1955 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

Last updated
1955 Western Illinois Leathernecks football
Corn Bowl, L 20–24 vs. Luther
Conference Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record5–4–1, 1 win forfeited (2–3–1 IIAC, 1 win forfeited)
Head coach
Home stadium Hanson Field
Seasons
←  1954
1956 →
1955 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Central Michigan + 5 –1 –08 –1 –0
Michigan State Normal + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0
Southern Illinois 4 –1 –14 –4 –2
Western Illinois 2 –3 –15 –4 –1
Illinois State Normal 2 –3 –13 –4 –2
Eastern Illinois 1 –5 –03 –6 –0
Northern Illinois State 0 –5 –10 –8 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1955 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1955 college football season. Led by second-year head coach Wes Stevens, the Leathernecks finished the season with an overall record of 6–3–1 and a mark of 3–2–1 in conference play, placing fourth in the IIAC. [1] Western Illinois later forfeited its win over Illinois State Normal, dropping its season record to 5–4–1 overall and 2–3–1 in the IIAC, putting the team into a fourth-place tie with Illinois State. [2] The forfeit came as a result of Western Illinois using an ineligible player, quarterback Sam Esposito; while Esposito also played in other games for the team, Illinois State Normal was the only school to protest their result. [3]

Western Illinois back Don Lashmet was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the 1955 All-Interstate Conference football team. [4] Lashmet led the conference in pass receiving with 16 catches for 299 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Western Illinois led the conference with 40 pass completions for 611 yards. Bill Vandermerkt was credited with 30 of the team's completed passes. [5]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 17at Loras * Dubuque, IA W 15–0 [6]
September 29 Bradley *
W 25–6 [7]
October 7 Michigan State Normal
  • Hanson Field
  • Macomb, IL
L 2–6 [8]
October 15at Central Michigan
L 0–206,400 [9]
October 22at Northern Illinois State
W 39–6 [10]
October 29 Southern Illinois Dagger-14-plain.png
  • Hanson Field
  • Macomb, IL
T 13–138,000 [11]
November 4at Illinois State Normal Normal, IL L 32–13 (forfeit) [12]
November 11 St. Ambrose *
  • Hanson Field
  • Macomb, IL
W 19–13 [13]
November 191:30 p.m.at Eastern Illinois Charleston, IL W 13–7 [14] [15]
November 24 Luther *
L 20–245,000 [16]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Dagger-14-plain.pngHomecoming
  • All times are in Central time

[17]

Related Research Articles

The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States.

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The 1952 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1952 college football season. Under first-year head coach William O'Brien, the team compiled a 2–6 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

The 1953 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1953 college football season. Under second-year head coach William O'Brien, the team compiled a 2–7 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

The 1955 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1955 college football season. Under first-year head coach Albert Kawal, the team compiled a 4–4–2 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

The 1926 Bradley Indians football team was an American football team that represented Bradley Polytechnic Institute—now known as Bradley University—during the 1926 college football season as a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). In Alfred J. Robertson's seventh season as head coach, the team compiled a perfect record of 9–0 for second consecutive year and shared the conference title with the Monmouth Fighting Scots, as it did in 1925. Bradley finished the season on a 24-game winning streak dating back to a loss to Lombard on October 17, 1924.

The 1955 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois State College—now known as Eastern Illinois University—as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1955 college football season. Led by Maynard O'Brien in his ninth and final year head coach, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 3–6 with a mark of 1–5 in conference play, placing sixth in the IIAC.

The 1953 Illinois State Normal Redbirds football team represented Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1953 college football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Edwin Struck, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 3–4–2 with a mark of 2–3–1 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the IIAC. Illinois State Normal played home games at McCormick Field in Normal, Illinois.

The 1958 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1958 NCAA College Division football season. They were led by second-year head coach Lou Saban and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 6–1–1 record overall and a 5–1 record in conference play, winning the IIAC title.

The 1953 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1953 college football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Vince DiFrancesca and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 8–2 record overall and a 5–1 record in conference play, placing second in the IIAC. They were invited to the postseason Corn Bowl, where they defeated Iowa Wesleyan 32–0.

