1959 Syracuse Orangemen football team

American college football season November 2025 August 2023 1959 Syracuse Orangemen football Independent 1 1 11–0 Ben Schwartzwalder 11th Gerhard Schwedes2017 Syracuse football media guide. pg. 148 Archbold Stadium Consensus national championEastern championCotton Bowl Classic champion Cotton Bowl Classic W 23–14 vs. Texas The 1959 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, as an independent 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e6URAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6150%2C2974196 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Orange win grid crown December 8, 1959 18https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IyYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9wAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5875%2C5758987 Toledo Blade Ohio Associated Press Syracuse runs off with title December 8, 1959 34https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2jtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1324%2C5589064 Bend Bulletin Oregon UPI Syracuse tops final grid poll by wide margin December 8, 1959 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WAkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wpkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5597%2C3651952 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Syracuse is voted national champion by coaches board December 8, 1959 23 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sKwQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5uIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5471%2C113684 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Syracuse tops Texas, 23–14 January 2, 1960 6 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,http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2017/FBS.pdf 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records The National Collegiate Athletic Association July 2017 Indianapolis 113 October 31, 2019 leading to a consensus national champion designation. Schedule 1959 AP September 26 w Kansas Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 35–21 25,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oUUyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DuUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5917%2C6224667 Lawrence Daily Journal-World Kansas Midnight strikes for KU gridders 35–21 September 26, 1959 1 October 3 w 20 Maryland Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 29–0 30,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-syracuse-thumps/139066049/ Richmond Times-Dispatch Syracuse thumps Maryland, 29 to 0 October 4, 1959 January 18, 2024 Newspapers.com October 10 w y 12 Navy Foreman Field Norfolk, VA Oyster Bowl 32–6 31,700 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5RZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5393%2C1807958 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Navy stopped by Syracuse October 11, 1959 3B October 17 w 8 Holy Cross Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 42–6 30,000 Orange Conquers Holy Cross, 42-6 Joseph M. Sheehan The New York Times New York, N.Y. October 18, 1959 S1 October 24 w 6 West Virginia Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 44–0 35,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=isAbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dk4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7104%2C2928107 Pittsburgh Press Syracuse breezes over WVU, 44–0 October 25, 1959 1, sec.7 October 31 w y 5 Pittsburgh Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA 35–0 25,761 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=igMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b04EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6001%2C482154 Pittsburgh Press Smith Chester L. Syracuse smothers Pitt, 35–0 November 1, 1959 1, sec.7 November 7 w y 4 Penn State 7 New Beaver Field University Park, PA 20–18 32,800–34,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jgMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b04EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2359%2C2875191 Pittsburgh Press Smith Chester L. Syracuse wins 'big one,' 20–18 November 8, 1959 1, sec.7 November 14 w 1 Colgate Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY 71–0 31,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VaMhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qJkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4159%2C6273813 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Syracuse wins, 71–0, takes Cotton Bowl offer November 15, 1959 25 November 21 w y 1 Boston University Boston University Field Boston, MA 46–0 22,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-boston-u-surprises-bos/200800256/ The Hartford Courant Boston U. surprises Boston College, 26–7 November 15, 1959 July 2, 2026 Newspapers.com December 5 w y 1 UCLA 17 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 36–8 46,436–46,557 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kxlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5995%2C755094 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Syracuse easy 36–8 winner December 6, 1959 6 '59 Coliseum Attendance in 33.6% Increase https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/172401835/ Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California December 25, 1959 3, part IV May 14, 2025 Newspapers.com January 1, 1960 w y 1 Texas 4 Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX Cotton Bowl Classic 23–14 75,504 Schedule/Results (1959 Syracuse) https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/214429 National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Statistics July 2, 2026 Game summaries Kansas 1959 Kansas Jayhawks football team Maryland 1959 Maryland Terrapins football team Vs. Navy 1959 Navy Midshipmen football team Holy Cross 1959 Holy Cross Crusaders football team West Virginia 1959 West Virginia Mountaineers football team At Pittsburgh 1959 Pittsburgh Panthers football team At Penn State 1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team Colgate 1959 Colgate Red Raiders football team At Boston University Boston University Terriers football At UCLA 1959 UCLA Bruins football team Vs. Texas—Cotton Bowl Classic Syracuse 7 8 8 0 Texas 0 0 6 8 January 1 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX EST 98,202 CBS 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic 1959 Texas Longhorns football team LIFE at the 1960 Cotton Bowl: 'Battle of the Hard-Noses' https://time.com/3878581/cotton-bowl-1960-when-syracuse-whipped-texas-for-the-national-title/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150706070033/http://time.com/3878581/cotton-bowl-1960-when-syracuse-whipped-texas-for-the-national-title/ dead July 6, 2015 Time January 2, 2014 January 11, 2020 1960 NFL draft 1960 NFL draft 2 white Syracuse Orangemen 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 1960 NFL Draft https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1960/draft.htm Pro Football Reference January 11, 2020 References Syracuse Category:Syracuse Orange football seasons Category:College football national champions Category:Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy seasons Category:Cotton Bowl Classic champion seasons Category:College football undefeated seasons Syracuse Orangemen football Category:Long stubs with short prose