1955 Maine Black Bears football team

The 1955 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1955 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Harold Westerman, the team compiled a 5–1–1 record (2–1–1 against conference opponents), finished third out of the six teams in the Yankee Conference, and won the Maine "State Series" championship. The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Orono, Maine. James Duffy and John Small were the team captains.^[1][2]

1955 Maine Black Bears football
Maine State Series champion
Conference	Yankee Conference
Record	5–1–1 (2–1–1 Yankee)
Head coach	Harold Westerman (5th season)
Captain	James Duffy, John Small
Home stadium	Alumni Field
Seasons ← 1954 1956 →

1955 Yankee Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Rhode Island $	4	–	0	–	1			6	–	1	–	2
Maine	2	–	1	–	1			5	–	1	–	1
Connecticut	2	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
New Hampshire	1	–	1	–	2			2	–	4	–	2
UMass	1	–	3	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Vermont	0	–	3	–	0			3	–	3	–	1
$ – Conference champion

The team's statistical leaders included halfback Ray Hostetter with 291 rushing yards; quarterback James Duffy with 237 passing yards; and end Paul Boucher with 104 receiving yards. Three players (Hostetter, Duffy, and halfback Warren Griffin) tied with 24 points scored.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 24	at Rhode Island	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	L 0–7		^[4]
October 1	Vermont	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 34–0		^[5]
October 8	at New Hampshire	Cowell Stadium Durham, NH (rivalry)	T 6–6	7,500	^[6]
October 15	Connecticut	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 13–0	6,500	^[7]
October 22	at Bates*	Lewiston, ME	W 15–13		^[8]
October 29	at Colby*	Waterville, ME	W 53–0	4,500	^[9]
November 5	Bowdoin*	Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 54–8	7,600	^[2]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[3]

After the season

The following Black Bear was selected in the 1956 NFL Draft after the season.^[10]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
16	193	Thurlow Cooper	End	Cleveland Browns

References

1. "2019 Maine Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Maine. 2019. p. 86. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
2. Blaine Davis (November 6, 1955). "Maine Thumps Bowdoin, 54-8, For Third Straight Series Title". Portland Press Herald. pp. B1, B2 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
4. "Rhode Island Edges Bears By 7-0 Tally". Portland Press Herald. September 25, 1955. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Maine eleven points to Wildcats after 34–0 conquest of Vermont". The Bangor Daily News. October 3, 1955. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Maine, NH Tie: Wildcats Match U-M In Late Tally". Portland Press Herald. October 9, 1955. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
7. Bud leavitt (October 17, 1955). "U. Of Maine upsets Connecticut 13-0 In Rugged Game". Bangor Daily News. pp. 1, 10 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Owen Osborne (October 24, 1955). "Maine, Colby Win Opening State Series Games: Bates Battles Bears In Rugged Encounter". Bangor Daily News. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Harland Durrell (October 31, 1955). "U. of Maine Blasts Colby 53-0 To Set New Scoring Record: Mules Completely Outclassed By Bears". Waterville Morning Sentinel. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "1956 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.