The 1949 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1949 college football season. They were led by first-year head coach Vince DiFrancesca and played their home games at Morgan Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 9–1 record overall and a 4–0 record in conference play, winning the IIAC title. They were invited to the postseason Corn Bowl, where they defeated the Wheaton Crusaders, 13–0.

The 1939 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1939 college football season. They were led by 14th-year head coach Ray Hanson and played their home games at Morgan Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 5–1–1 record overall and a 3–0–1 record in conference play, winning the IIAC title.

The 1951 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team was an American football team that represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by third-year head coach Vince DiFrancesca, the Leathernecks compiled an overall record of 7–1–1 with a mark of 4–1–1 in conference play, placing second in the IIAC.

The 1951 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois State College as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1951 college football season. The team was led by Rex Darling in his first and only season as head coach and played their home games at Lincoln Field in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers finished the season with a 4–2–2 record overall and a 2–2–2 record in conference play, placing fourth in the IIAC.

The 1954 Illinois State Normal Redbirds football team represented Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1954 college football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Edwin Struck, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 5–3–1 with a mark of 3–2–1 in conference play, placing fourth in the IIAC. Illinois State Normal played home games at McCormick Field in Normal, Illinois.

The 1950 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1950 college football season. They were led by second-year head coach Vince DiFrancesca and played their home games at Hanson Field, which opened at the beginning of the season. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 7–1 record overall and a 4–1 record in conference play, placing second in the IIAC.

The 1954 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1954 college football season. They were led by first-year head coach Wes Stevens and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 6–1–3 record overall and a 3–1–2 record in conference play, placing third in the IIAC.

The 1950 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois State College as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1950 college football season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Maynard O'Brien and played their home games at Lincoln Field in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers finished the season with a 5–3 record overall and a 2–2 record in conference play, tying for third place in the IIAC.

The 1954 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois State College as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1954 college football season. The team was led by eighth-year head coach Maynard O'Brien and played their home games at Lincoln Field in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers finished the season with a 2–6–1 record overall and a 1–4–1 record in conference play, finishing fifth in the IIAC.

The 1956 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1956 NCAA College Division football season. The team was led by first-year head coach Keith Smith and played their home games at Lincoln Field in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers finished the season with a 2–7 record overall and a 2–4 record in conference play.

References

  1. ↑ "SIU Defeats Northern, 20-0". Alton Evening Telegraph . Alton, Illinois. Associated Press. November 21, 1955. p. 6. Retrieved September 16, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  2. ↑ "Western Illinois Football Record Book" (PDF). Macomb, Illinois: Western Illinois University. September 2021. p. 69. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Western Illinois Forfeits Football Game to Normal". The Rock Island Argus . Associated Press. December 6, 1955. p. 37. Retrieved October 21, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Williams First Team IIAC End". Southern Illinoisan. December 2, 1955. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Central Tops in Statistics". The Daily Chronicle. December 2, 1955. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Western Has Romp; Whips Loras, 29-0". The Rock Island Argus. September 19, 1955. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Teachers Win From Bradley For 1st Time". Quad City Times. September 30, 1955. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Michigan Normal Beats Western". Belleville News-Democrat . United Press. October 8, 1952. p. 8. Retrieved February 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Central Michigan Wins, 20 to 0". Lansing State Journal. October 16, 1955 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Huskies Find Leathernecks Mighty Tough; Lose 39-6". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. October 24, 1955. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Salukis Fight Back, Tie Western 13-13". The Southern Illinoisan . October 31, 1955. p. 7. Retrieved January 8, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Young, Fred (November 5, 1955). "Western Defeats State Normal". The Pantagraph . Bloomington, Illinois. p. 9. Retrieved September 16, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  13. ↑ "Bees Lose In Thriller, 19 To 13". The Daily Times. November 12, 1955. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "EICS Host To Western Today". Decatur Herald . Decatur, Illinois. November 19, 1955. p. 9. Retrieved September 16, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  15. ↑ "Western TopS Easter, 13-7". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review . Decatur, Illinois. November 20, 1955. p. 18. Retrieved September 16, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  16. ↑ "Luther Nips Western in 'Corn' Bowl'". The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois. November 25, 1955. p. 20. Retrieved September 16, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  17. ↑ "Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
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