1956 Saint Joseph's Pumas football team

The 1956 Saint Joseph's Pumas football team was an American football team that represented Saint Joseph's College of Rensselaer, Indiana as a member of the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) during the 1956 NAIA football season. In their third year under head coach Bob Jauron, the Pumas compiled an 8–1–1 record (6–0 against ICC opponents), won the ICC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 360 to 32. Saint Joseph's tied with Montana State in the 1956 Aluminum Bowl. The two teams were declared co-winners of the 1956 NAIA football national championship.

1956 Saint Joseph's Pumas football
NAIA national co-champion ICC champion
Aluminum Bowl, T 0–0 vs. Montana State
Conference	Indiana Collegiate Conference
Record	8–1–1 (6–0 ICC)
Head coach	Bob Jauron (3rd season)
Seasons ← 1955 1957 →

1956 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Saint Joseph's (IN) $^	6	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	1
Butler	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Valparaiso	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Evansville	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Ball State	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
DePauw	1	–	5	–	0			1	–	6	–	1
Indiana State	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff (Aluminum Bowl) participant

Season overview

Saint Joseph's lost the opening game of the season to Xavier, as Xavier score the winning touchdown in the game's closing seconds.^[1] The Pumas then won the remaining eight games of the regular season, including six shut outs, and scoring 59 points against Indiana State,^[2] 66 against Ball State,^[3] and 71 against Illinois-Navy Pier.^[4]

During the regular season, the Pumas broke 15 ICC records, including the season records for most points scored, most yards gained, and fewest points and yards allowed.^[5] Defensively, the team's average of 109 yards of total offense allowed per game ranked best among all small colleges.^[6]

The Pumas were invited to play in the NAIA national championship game, then known as the Aluminum Bowl.^[6] They faced Montana State in Little Rock, Arkansas. The game ended in a scoreless tie, and the teams thus shared the 1956 NAIA national championship.^[7]

Saint Joseph's outscored opponents by a total of 360 to 32 on the season.^[8] The Pumas shut out seven of their ten opponents and limited all opponents to an average of 3.2 points per game.

Awards and honors

Junior quarterback Ralph Tite was selected by the conference coaches as the most outstanding back in the ICC.^[9][10]

Five Saint Joseph's players were named to the first team on the All-ICC team selected by the conference's seven coaches: quarterback Ralph Tite (second consecutive year); halfback Ray Banary; end George Sherwood (unanimous choice); tackle Ken Bates; and center Jerry Selinger (unanimous choice).^[11]

Jerry Selinger later played 13 seasons in the Canadian Football League, winning three Grey Cup championships.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	at Xavier*	Xavier Stadium Cincinnati, OH	L 8–13		^[1]
September 23	Great Lakes Navy*	Rensselaer, IN	W 29–0		^[12]
September 29	DePauw	Rensselaer, IN	W 32–0		^[13]
October 6	at Valparaiso	Valparaiso, IN	W 35–0		^[14]
October 13	Indiana State	Rensselaer, IN	W 59–13		^[2]
October 20	at Butler	Butler Bowl Indianapolis, IN	W 31–6		^[15]
October 27	Evansville	Rensselaer, IN	W 29–0		^[16]
November 3	at Ball State	Ball State Field Muncie, IN	W 66–0		^[3]
November 10	at Illinois-Navy Pier*	Shewbridge Field Chicago, IL	W 71–0		^[4]
December 22	vs. Montana State*	War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR (Aluminum Bowl)	T 0–0	8,000	^[7]
*Non-conference game

References

1. Bill Ford (September 17, 1956). "Xavier Rallies, Edges St. Joseph's, 13-8: Musketeers Are Behind, 8-7 When Bertoia Hits Junker With Payoff TD Pass In Waning Seconds". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Tom Reck (October 14, 1956). "Sycamores Bow To St. Joseph's". The Terre Haute Tribune-Star. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Bob Barnet (November 4, 1956). "St. Joe Bounces Cards -- No Surprise; Likewise 66-0 Score, Some Things Considered". The Star Press. pp. Sports 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Pumas Blast Navy Pier 71-0 in Final". The Hammond Times. November 11, 1956. p. D4 – via Newspapers.coma.
5. "St. Joseph's Changes 22 ICC Grid Records". The Indianapolis Star. November 18, 1956. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "St. Joe Will Play In Aluminum Bowl". Evansville Press. November 24, 1956. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Montana State and St. Joseph's Fight to Tie". The Independent Record (Helena, MT). December 23, 1956. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
8. . College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
9. "Ralph Tite To Lead Pumas In Aluminum Bowl Grid Tilt". The Tipton Daily Tribune. December 17, 1956. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Tite Named Outstanding ICC Back". The Star Press. November 25, 1956. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "St. Joe Lands Five on ICC Grid Team". The Indianapolis News. November 21, 1956. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "St. Joseph Pumas Beat Great Lakes Eleven, 29-0". Journal and Courier. September 24, 1956. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "St. Joe Dumps DePauw, 32-0". The Evansville Courier and Press. September 30, 1956. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
14. "St. Joseph's Rips Valparaiso, 35-0". Evansville Press. October 7, 1956. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
15. Max Stultz (October 21, 1956). "Pumas Turn On Power, Overwhelm Butler, 31-6". The Indianapolis Star. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Powerful Pumas Trump Aces, 29-0". Evansville Press. October 28, 1956. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.