The 1959 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 1959 NCAA College Division football season. In their 15th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over Prairie View A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic for the black college football national championship. The team was ranked No. 14 in the final UPI small college poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
| 1959 Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion SIAC champion | |
Orange Blossom Classic, W 28–7 vs. Prairie View A&M | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 10–0 (5–0 SIAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Bragg Memorial Stadium |
The team's statistical leaders included Clarence Childs with 537 rushing yards, Theodore Richardson with 354 passing yards, and Williams Barber with 116 receiving yards.[1]
Schedule edit
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | Benedict | W 74–0 | [2] | |||||
| October 10 | Wiley* |
| W 64–0 | [3] | ||||
| October 17 | Morris Brown |
| W 6–0 | [4] | ||||
| October 24 | vs. Bethune–Cookman | Jacksonville, FL | W 68–6 | [5] | ||||
| October 31 | South Carolina State |
| W 34–12 | [6] | ||||
| November 7 | at North Carolina A&T* | Greensboro, NC | W 28–16 | [7] | ||||
| November 14 | Allen | No. 20 | Columbia, SC | W 52–8 | [8] | |||
| November 21 | Southern* |
| W 21–14 | [9] | ||||
| November 28 | at Texas Southern* | No. 14 | W 36–8 | [10] | ||||
| December 5 | vs. Prairie View A&M* | No. 14 | W 28–7 | 43,645 | [11] | |||
| ||||||||
References edit
- ^ "Florida A&M Rattler Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015.
- ^ "Florida A&M Stomps Benedict, 74-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 4, 1959. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A&M Runs Past Wiley, 64-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 11, 1959. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A&M Rattlers Whip Stubborn Morris Brown 6-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 18, 1959. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rattlers Whip Bethune 68-6". Tallahassee Democrat. October 25, 1959. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&M Powers Past South Carolina State". Tallahassee Democrat. November 1, 1959. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rattlers Win Sixth Straight". Tallahassee Democrat. November 8, 1959. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida A&M Wins Over Allen Club". Tallahassee Democrat. November 15, 1959. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&M Scores Late For 21-14 Win". Tallahassee Democrat. November 22, 1959. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rattlers Finish Strong For Win". Tallahassee Democrat. November 29, 1959. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&M Rips Panthers, 28-7". Tallahassee Democrat. December 6, 1959. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 18, 2023.