddle". The Call. December 14, 1951. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Bowl game results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 2, 1952. p. 16.
  11. ^ "Attendance rises at bowl games". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. January 2, 1952. p. 32.
  12. ^ "Dick Kazmaier wins Heisman award". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 5, 1951. p. 37.
  13. ^ "Kazmaier wins Heisman Trophy". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. December 5, 1951. p. 49.
  14. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952. p. 75.
  15. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952. p. 78.
  16. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952. p. 77.
  17. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952.
  18. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952.
  19. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952. p. 84.
  20. ^ Official Collegiate Football Record Book. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 1952.