1953 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Big Ten co-champion
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 7
APNo. 7
Record7–1–1 (5–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPDon Ernst
CaptainRobert Lenzini
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1953 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Michigan State + 5 –1 –09 –1 –0
No. 7 Illinois + 5 –1 –07 –1 –1
No. 15 Wisconsin 4 –1 –16 –2 –1
Ohio State 4 –3 –06 –3 –0
Minnesota 3 –3 –14 –4 –1
No. 20 Michigan 3 –3 –06 –3 –0
No. 9 Iowa 3 –3 –05 –3 –1
Purdue 2 –4 –02 –7 –0
Indiana 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Northwestern 0 –6 –03 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1953 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1953 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 12th year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 7–1–1 record, finished in a tie for first place in the Big Ten Conference, and were ranked #7 in the final AP Poll. The sole defeat was a 34–7 loss to Wisconsin.[1]

Tackle Don Ernst was selected as the team's most valuable player.[2] Sophomore halfback J. C. Caroline led the team with 1,256 rushing yards on 194 attempts (6.5 yards per carry) and was selected as a consensus first-team player on the 1953 College Football All-America Team.[3] Guard John Bauer was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as a third-team All-American.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 26Nebraska*
T 21–2140,011
October 3Stanford*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 33–2132,737
October 10at No. 3 Ohio State
W 41–2081,745
October 17MinnesotaNo. 9
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 27–755,641
October 24Syracuse*No. 7
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 20–1330,076
October 31PurdueNo. 4
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
W 21–057,210
November 7No. 17 MichigandaggerNo. 4
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (series)
W 19–369,507
November 14at WisconsinNo. 3
L 7–3452,887
November 21at NorthwesternNo. 7
W 3–051,039
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

Player Position
Peter Palmer
Robert Bishop
John Ryan End, Defensive Back
Robert Lenzini (captain) Guard
Roger Wolf
Jan Smid Guard
Stephen Nosek Quarterback
John Bauer Guard, Tackle
Michael Gaus
Jack Chamblin
David Bauer Defensive Back
Paul Furimsky
Dean Wilmann
Dale Foster
Paul Luhrsen
Baird Stewart
James Pollitt
Richard Kohlhagen
Kenneth Swienton
Floyd McAfee
James Calder
Ronald Yochem
Robert Wiman
Don Ernst
Randall Rayborn
Francis Hoffman
Joseph Yusko
Walter Vernasco End
Donald Bostrom
James Bronson
Em Lindbeck
Hugh Woodson
Patrick Phillips
Jerry Markbreit
George Walsh
Clarence DeMoss Halfback
Herbert Badal
James Minor
Terry Matthews
Kenneth Miller Fullback
Stan Wallace Defensive Back
Donald Tate
James Dunne
Jack Sopkin
Robert Alexander
Gus Mackris
Roger Meuller
Richard Piggott
Charles Schiesser
Richard Rosenberg
Robert Desenfants
Rudolf Siegert
Donald Grothe
Thomas Miller Placekicker
J. C. Caroline Halfback, Defensive Back
Robert Graeff
Richard Ohls
Melvin Bates Fullback
Dean Renn
Clifford Waldbeser
Elry Falkenstein Quarterback
Herbert Borman
  • Head coach: Ray Eliot (12th year at Illinois)

References

  1. ↑ "1953 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  3. ↑ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ Harry Grayson (November 29, 1953). "Harry Grayson Picks All-America for 1953". Independent Record. Helena, Montana.


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