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
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
Record	6–3–1 (2–1–1 MVC)
Head coach	Chuck Baer (6th season)
Captain	Tom Costello, Nick Galante
Home stadium	University of Detroit Stadium
Seasons ← 1949 1951 →

1950 Missouri Valley Conference football standings

v t e	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

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	Hillsdale*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 40–0	12,451	^[10]
September 29	Wayne*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 34–0	19,257	^[11]
October 6	Wichita	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 13–21		^[12]
October 13	Marquette*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	L 13–27	12,356	^[13]
October 21	at Tulsa	Skelly Stadium Tulsa, OK	T 13–13	12,356	^[14]
October 27	Drake	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 14–13	6,255	^[15]
November 3	Villanova*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 18–7	8,775	^[16]
November 12	Duquesne*	University of Detroit Stadium Detroit, MI	W 47–14	7,129	^[17]^[18]
November 18	at Oklahoma A&M	Lewis Field Stillwater, OK	W 20–13		^[19]
November 26	at San Francisco*	Kezar Stadium San Francisco, CA	L 13–35	11,783	^[20]^[21]
*Non-conference game

Players

• 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

• 1950 in Michigan

References

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. "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

• 1950 University of Detroit football programs