The 1956 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University as an independent during the 1956 college football season. The Orangemen were led by eighth-year head coach Ben Schwartzwalder and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse finished the regular season with a record of 7–1, and were ranked 8th in both final polls. They were awarded the Lambert Trophy, which signified them as champions of the East. Syracuse was invited to the 1957 Cotton Bowl, where they were defeated by TCU.
| 1956 Syracuse Orangemen football | |
|---|---|
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 27–28 vs. TCU | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 8 |
| AP | No. 8 |
| Record | 7–2 |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Game captains[1] |
| Home stadium | Archbold Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Syracuse | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | – | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Pittsburgh | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Holy Cross | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Villanova | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colgate | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston University | – | 1 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The team was led by unanimous All-American halfback Jim Brown. Brown set school records in average yards-per-carry (6.2), single-season rushing yards (986), single-game rushing touchdowns (6, vs. Colgate), and most points scored in a game (43, vs. Colgate).[2] He was drafted sixth overall in the 1957 NFL draft and went on to become one of the most celebrated professional athletes of all time.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | at No. 6 Maryland | W 26–12 | 27,000 | [3] | ||
| September 29 | at No. 10 Pittsburgh | No. 7 | L 7–14 | 49,287 | [4] | |
| October 13 | No. 20 West Virginia |
| W 27–20 | 25,000 | [5] | |
| October 20 | Army | No. 13 |
| W 7–0 | 40,053 | [6] |
| October 27 | at Boston University | No. 14 | W 21–7 | 12,182 | [7] | |
| November 3 | No. 12 Penn State | No. 17 |
| W 13–9 | 35,475 | [8] |
| November 10 | Holy Cross | No. 9 |
| W 41–20 | 17,000 | [9] |
| November 17 | Colgate | No. 9 |
| W 61–7 | 39,701 | [10] |
| January 1 | vs. No. 14 TCU | No. 8 | L 27–28 | 61,500–68,000 | [11][12] | |
Roster
edit- HB Jim Brown, Sr.
- HB Tom Sardinia, Sr.
Team players in the NFL
edit| Player | Round | Pick | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Brown | 1 | 6 | Running back | Cleveland Browns |
| Jimmy Ridlon | 4 | 39 | Defensive back | 49ers |
| Bill E. Brown | 9 | 108 | Linebacker | Chicago Bears |
| Jerry Cashman | 14 | 158 | Tackle | Eagle |
Awards and honors
edit- Jim Brown, unanimous first team All-American (AFCA, AP, UP, INS, CP, NEA, WCF, FWAA)
- Jim Brown, Cotton Bowl Classic co-Most Valuable Player
References
edit- ↑ "2017 Syracuse football media guide" (PDF).. pg. 148.
- ↑ "2017 Syracuse football media guide" (PDF).. pg. 120.
- ↑ "Syracuse stuns Terps, 26–12". Tampa Sunday Tribune. September 23, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Chester L. Smith (September 30, 1956). "Salvaterra And Walton Score TDs". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, section 4. Retrieved May 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Syracuse strikes twice in last stanza to defeat West Virginia squad, 27–20". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Syracuse stalls Army's bids, 7–0". Rockford Morning Star. October 21, 1956. Retrieved July 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Syracuse drops Terriers as Brown sparkles, 21–7". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 28, 1956. Retrieved July 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Syracuse tips Penn State, 13–9". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 4, 1956. Retrieved July 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Keane, Clif (November 11, 1956). "Mistakes Hurt Holy Cross; Syracuse Wins, 41 to 20". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Werden, Lincoln A. (November 18, 1956). "Brown Scores 43 Points In Last Game for Orange". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
- ↑ "Wild Cotton Bowl game won by Frogs". The Shreveport Journal. January 2, 1957. Retrieved March 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Cotton Bowl Classics History; 21st Classic, 1957". Cotton Bowl Classic. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Schedule/Results (1956 Syracuse)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "1956 Syracuse Orange Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Reference at www.pro-football-reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
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