1953 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

The 1953 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1953 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third year under head coach Wes Fesler, the Golden Gophers compiled a 4–4–1 record and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 160 to 150.[1]

1953 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record4–4–1 (3–3–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPPaul Giel
CaptainPaul Giel
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1953 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Michigan State + 5 –1 –09 –1 –0
No. 7 Illinois + 5 –1 –07 –1 –1
No. 15 Wisconsin 4 –1 –16 –2 –1
Ohio State 4 –3 –06 –3 –0
Minnesota 3 –3 –14 –4 –1
No. 20 Michigan 3 –3 –06 –3 –0
No. 9 Iowa 3 –3 –05 –3 –1
Purdue 2 –4 –02 –7 –0
Indiana 1 –5 –02 –7 –0
Northwestern 0 –6 –03 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

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.[2] Giel finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, receiving the most points for a player not to win the award.[3]

Paul Giel was awarded the Team MVP Award.[4]

Total attendance for the season was 293,313, which averaged to 58,662. The season high for attendance was against Michigan.[5]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 26at No. 8 USC*
L 7–1766,698
October 3No. 2 Michigan State
L 0–2160,995
October 10at No. 18 Northwestern
W 30–1340,000
October 17at No. 9 Illinois
L 7–2755,641
October 24No. 5 Michigan
W 22–062,795
October 31Pittsburgh*No. 14
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 35–1449,092
November 7IndianadaggerNo. 13
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN
W 28–2058,527
November 14at IowaNo. 15
L 0–2755,355
November 21No. 8 Wisconsin
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)
T 21–2161,904
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

References
  1. "1953 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), pp. 179–182
  3. "The Winning Margin:Year By Year". Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  4. Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 181
  5. Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160
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