Truman Bulldogs football
Football program representing Truman State University
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The Truman Bulldogs football program represents Truman State University in college football and competes in the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In 2013, Truman became a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and has remained in the league. Prior to this, Truman was in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association from 1924 to 2012. TSU's home games are played at Stokes Stadium in Kirksville, Missouri.
1st season, 0–0 (–)
| Truman Bulldogs football | |
|---|---|
| |
| First season | 1900 |
| Athletic director | Jerry Wollmering |
| Head coach | Kellen Nesbitt (interim) 1st season, 0–0 (–) |
| Location | Kirksville, Missouri |
| Stadium | Stokes Stadium (capacity: 4,000) |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | Great Lakes Valley Conference |
| Colors | Purple and white[1] |
| All-time record | 551–393–34 (.581) |
| Bowl record | 5–0–0 (1.000) |
| Conference championships | |
| 27 | |
| Website | trumanbulldogs.com/football |
History
Truman's football program dates back to 1900 when the program went 3–2–1.[2] Since their inaugural season, the Bulldogs have claimed 27 conference championships.[3]
College Football Hall of Fame inductee Don Faurot was the head coach from 1926 to 1934. He led the team to a 27-game winning streak that included three consecutive perfect seasons in 1932, 1933, and 1934.[4] The 1936 team compiled another perfect season under the leadership of Faurot's brother, Fred Faurot. The program has not compiled another perfect season since 1936.
Conference affiliations
- Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (1924–2012)
- Great Lakes Valley Conference (2013–present)
Stadium
The Bulldogs have played their home games at Stokes Stadium since 1930. Stokes Stadium was named for a former physics professor. The current capacity of the stadium is at 4,000.[5]
Championships
Conference championship seasons
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | H. L. McWilliams | 4–3–2 | 2–0–2 | ||
| 1927 | Don Faurot | 8–1–0 | 4–0–0 | |||
| 1928† | 7–2–1 | 3–0–1 | ||||
| 1929 | 5–3–1 | 3–0–0 | ||||
| 1930 | 5–5–0 | 3–0–0 | ||||
| 1932 | 8–0–0 | 4–0–0 | ||||
| 1933 | 9–0–0 | 4–0–0 | ||||
| 1934 | 8–0–0 | 4–0–0 | ||||
| 1935 | Fred Faurot | 7–2–0 | 5–0–0 | |||
| 1936 | 7–0–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1951† | Maurice Wade | 7–1–1 | 4–0–1 | |||
| 1952† | 7–1–0 | 4–1–0 | ||||
| 1953 | 6–2–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1954 | 7–1–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1960 | 8–1–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1961 | 9–1–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1964 | 7–2–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1965 | 8–2–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1969† | Russ Sloan | 6–2–1 | 4–1–0 | |||
| 1970† | 7–2–0 | 5–1–0 | ||||
| 1971 | 9–1–0 | 6–0–0 | ||||
| 1976† | Ron Taylor | 5–3–1 | 4–1–1 | |||
| 1981 | Bruce Craddock | 6–4–0 | 4–1–0 | |||
| 1982 | 9–2–0 | 5–0–0 | ||||
| 1985 | Jack Ball | 8–3–0 | 5–0–0 | |||
| 1988† | 7–3–0 | 5–1–0 | ||||
| 2016† | Great Lakes Valley Conference | Gregg Nesbitt | 8–3 | 7–1 | ||
| Total Conference Championships: | 27 (26, MIAA, 1 GLVC) | |||||
| † Denotes co-champions | ||||||
Postseason
Bowl games
| # | Season | Game | Result | Opponent | Stadium | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1961 | Mineral Water Bowl | W 22–8 | Parsons | Roosevelt Stadium | Excelsior Springs, Missouri |
| 2 | 2019 | America's Crossroads Bowl | W 21–7 | Ohio Dominican | Brickyard Stadium | Hobart, Indiana |
| 3 | 2021 | W 34–17 | Hillsdale | |||
| 4 | 2022 | W 28–27 | Tiffin | |||
| 5 | 2024 | W 29–10 | Tiffin |
NCAA Division II playoffs
The Bulldogs have made five appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First Round | Jacksonville State | L, 21–34 |
| 1990 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L, 3–59 |
| 1992 | First Round | North Dakota State | L, 7–42 |
| 1994 | First Round | North Dakota | L, 6–18 |
| 2025 | First Round | Indianapolis | L, 14–57 |
