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1953[]

1953 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1953 record4-4-1 (3-3-1 Big Ten)
Head coachWes Fesler
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1952
1954 →
1953 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#3/3 Michigan State § 5 1 0     9 1 0
#7/7 Illinois § 5 1 0     7 1 1
#15/14 Wisconsin 4 1 1     6 2 1
#NR/20 Ohio State 4 3 0     6 3 0
Minnesota 3 3 1     4 4 1
#20/19 Michigan 3 3 0     6 3 0
#9/10 Iowa 3 3 0     5 3 1
Purdue 2 4 0     2 7 0
Indiana 1 5 0     2 7 0
Northwestern 0 6 0     3 6 0
§ – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll


The 1953 season was the Golden Gophers' third and final under head coach Wes Fesler. The Golden Gophers won four games, lost four and tied one. Total attendance for the season was 293,313, which averaged to 58,662. The season high for attendance was against Michigan.

Halfback Paul Giel was named an All-American by the Associated Press, FWAA, Look Magazine, Walter Camp Football Foundation and American Football Coaches Association. Giel received Chicago Tribune Silver Football, awarded to the most valuable player of the Big Ten. Giel was named All-Big Ten first team. Giel finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, receiving the most points for a player not to win the award.[1]

Paul Giel was awarded the Team MVP Award.

Schedule[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
09/26/1953* at #8 Southern Cal Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA L 7-17   66,698
10/03/1953 Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI L 0-21   60,995
10/10/1953 at Northwestern Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL W 30-13   40,000
10/17/1953 at Illinois Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL L 7-27   55,641
10/24/1953 #5 Michigan Memorial StadiumMinneapolis, MN W 22-0   62,795
10/31/1953* Pittsburgh #14 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 35-14   49,092
10/07/1953 Indiana #13 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 28-20   58,527
11/14/1953 at Iowa #15 Iowa StadiumIowa City, IA L 0-27   55,355
11/21/1953 #8 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN T 21-21   61,904
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.


References[]

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