1956 Syracuse Orangemen football team
American college football season
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The 1956 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1956 college football season. The Orangemen were led by eighth-year head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse finished the regular season with a record of 7–1, and were ranked 8th in both final polls. They were awarded the Lambert Trophy, which signified them as champions of the East. Syracuse was invited to the 1957 Cotton Bowl, where they were defeated by TCU.
| 1956 Syracuse Orangemen football | |
|---|---|
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 27–28 vs. TCU | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 8 |
| AP | No. 8 |
| Record | 7–2 |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Game captains[1] |
| Home stadium | Archbold Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Syracuse | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | – | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Pittsburgh | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Holy Cross | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Villanova | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colgate | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston University | – | 1 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The team was led by unanimous All-American halfback Jim Brown. Brown set school records in average yards-per-carry (6.2), single-season rushing yards (986), single-game rushing touchdowns (6, vs. Colgate), and most points scored in a game (43, vs. Colgate).[2] He was drafted sixth overall in the 1957 NFL draft and went on to become one of the most celebrated professional athletes of all time.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | at No. 6 Maryland | W 26–12 | 27,000 | [3] | ||
| September 29 | at No. 10 Pittsburgh | No. 7 | L 7–14 | 49,287 | [4] | |
| October 13 | No. 20 West Virginia |
| W 27–20 | 25,000 | [5] | |
| October 20 | Army | No. 13 |
| W 7–0 | 40,053 | [6] |
| October 27 | at Boston University | No. 14 | W 21–7 | 12,182 | [7] | |
| November 3 | No. 12 Penn State | No. 17 |
| W 13–9 | 35,475 | [8] |
| November 10 | Holy Cross | No. 9 |
| W 41–20 | 17,000 | [9] |
| November 17 | Colgate | No. 9 |
| W 61–7 | 39,701 | [10] |
| January 1 | vs. No. 14 TCU | No. 8 | L 27–28 | 61,500–68,000 | [11][12] | |
Roster
- HB Jim Brown, Sr.
- HB Tom Sardinia, Sr.
Team players in the NFL
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Brown | 1 | 6 | Running back | Cleveland Browns |
| Jimmy Ridlon | 4 | 39 | Defensive back | 49ers |
| Bill E. Brown | 9 | 108 | Linebacker | Chicago Bears |
| Jerry Cashman | 14 | 158 | Tackle | Eagle |
Awards and honors
- Jim Brown, unanimous first team All-American (AFCA, AP, UP, INS, CP, NEA, WCF, FWAA)
- Jim Brown, Cotton Bowl Classic co-Most Valuable Player
