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1959 Syracuse Orangemen football team
| 1959 Syracuse Orangemen football |
|---|
| Independent |
| No. 1 |
| No. 1 |
| 11–0 |
| Ben Schwartzwalder (11th season) |
| Gerhard Schwedes |
| Archbold Stadium |
The 1959 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York during the 1959 college football season. Led by eleventh-year head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, the independent Orangemen were undefeated and won the school's only national championship in football, topping the rankings by wide margins in the final polls in early December.
They met fourth-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas on New Year's Day. They led 15–0 at halftime and 23–6 after the three quarters. Texas scored midway through the fourth quarter to draw to 23–14, but there was no further scoring, and Syracuse gained its first bowl win. Unranked at the start of the season, Syracuse finished with an 11–0 record with five shutouts, and outscored its opponents 413–73.
Notable players included sophomore running back Ernie Davis, winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1961 and the first selection of the 1962 NFL draft. In the Cotton Bowl Classic, he scored the first two touchdowns and threw a pass to Gerhard Schwedes for the third. Davis was helped by an offensive line that included unanimous first team All-American guard Roger Davis.
The team was named national champion by AP, Billingsley, Boand, DeVold, Football News, Football Research, Football Writers, Helms, Litkenhous, NCF, NFF, Poling, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), UPI, and Williamson, leading to a consensus national champion designation.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | Kansas | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY | W 35–21 | 25,000 | ||
| October 3 | Maryland | No. 20 | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY | W 29–0 | 30,000 | |
| October 10 | vs. Navy | No. 12 | Foreman FieldNorfolk, VA (Oyster Bowl) | W 32–6 | 31,700 | |
| October 17 | Holy Cross | No. 8 | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY | W 42–6 | 30,000 | |
| October 24 | West Virginia | No. 6 | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY | W 44–0 | 35,000 | |
| October 31 | at Pittsburgh | No. 5 | Pitt StadiumPittsburgh, PA | W 35–0 | 25,761 | |
| November 7 | at No. 7 Penn State | No. 4 | New Beaver FieldUniversity Park, PA | W 20–18 | 32,800–34,000 | |
| November 14 | Colgate | No. 1 | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY | W 71–0 | 31,000 | |
| November 21 | at Boston University | No. 1 | Boston University FieldBoston, MA | W 46–0 | 22,000 | |
| December 5 | at No. 17 UCLA | No. 1 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | W 36–8 | 46,436–46,557 | |
| January 1, 1960 | vs. No. 4 Texas | No. 1 | Cotton BowlDallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic) | W 23–14 | 75,504 | |
| Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameSource: |
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Davis | Guard | 1 | 7 | Chicago Bears |
| Gerhard Schwedes | Running back | 4 | 47 | Baltimore Colts |
| Bob Yates | Tackle | 7 | 84 | New York Giants |
| Dave Baker | End | 17 | 204 | New York Giants |
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