1959 Football Team - Syracuse University Athletics

The 1959 Orange football team won the University’s first national championship in the sport. The top-ranked squad in the nation, Syracuse capped a perfect 10-0 regular season with a 23-14 victory against second-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Head Coach Floyd “Ben” Schwartzwalder was named the 1959 National Coach of the Year and in 1982 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The best season in school history included regular season wins against Kansas (35-21), Maryland (29-0), Navy (32-6), Holy Cross (42-6), West Virginia (44-0), Pittsburgh (35-0), Penn State (20-18), Colgate(71-0), Boston University (46-0), and UCLA (36-8).

Syracuse led the nation in 18 statistical categories, including first downs (240), margin of offense over defense (355.3 yards per game), scoring (39.0 points per game), total offense (451.5), total defense (96.2), rushing offense (313.6), and rushing defense (19.3). The SU defense stifled its opponents, holding five of them scoreless, and allowing only 193 yards rushing and 59 points on the year.

The 1959 roster was filled with talented players, including first-team All-Americans Roger Davis, who was also named UPI Lineman of the Year, Fred Mautino and Bob Yates and All-East selections Ernie Davis, Art Baker and Ger Schwedes, in addition to Roger Davis, Mautino, Yates. Fourteen members of the team went on to play professional football.

As a sophomore, Ernie Davis set a Syracuse record with an average of 7.0 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. He was named the Cotton Bowl’s Most Valuable Player after recording eight carries for 57 yards and one touchdown, in addition to an 87-yard touchdown reception. In 1961, Ernie Davis became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

Six members of the team have been named Letterwinners of Distinction: Baker, John Brown, Ernie Davis, Charles Heck, Schwedes and Gerry Skonieczki.