1950 Detroit Titans football team

The 1950 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the 1950 college football season. Detroit outscored its opponents by a combined total of 226 to 143 and finished with a 6–3–1 record in its sixth year under head coach Chuck Baer.[1] It was the 56th season of intercollegiate football for the University of Detroit.[2]

1950 Detroit Titans football
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record6–3–1 (2–1–1 MVC)
Head coach
CaptainTom Costello, Nick Galante
Home stadiumUniversity of Detroit Stadium
Seasons
← 1949
1951 →
1950 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 19 Tulsa $ 3 0 1 9 1 1
Detroit 2 1 1 6 3 1
Wichita 3 2 0 5 4 1
Drake 1 2 1 6 2 1
Oklahoma A&M 1 2 1 4 6 1
Bradley 0 3 0 5 5 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The Titans had won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship in 1949 and were co-favorites with Tulsa to win the conference championship in 1950.[3] The Titans ultimately finished in second place behind Tulsa.

Two Titans were selected as first-team players on the 1950 All-Missouri Valley Conference football team: guards Alex Smail and Ed Wood.[4]

Dutch Clark, later inducted into both the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame, joined the Titans' staff as backfield coach in 1950.[5][6] Bob Ivory and Eddie Barbour were also assistant coaches for the 1950 team. Bob O'Malley and Mike Kaysserian were hired to coach the freshman team.[7]

End Tom Costello and Nick Galante were co-captains of the 1950 team.[8] After the season, fullback Mike Goggins and tackle Joe Kutz were named captains of the 1951 team.[4]

In late December 1950, Chuck Baer resigned as the Titans' head football coach, citing "personal reasons". The resignation was considered a surprise, but followed rumors of a shakeup after the university president, the Very Rev. Celestin J. Steiner, appointed a committee to investigate and make recommendations about the university's entire athletic program.[9]

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 22Hillsdale*W 40–012,451[10]
September 29Wayne*
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 34–019,257[11]
October 6Wichita
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 13–21[12]
October 13Marquette*
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 13–2712,356[13]
October 21at TulsaT 13–1312,356[14]
October 27Drake
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 14–136,255[15]
November 3Villanova*
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 18–78,775[16]
November 12Duquesne*
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 47–147,129[17][18]
November 18at Oklahoma A&MW 20–13[19]
November 26at San Francisco*L 13–3511,783[20][21]
  • *Non-conference game

Players edit

  • Ed Beirne, end
  • Tom Costello, end and co-captain
  • Miles Currie, end
  • Nick Galante, guard and co-captain
  • Mike Goggins, fullback
  • Ron Horwath, left halfback
  • Danny Kerins, tackle
  • Johnny "Red" O'Connor, quarterback
  • Jack O'Leary, right halfback
  • Dick Neveux, quarterback
  • John Packo, center
  • Alex Smail, guard
  • Lee Wittmer, tackle
  • Ed Wood, guard

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "1950 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  2. ^ Dick Peters (September 22, 1950). "Overconfidence Is U-D's Main Foe". Detroit Free Press. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Hal Middlesworth (September 17, 1950). "Good Sophs: Wayne and U. of D. Need Them". Detroit Free Press. p. Graphic-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Goggins, Kutz Voted U-D Captains". Detroit Free Press. November 30, 1950. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Dutch Clark Takes Post as Titans' Gridiron Aide: Ex-Lion Gets 1-Year Pact". Detroit Free Press. March 16, 1950. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Hal Middlesworth. "Baer Sees Youth Adding Spice". Detroit Free Press. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Dick Peters (September 12, 1950). "U-D Names 2 Grads as Frosh Aides". Detroit Free Press. p. 17.
  8. ^ "U-D Names Costello, Galante Co-Captains". Detroit Free Press. December 8, 1949. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Baer Resigns as Titan Football Coach". Detroit Free Press. December 29, 1950. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Dick Peters (September 23, 1950). "Horwath, Titans Hustle 40–0". Detroit Free Press. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Dick Peters (September 30, 1950). "Titans Put Tartars to Rout, 34–0". Detroit Free Press. pp. 16–17 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Dick Peters (October 7, 1950). "Wichita Wins, 21–13, on U-D Fumbles". Detroit Free Press. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Dick Peters (October 14, 1950). "U-D 'Gives' Game to Marquette, 27–14". Detroit Free Press. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Dick Peters (October 22, 1950). "U-D Settles for 13–13 Tie with Tulsa". Detroit Free Press. pp. E1, E5 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Dick Peters (October 28, 1950). "10 Seconds to Go, U-D Wins, 14–13". Detroit Free Press. pp. 16–17 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Dick Peters (November 4, 1950). "Villanova Errors Help Titans Win, 18–7". Detroit Free Press. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Dick Peters (November 13, 1950). "U-D Goes Record-Crazy to Drub Duquesne, 47–14". Detroit Free Press. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Chicagoans Help Detroit Titans To Trounce Duquesne". Port Huron Times Herald. November 13, 1950. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Titans Play Heads-Up Ball to Plow Past Aggies, 20–13". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 1950. p. E5 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Titans Run Down Badly on Coast". Detroit Free Press. November 27, 1950. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Brown Passes Hilltoppers To 35-13 Win Over Detroit". Oakland Tribune. November 27, 1950. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.

External links edit