| 1951 St. Bonaventure Bonnies football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 5–4 |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Forness Stadium |
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.
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).
- ^ "1951 - Saint Bonaventure (NY)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Kluckhohn Sets 2 Marks". Binghamton Press. November 29, 1951. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Abdo, Mike; Davies, Bob (November 7, 1959). "Unitas 'Started' Career at St. Bona". Olean Times Herald.
- ^ "Bach Promises 'Wide-Open' Football". The Pittsburgh Press. December 19, 1951. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "St. Bonaventure Drops Football". The Ithaca Journal. February 8, 1952. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.