1951 St. Bonaventure Bonnies football team

The 1951 St. Bonaventure Brown Indians football team was an American football team that represented St. Bonaventure University during the 1951 college football season. In its second season under head coach Joe Bach, the team compiled a 5–4 record and outscored opponents by a total of 218 to 175.[1] The team played its home games at Forness Stadium in Olean, New York.

1951 St. Bonaventure Bonnies football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–4
Head coach
Home stadiumForness Stadium

Quarterback Ted Marchibroda led the team on offense. In nine games, Marchibroda completed 72 of 170 passes for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns.[2] Halfback Jerry Hanifin led the team's rushing attack. Among its more notable contests was the October 27 game against the Louisville Cardinals, which marked the debut of Johnny Unitas.[3]

In December 1951, one month after the season ended, coach Bach left the team to become head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.[4]

In February 1952, St. Bonaventure announced that it was suspending competition in intercollegiate football. The school's president, Rev. Juvenal Lalor, stated that the decision was prompted by "ever increasing costs in every department and steadily declining income."[5] The decision was part of a trend among Catholic universities in the post-war years to terminate their football programs. The trend included Portland (1949), Saint Louis (1949), Duquesne (1950), Georgetown (1950), Saint Mary's (1950), Loyola of Los Angeles (1951), San Francisco (1951), and Santa Clara (1952).

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16Saint Francis (PA)
W 65–64,000[6]
September 23Xavier*
  • Forness Stadium
  • Olean, NY
L 6–409,500[7]
September 30at Dayton*Dayton, OHL 14–35[8]
October 13at John Carroll*Cleveland, OHW 20–13[9]
October 21vs. Quantico Marines
L 14–219,908[10]
October 27Louisville
  • Forness Stadium
  • Olean, NY
W 22–216,500[11]
November 3Youngstown
  • Forness Stadium
  • Olean, NY
W 39–6[12][13]
November 10at Camp LejeuneJacksonville, NCL 10–207,000[14]
November 18Saint Vincent*
W 28–131,500[15][16]
  • *Non-conference game

References
  1. "1951 - Saint Bonaventure (NY)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. "Kluckhohn Sets 2 Marks". Binghamton Press. November 29, 1951. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Abdo, Mike; Davies, Bob (November 7, 1959). "Unitas 'Started' Career at St. Bona". Olean Times Herald.
  4. "Bach Promises 'Wide-Open' Football". The Pittsburgh Press. December 19, 1951. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "St. Bonaventure Drops Football". The Ithaca Journal. February 8, 1952. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Bonnies Rip St. Francis in Opener, 65-6". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. September 17, 1951. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Xavier Swamps Bonnies, 40-6, Worst Licking Since 1940". Binghamton Press. September 24, 1951. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Dayton Overpowers Bonaventure, 35-14". The Elmira Advertiser. October 1, 1951. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "St. Bonaventure Shades John Carroll U., 20-13". The Sunday Press (Binghamton, NY). October 14, 1951. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Hanifin Stars But Marines Beat Bonnies". Binghamton Press. October 22, 1951. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Field Goal in Last 3 Seconds Tops Louisville, 22-21, for Bona". The Sunday Press (Binghamton, NY). October 28, 1951. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "St. Bona Soph Glitters in Win". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. November 4, 1951. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Soph Mate Outpasses 'Marchy' in Bona Win". The Sunday Press (Binghamton, NY). November 4, 1951. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Lejeune Marines Rally, Clip Bonnies". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. November 11, 1951. p. 8D – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Bonnies Thrash St. Vincent, 28-13". New York Daily News. November 19, 1951. p. 60 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Bonnies Dump SVC Bearcats in Finale, 28-13: Hanifin Runs 102, 55 Yards To Score". The Latrobe Bulletin. November 19, 1951. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
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