1959 college football season | ||
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Preseason AP No. 1 | LSU[1] | |
Regular season | September 19 – December 5, 1959 | |
Number of bowls | 8 | |
Bowl games | December 19, 1959 – January 2, 1960 | |
Champion(s) | Syracuse (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF) | |
Heisman | Billy Cannon (halfback, LSU) | |
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The 1959 college football season was the 91st season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It concluded with two teams having claim to the major college national championship:
Three small college teams also claimed national championships:
LSU halfback Billy Cannon won the Heisman Trophy, and Penn State quarterback Richie Lucas received the Maxwell Award. Individual statistical leaders in major college football included New Mexico State running back Pervis Atkins with 971 rushing yards and 107 points scored and Stanford quarterback Dick Norman with 1,963 passing yards and 2,018 yards of total offense.
A rule change in 1959 widened the goal posts from 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) to 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m). This width remained in effect for 32 seasons, until the 1991 season, when it was returned to 18½ feet.
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