1956 VPI Gobblers football team

Summary

The 1956 VPI Gobblers football team represented the Virginia Polytechnic Institute or VPI (now known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University or Virginia Tech) as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Frank Moseley the Gobblers compiled an overall record of 7–2–1 with a mark of 3–0 in conference play, and finished second in the SoCon. VPI played home games at Miles Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

1956 VPI Gobblers football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record7–2–1 (3–0 SoCon)
Head coach
Home stadiumMiles Stadium
Seasons
← 1955
1957 →
1956 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
West Virginia $ 5 0 0 6 4 0
VPI 3 0 0 7 2 1
No. 17 George Washington 5 1 0 8 1 1
Davidson 2 2 1 5 3 1
Furman 2 2 0 2 8 0
VMI 2 3 1 3 6 1
Richmond 2 5 0 4 5 0
The Citadel 1 3 0 3 5 1
Washington and Lee 0 1 0 1 7 0
William & Mary 0 5 0 0 9 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 158:00 p.m.vs. East Carolina*W 37–26,000[1][2]
September 22Tulane*L 14–2130,000[3]
September 292:00 p.m.vs. No. 20 NC State*W 35–610,000[4][3]
October 68:00 p.m.at Florida State*W 20–7[5]
October 13William & Mary W 34–712,000[6]
October 202:30 p.m.at RichmondNo. 18W 46–14[7]
October 27vs. Virginia*No. 16W 14–716,000[8]
November 32:00 p.m.at No. 13 Clemson*No. 15L 6–2123,000[9][10]
November 10Wake Forest*
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
T 13–137,000[3]
November 22vs. VMI
  • Victory Stadium
  • Roanoke, VA (rivalry)
W 45–024,000[11]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[12]

Rankings edit

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre12345678910Final
AP181615

Roster edit

The following players were members of the 1956 football team according to the roster published in the 1957 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook.[3]

VPI 1956 roster
Quarterbacks
  • Raymond Donald Divers
  • Frank H. Eastman
  • Billy Holsclaw
  • Jim Lugar
  • Bob McCoy

Guards

  • Warren Leroy Belcher
  • James Alexander Burks
  • Pat Luis Carpenito
  • Bill Daley
  • James Holloway
  • Bernard Frank Schmidt

Tackles

  • Robert J. Cruickshank
  • Thomas John Dalzell
  • Russell Sidney Moon
  • Ted Uzelac
Centers
  • John Rufus Hall
  • Hillmer John "Swede" Olson
  • Frank Webster

Ends

  • Ed Brinkley
  • Carroll Dale
  • James Lupton Hedrick
  • Grover Cleveland Jones III
  • Nicholas M. Mihalas
  • John Stewart Moody
  • Billy Tilling

Halfbacks

  • Corbin Bailey
  • Hugh David Ebert
  • Ray England
  • Barry Frazee
  • Harry Keast
  • Dick Ringer
  • Jay N. Whitesell
  • Bobby Wolfenden
Fullbacks
  • Bobby Conner
  • Jim Randall
  • Albert Sebest

Substitutes

  • Tom Betz
  • William C. Cranwell
  • Charles Cuba
  • John Herndon
  • William Edward Jamerson
  • Kuruc
  • Doug Mullins
  • Bobby Seal
  • Ronnie Settles

Coaching Staff edit

The following coaches were members of the 1956 football team according to the roster published in the 1957 edition of The Bugle.[3]

VPI 1956 coaches' roster
Head coach

Assistant coach

Trainer
  • Ed Motley

Equipment Manager

  • Luke Lindon

References edit

  1. ^ "Coal Bowl: V.P.I. vs. E.C.C." ECU Football Programs. East Carolina University. September 15, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "East Carolina routed by Tech in opener, 37–2". The Progress-Index. September 16, 1956. Retrieved March 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e "The Bugle 1957" (PDF). Virginia Tech Bugle. 1957. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  4. ^ "VPI Gobblers vs N.C. State Wolfpack - Good Neighbor Bowl". VPI vs. NC State Football Program. 1956. p. 1. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  5. ^ "Tribe Set to Ambush Gobblers". Florida Flambeau. Florida State University. October 5, 1956. p. 3. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  6. ^ "Gobblers rout Indians". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Semples, Mingis, Davis; Other Spider Stars Ready to "Gobble" Tech". The Collegian. University of Richmond. October 19, 1956. p. 4. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  8. ^ "Gobblers trip Cavaliers, 14–7". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 28, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Clemson - VPI Football Game Program". Clemson University. November 3, 1956. p. 29. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  10. ^ "Bengals Rout Virginia Tech In Homecoming Game, 21-6". The Tiger. Clemson University. November 8, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  11. ^ "Virginia Tech Gobblers blank Virginia Military, 45–0". The Bristol Herald Courier. November 23, 1956. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "1956 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2023.