1959 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team

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1959 Eastern Michigan Hurons football
ConferenceInterstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record1–7 (1–5 IIAC)
Head coach
MVPAlbert E. Day
CaptainDave L. Longridge
Home stadiumBriggs Field
Seasons
← 1958
1960 →
1959 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Western Illinois $ 6 0 0 9 0 0
No. 17 Northern Illinois State 4 2 0 7 2 0
Central Michigan 4 2 0 7 3 0
Southern Illinois 4 2 0 5 4 0
Eastern Illinois 1 4 1 3 5 1
Eastern Michigan 1 5 0 1 7 0
Illinois State Normal 0 5 1 3 5 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll

The 1959 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. In their eighth season under head coach Fred Trosko, the Hurons compiled a 1–7 record (1–5 against IIAC opponents) and were outscored by their opponents, 217 to 50. In the second game of the season, the Hurons defeated Illinois State by a 14–7 score, but then lost the six remaining games. Dave L. Longridge was the team captain and also led the team with 513 passing yards and 517 yards of total offense.[1]

Albert Day led the team with 226 rushing yards and was a first-team selection for the All-IIAC team; he was also selected for the team's most valuable player award.[2] The team totaled only 645 net yards of offense.[3]

The Hurons had great success in the 1950s, winning IIAC conference championships in 1954, 1955 and 1957.

However, by 1959, Eastern Michigan had ceased granting athletic scholarships, even though IIAC rules permitted member schools to do so. The school also banned recruiting and drastically reduced the football program's budget to $15,300. University vice president William Lawrence explained: "We feel athletics here are for students with students the participants.

We don't think it's our job to go out and hire a troop of athletes to entertain our students."[4] Using non-scholarship athletes against IIAC schools with scholarship athletes, Trosko's Eastern Michigan teams were unable to compete and suffered a 29-game winless streak (0–27–2) between October 7, 1959, and October 27, 1962.[5][6]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Youngstown State*
L 3–214,137
October 7Illinois State
  • Briggs Field
  • Ypsilanti, MI
W 13–73,500
October 14at Northern Michigan*Marquette, MIL 6–39
October 17Central Michigandagger
  • Briggs Field
  • Ypsilanti, MI (rivalry)
L 8–215,000[7]
October 24at Eastern Illinois
L 6–32[8]
October 31Southern Illinois
  • Briggs Field
  • Ypsilanti, MI
L 14–41600[9]
November 7at Northern Illinois*L 0–34
November 14at No. 9 Western IllinoisL 0–22[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from UPI Poll released prior to the game

[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2014 Digital Media Guide: Eastern Michigan University" (PDF). Eastern Michigan University Football. pp. 169, 176, 178, 184. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  2. ^ 2014 Media Guide, pp. 148, 150, 191.
  3. ^ 2014 Media Guide, p. 205.
  4. ^ Jack Berry (October 1, 1959). "Hurons Are Real Amateurs". Detroit Free Press. p. 37.
  5. ^ "Fred Trosko Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  6. ^ "Former Eastern grid coach Trosko dies". Ludington Daily News. February 11, 1999.
  7. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "Eastern Ill. Tops Eastern Michigan, 32-6". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. October 25, 1959. p. 2:6. Retrieved August 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "West. Illinois Wins Ninth in Row, 22 to 0". Chicago Tribune. November 15, 1959. p. 2:6. Retrieved November 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.