The 1948 Denison Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Denison University as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1948 college football season. In their third and final year under head coach Woody Hayes, the Big Red compiled an 8–0 record (6–0 in conference games), finished second in the OAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 277 to 53.[1][2] Heidelberg was also undefeated and, having won seven conference games, was awarded the conference championship.[3][4]
| 1948 Denison Big Red football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Ohio Athletic Conference |
| Record | 8–0 (6–0 OAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Captain | Ed Rupp, Bill Wehr |
| Home stadium | Deeds Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Heidelberg $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denison | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio Wesleyan | 2 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wilmington (OH) | 1 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mount Union | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio Northern | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Muskingum | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Findlay | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marietta | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wooster | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oberlin | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Akron | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wittenberg | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Otterbein | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kenyon | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It was Denison's second consecutive perfect season under Hayes. The program won 18 consecutive games under Hayes, starting with the final game of the 1946 season.[5] Hayes moved on to become head football coach at Miami University in 1949 and then Ohio State University in 1951.
Denison in 1948 tallied 2,317 rushing yards and 786 passing yards for a total of 3,103 yards (6.8 yards per play). On defense, the team held opponents to only 784 rushing yards and 406 passing yards for a total of 1,190 yards (2.8 yards per play).[5]
Rix N. Yard was the team's assistant coach and the school's head basketball coach. Back Ed Rupp and center Bill Wehr were the team captains. Wehr was also selected as the team's most valuable player and as the first-team center on the 1948 Little All-America college football team.[6] Three Denison players were selected as first-team players on the Associated Press 1948 All-Ohio Conference football team: Rupp; Wehr; and end William Hart.[7]
The team played its home games at Deeds Field in Granville, Ohio.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25 | Otterbein |
| W 38–7 | [8] | ||
| October 2 | at Capital |
| W 54–0 | [9] | ||
| October 9 | Beloit* |
| W 40–6 | [10] | ||
| October 16 | at Wooster | Wooster, OH | W 27–0 | [11] | ||
| October 23 | at Oberlin | Oberlin, OH | W 38–13 | [12] | ||
| October 30 | Muskingum |
| W 7–6 | [13] | ||
| November 6 | at Wittenberg | Springfield, OH | W 32–14 | [14] | ||
| November 13 | Case* |
| W 41–7 | [1] | ||
| ||||||
References
edit- ^ a b Olney Dekker (November 15, 1948). "Denison Finishes Undefeated and Untied -- Again! Big Red Registers 18th Straight Win, Downing Case, 41-7". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "1948 - Denison (OH)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "Heidelberg Claims Ohio Title Over Denison Bid". Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. Associated Press. November 22, 1948. p. 13. Retrieved July 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "2020 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Record Book" (PDF). Ohio Athletic Conference. 2020. p. 46. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Olney Dekker (November 19, 1948). "Statistics Indicate Big Red Was Stronger This Year Than In 1947: Three Reasons Why DU Was Undefeated, Untied for Second Consecutive Season". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bill Wehr Named Denison's 'Most Valuable Player'". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. December 6, 1948. pp. 14, 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Three from Denison Make All-Ohio Team". The Marion Star. December 11, 1948. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denison Spanks Otterbein, 38-7". Cleveland Plain Dealer. September 26, 1948. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denison Rumbles Over Capital by 54-to-0 Score: Big Red Scores On Long Runs In First Part Of Game; Denison Reserve Strength Strong". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. October 4, 1948. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denison Football Machine Routs Beloit Eleven 40-6: Victory Is 13th in Row for Powerful Big Red Gridders". The Newark Advocate and American Sentinel. October 11, 1948. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denison Trips Stubborn Wooster Eleven 27 to 0: Better Conditioned Big Red Rolls To Fourth Straight Victory This Season; DU Leads At Intermission Only 7-0". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. October 18, 1948. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Denison Spanks Oberlin Eleven by 38 to 13 Score: DU Rumbles to Fifth Straight Victory And 15th In Row Over Two-Year Span". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. October 25, 1948. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Olney Dekker (November 1, 1948). "Denison Edges Stubborn Muskingum Team 7 to 6". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Olney Dekker (November 8, 1948). "DU Dumps Wittenberg 32-14 for 17th Triumph: Jack Boyer Scores Three Touchdowns For Big Red Grid Machine Fleitz Injured". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
