1951 San Francisco Dons football team
American college football season
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The 1951 San Francisco Dons football team was an American football team that represented the University of San Francisco as an independent during the 1951 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Joe Kuharich, the Dons compiled a 9–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 338 to 86, and were ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll.[1] The team was ranked at No. 27 in the 1951 Litkenhous Ratings.[2]
| 1951 San Francisco Dons football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 14 |
| AP | No. 14 |
| Record | 9–0 |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Kezar Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 San Francisco | – | 9 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| La Verne | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Santa Clara | – | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hawaii | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loyola (CA) | – | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State | – | 2 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly San Dimas | – | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1951 Dons team is considered one of the great teams in college football history, with ten starting players drafted into the NFL, including three Hall of Famers — Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, and Bob St. Clair.[3] Five others on the squad — Ed Brown, Joe "Scooter" Scudero, Ralph Thomas, Mike Mergen, and Red Stephens — went on to make NFL Rosters.
The Dons were invited to play in the 1952 Orange Bowl, held in segregated Florida, on the condition that the team's African-American stars Matson and Burl Toler would not play. The Dons refused the offer: "We told them to go to Hell," recalled St. Clair.[3]
The 1951 Dons, and their fight for racial equality, were the subject of a book, Undefeated, Untied and Uninvited by Kristine Clark,[3] as well as a 2014 documentary film, '51 Dons.[4][5]
Two days after the final game of the 1951 season, the University of San Francisco disbanded its football program.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21 | San Jose State | W 39–2 | 16,000 | [6] | ||||
| September 29 | vs. Idaho | W 28–7 | 10,000 | [7][8][9] | ||||
| October 7 | Camp Pendleton |
| W 26–0 | 6,500 | [10] | |||
| October 12 | at San Jose State | W 42–7 | 10,000 | [11] | ||||
| October 20 | at Fordham | W 32–26 | 15,250 | [12] | ||||
| October 26 | San Diego NTS | No. 20 |
| W 26–7 | [13] | |||
| November 4 | Santa Clara | No. 20 |
| W 26–7 | 32,685 | [14] | ||
| November 17 | at Pacific (CA) | No. 14 |
| W 47–14 | 41,607 | [15] | ||
| November 25 | at Loyola (CA) | No. 13 | W 20–2 | 15,750 | [16] | |||
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