The 1952 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1952 college football season. In their eighth season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled an 8–2 record, including a victory over Virginia State in the Orange Blossom Classic. The team played its home games at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
| 1952 Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion SIAC champion | |
Orange Blossom Classic, W 29–7 vs. Virginia State | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 8–2 (4–1 SIAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Bragg Stadium |
Despite its two losses, the Associated Negro Press rated Florida A&M as the black college football national championship by virtue of having played "the nation's most rugged schedule." Lincoln (MO) and Texas Southern were rated second and third, respectively.[1] The Pittsburgh Courier also selected Florida A&M as the national champion under its "Courier DoubleR" rating system, ahead of second-place Virginia State and third-place Lincoln (MO).[2]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20 | vs. Texas College* | W 41–13 | |||||
| October 4 | at Benedict | Columbia, SC | W 34–7 | ||||
| October 11 | Fort Valley State | W 51–0 | |||||
| October 18 | at Morris Brown | Atlanta, GA | W 27–7 | ||||
| October 25 | Prairie View A&M* |
| W 10–7 | [3] | |||
| November 1 | at Bethune–Cookman | Daytona Beach, FL | L 7–8 | ||||
| November 8 | North Carolina A&T* |
| W 19–12 | ||||
| November 15 | Allen |
| W 45–7 | [4] | |||
| November 27 | at Southern* |
| L 13–25 | 10,000 | [5] | ||
| December 6 | vs. Virginia State* | W 29–7 | 35,064 | [6] | |||
| |||||||
References
edit- ^ "Pigskin Huddle". The Afro American. December 20, 1952. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A. & M. Declared 1952 Nat'l Grid Champs". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 20, 1952. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A&M edges Texas team, 10–7". The Miami Herald. October 26, 1952. Retrieved September 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A.&M. Wins Easily". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 22, 1952. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Southern Whips Famcee, 25-13, in Biggest Upset". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 29, 1952. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rattlers Win, 29-7, To Gain Negro Title". Miami Daily News. December 7, 1952. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.