1952 Michigan Wolverines football | |
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Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Record | 5–4 (4–2 Big Ten) |
Head coach |
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MVP | Ted Topor |
Captain | Merritt Green |
Home stadium | Michigan Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 Wisconsin + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 Purdue + | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Ohio State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michigan | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota | 3 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1952 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1952 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fifth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 5–4 record (4–2 against conference opponents), tied for fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 207 to 134.[1][2] For the second consecutive season, Michigan was not ranked in the final AP Poll; it was ranked at No. 17 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.[3]
Defensive end Merritt Green was the team captain, and quarterback Tony Branoff received the team's most valuable player award.[2]
Lowell Perry was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a first-team defensive back on the 1952 College Football All-America Team.[4] Five Michigan players received All-Big Ten honors: linebacker Roger Zatkoff (AP-1, UP-1); guard Bob Timm (AP-1); center Dick O'Shaugnessy (UP-1); left halfback Ted Kress (UP-1); and defensive tackle Art Walker (AP-1).[5][6]
The team's statistical leaders included Ted Kress with 559 passing yards and 623 rushing yards and Lowell Perry with 492 receiving yards.[7]
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 27 | No. 1 Michigan State* | L 13–27 | 96,490 | [8] | ||
October 4 | at Stanford* | L 7–14 | 25,000 | |||
October 11 | Indiana |
| W 28–13 | 53,840 | ||
October 18 | at Northwestern | W 48–14 | 40,000 | |||
October 25 | Minnesota | No. 19 |
| W 21–0 | 72,404 | |
November 1 | Illinois | No. 15 |
| L 13–22 | 65,595 | |
November 8 | Cornell* |
| W 49–7 | 48,614 | [9] | |
November 15 | No. 10 Purdue | No. 20 |
| W 21–10 | 58,964 | |
November 22 | at Ohio State | No. 12 | L 7–27 | 81,541 | ||
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Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1952 season include those listed below.[7][11]
Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
Ted Kress | 135 | 627 | 4.6 | 6 |
Tony Branoff | 86 | 342 | 4.0 | 2 |
Dick Balzhiser | 75 | 327 | 4.4 | 2 |
Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
Ted Kress | 85 | 45 | 7 | 52.9 | 559 | 12.4 | 4 | 52 |
Ted Topor | 58 | 33 | 4 | 56.9 | 440 | 13.3 | 2 | 25 |
Duncan McDonald | 17 | 7 | 2 | 41.2 | 90 | 12.9 | 2 | 38 |
Player | Receptions | Yards | Yds/Recp | TD | Long |
Lowell Perry | 31 | 492 | 15.9 | 5 | 52 |
Ted Topor | 18 | 208 | 11.6 | 4 | 32 |
Thad Stanford | 12 | 200 | 16.7 | 0 | 48 |
Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
Tony Branoff | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 0 | 31 |
Don Oldham | 7 | 123 | 17.6 | 0 | 30 |
Frank Howell | 6 | 100 | 16.7 | 0 | 26 |
Player | Returns | Yards | Yds/Return | TD | Long |
Lowell Perry | 12 | 73 | 6.1 | 0 | 15 |
Don Oldham | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 0 | |
Dave Tinkham | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 6 |
The following players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1953 team. Players who started at least four games are shown with their names in bold.[2]
Honors and awards for the 1952 season went to the following individuals.[2]