1953 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

The 1953 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team was an American football team that represented Wake Forest University during the 1953 college football season. In their third season under head coach Tom Rogers, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–6–1 record and finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 2–3 record against conference opponents.^[2]

1953 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	3–6–1 (2–3 ACC)
Head coach	Tom Rogers (3rd season)
Captain	Sonny George
Home stadium	Groves Stadium
Seasons ← 1952 1954 →

1953 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Maryland +	3	–	0	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
No. 18 Duke +	4	–	0	–	0			7	–	2	–	1
South Carolina	2	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
North Carolina	2	–	3	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Wake Forest	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	6	–	1
Clemson	1	–	2	–	0			3	–	5	–	1
NC State	0	–	3	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19		vs. William & Mary*	City Stadium Richmond, VA (Tobacco Bowl)	L 14–16	20,000	^[3]
September 26		at No. 10 Duke	Duke Stadium Durham, NC (rivalry)	L 0–19	20,000	^[4]
October 3	2:30 p.m.	vs. Villanova*	Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	W 18–12	10,000	^[5]
October 10		North Carolina	Groves Stadium Wake Forest, NC (rivalry)	L 13–18	12,000	^[6]
October 17		at NC State	Riddick Stadium Raleigh, NC (rivalry)	W 20–7	12,000	^[7]
October 24		at Richmond*	City Stadium Richmond, VA	T 13–13	7,000	^[8]
October 31		at Clemson	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	L 0–18	18,000	^[9]
November 7		at Boston College*	Fenway Park Boston, MA	L 7–20	3,273	^[10]
November 21		Furman*	Groves Stadium Wake Forest, NC	L 10–21	5,000	^[11]
November 26	2:00 p.m.	vs. No. 15 South Carolina	American Legion Memorial Stadium Charlotte, NC	W 19–13	11,000	^[12]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Team leaders

Category	Team Leader	Att/Cth	Yds
Passing	Joe White	32/87	486
Rushing	Johnny Parham	96	304
Receiving	Bob Ondilla	21	294

References

1. "1953 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
2. "1953 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
3. "Indians gain lead on Hines' field goal, hold off Wake, 16–14". Richmond Times-Dispatch. September 20, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Duke whips Decons 19–0". Greensboro Daily News. September 27, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. O'Brien, Frank (October 3, 1953). "Deacs, Villanova Rated Even". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 12. Retrieved May 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com  .
6. "Late North Carolina score defeats Wake Forest, 18–13". The Miami Herald. October 11, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Wake Forest profits on breaks to turn back N.C. State, 20–7". The Sunday Star. October 18, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Spider spurt knots favored Wake, 13–13". The Charlotte Observer. October 25, 1953. Retrieved November 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "King's tosses get Clemson 18–0 decision". Daily Press. November 1, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Eagles whip Deacons, 20–7 on last period scores". The Hartford Courant. November 8, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Hurricane tops Deacs by 21 to 19". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 22, 1953. Retrieved September 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Pierce, Dick (November 26, 1953). "Favored Role Goes To South Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. p. 4B. Retrieved May 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com  .