American Football Database
American Football Database
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1952 Michigan Wolverines football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1952 record5–4 (4–2 Big Ten)
Head coachBennie Oosterbaan (5th season)
MVPTed Topor
CaptainMerritt Green
Home stadiumMichigan Stadium
Seasons
← 1951
1953 →
1952 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#11/10 Wisconsin § 4 1 1     6 3 1
#18/12 Purdue § 4 1 1     4 3 2
#17/15 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
§ – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll

The 1952 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1952 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.

Schedule[]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 27, 1952* #1/1 Michigan State Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI L 27–13   96,490
October 4, 1952* at Stanford Stanford StadiumStanford, CA L 14–7   25,000
October 11, 1952 Indiana Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 28–13   53,840
October 18, 1952 at Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL W 48–14   40,000
October 25, 1952† #NR/20 Minnesota #19/14 Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 21–0   72,404
November 1, 1952 #NR/20 Illinois #15/14 Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI L 22–13   65,595
November 8, 1952* Cornell Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 49–7   48,614
November 15, 1952 #10/9 Purdue #20/NR Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 21–10   58,964
November 22, 1952 at Ohio State #12/13 Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH L 27–7   81,541
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Game notes[]

Northwestern[]


Statistical leaders[]

Rushing[]

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

Passing[]

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

Receiving[]

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

Kickoff returns[]

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

Punt returns[]

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

Players[]

File:Merritt Green.png

Merritt "Tim" Green, captain of the 1952 team

  • Fred Baer - started 3 games at fullback
  • James Balog - started 8 games as defensive right tackle
  • Richard Balzhiser[2] - started 5 games at fullback
  • Richard Beison - started 8 games at offensive right guard
  • Donald Bennett - started 4 games as offensive left tackle
  • Tony Branoff - started 6 games as right halfback
  • George Dutter - started 9 games as defensive right guard
  • Merritt Green - started 9 games as defensive left end
  • Frank Howell - started 3 games as right halfback, 1 game as safety
  • Gene Knutson - started 9 games as defensive right end
  • Ted Kress - started 9 games as left halfback
  • Laurence LeClair - started 9 games as linebacker
  • Don Oldham - started 4 games as defensive back, 2 games as safety
  • Dick O'Shaughnessy - started 9 games at center
  • Lowell Perry - started 9 games as offensive left end, 4 games as safety
  • Bernhardt Pederson -started 6 games at offensive right tackle
  • Russell Rescorla - started 3 games as defensive back
  • Thad Stanford - started 9 games at offensive right end
  • Dick Strozewski - started 5 games as offensive left tackle
  • Bob Timm - started 8 games as offensive left guard
  • David Tinkham - started 9 games as defensive back
  • Ted Topor - started 9 games as quarterback
  • Art Walker - started 9 games as defensive left tackle
  • Ronald Williams - started 7 games as defensive left guard
  • Roger Zatkoff - started 9 games as linebacker, 1 game as offensive right tackle

Awards and honors[]

Coaching staff[]

References[]

  1. University of Michigan Football Record Book Pt. 1
  2. Balzhiser was the first University of Michigan athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

External links[]

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