1952 Michigan State Spartans football team

1952 Michigan State Spartans football
Consensus national champion
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record9–0
Head coach
MVPDick Tamburo
CaptainDonald McAuliffe
Home stadiumMacklin Stadium
(capacity: 51,000)
Seasons
← 1951
1953 →
1952 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Michigan State   –   9 – 0 – 0
No. 3 Notre Dame   –   7 – 2 – 1
Carthage   –   5 – 2 – 0
Youngstown   –   4 – 3 – 1
Wabash   –   5 – 4 – 0
Dayton   –   6 – 5 – 0
Baldwin–Wallace   –   4 – 4 – 0
Wayne   –   4 – 4 – 0
Bradley   –   4 – 5 – 0
John Carroll   –   4 – 5 – 0
Washington University   –   4 – 5 – 0
Rose Poly   –   3 – 4 – 1
Xavier   –   4 – 6 – 0
Marquette   –   3 – 5 – 1
Drake   –   2 – 7 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1952 Michigan State Spartans football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1952 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, the Spartans recorded a perfect 9–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 312 to 84, and were recognized as the 1952 national champion.[1][2] The season was part of a 28-game winning streak that began in October 1950 and continued until October 1953.

In the final AP Poll released on December 1, 1952, Michigan State was ranked No. 1 with 2,683 points, more than 400 points ahead of No. 2 Georgia Tech.[3] The Spartans also finished with the No. 1 ranking in the final UPI coaches poll.[4][5] The team was also recognized as the 1952 national champion in later analyses issued by the Boand System, DeVold System, Dunkel System, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Sagarin Ratings, and Williamson System.[6]: 113  It was Michigan State's first consensus national championship.[6]: 120  Five other selectors chose Georgia Tech as national champion. It was also Michigan State's last year as a football independent, as the Spartans became a football member of the Big Ten Conference in 1953.

Four Michigan State players were recognized on the 1952 All-America college football team: back Don McAuliffe (first-team honors from the United Press, All-America Board, and Collier's); center Dick Tamburo (first-team honors from the Associated Press, Central Press Association, and International News Service); guard Frank Kush (first-team honors from the Associated Press); and end Ed Luke (second-team honors from the Associated Press).[7]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Tom Yewcic with 941 passing yards, halfback Billy Wells with 585 rushing yards, end Ellis Duckett with 323 receiving yards, and halfbacks Don McAuliffe and Leroy Bolden with 54 points each.[8]

  1. ^ "2016 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. pp. 146, 154. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "1952 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "Michigan State Wins Final AP Poll, Beating Out Georgia Tech: Spartans Take Emblem Of U.S. Championship, The O'Donnell Trophy". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 2, 1952. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Michigan State tops press poll; jackets second". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. December 2, 1952. p. 3B.
  5. ^ Miller, Norman (December 2, 1952). "Board of coaches selects Michigan State's great Spartans for mythical title for '52". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). United Press. p. 2.
  6. ^ a b 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  7. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1228. ISBN 1401337031.
  8. ^ "1952 Michigan State Spartans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2022.