| 1954 VPI Gobblers football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Southern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 16 |
| Record | 8–0–1 (3–0–1 SoCon) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Miles Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 West Virginia $ | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furman | 2 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 VPI | 3 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davidson | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VMI | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richmond | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William & Mary | 1 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| George Washington | 0 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Citadel | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1954 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute, now known as Virginia Tech, in the 1954 college football season. The team, coached by Frank Moseley, had an 8–0-1 record.[1] The team was ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll. Three major college football teams had perfect records in 1954,[2] but the Gobblers only prevailed over one team with a winning record, fellow Southern Conference member Richmond, which was 5–4.
Despite its record, and some interest from bowl scouts,[3] Tech did not earn a berth in a postseason game. There were only seven bowl games, with 14 teams who played in bowl games following the 1954 season.
It was the first undefeated season for Virginia Tech since the 1918 team went 7–0. It also marks the last time that a Virginia Tech team has gone undefeated (although the 1999 team went 11–0 in regular-season play before losing the National Championship game played in the 2000 Sugar Bowl).
The Techmen were 3-0-1 in the conference, with the lone blemish coming in a tie with William & Mary, which finished the year 4-4-2. Tech finished second in the Southern to West Virginia which was 3–0. Those two teams did not face off during the season.
1954 marked the second year of football in the Atlantic Coast Conference, whose eight teams had withdrawn from the Southern Conference. It was Virginia's first year in the ACC. Tech was 4-0 against the teams it played from the ACC, and had it been admitted along with the others, would have tied Duke for the league crown. The Blue Devils also went 4-0 versus the ACC teams it played that year.
Three Tech players were elected to the first-team all-conference squad: end Tom Petty who caught nine passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns; Dickie Beard who led the league in rushing with 647 yards;[4] and future Baltimore Colts star George Preas, a star interior lineman. [5] Howie Wright, injured early in the year, was elected to the second team.[6]
Frank O. Moseley, the 41-year-old head coach, was unanimously named the Associated Press Big-Six coach of the year.[7] [a] The first team all Big-Six team included Beard, Petty and Preas, plus center Jack Prater and guard Billy Kerfoot.[8]
- ^ "1954 Virginia Tech Hokies". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ "Sports Reference CFB". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "VPI takes Big Six grid title with 46-9 win over VMI: Tech eyes bowl bid after surprise victory". Pulaski Southwest Times. November 26, 1954. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Annual Individual Leaders (Southern Conference Football)" (PDF). Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Mountaineers place 6 men on all- Southern Conference team; Tech lands 3 players". Pulaski Southwest Times. November 26, 1954. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Conference Honors: All-Southern Conference". Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Frank O. Moseley of VPI selected Big-Six coach of year: Tech ends up as 16th team in U. S.; Has first unbeaten season since 1918". Pulaski Southwest Times. December 5, 1954. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ^ "Tech lands five men on 1954 all-Big Six grid team: Richmond and Virginia each place two players; Petty, Preas, Kerfoot, Prater and Beard picked from Tech; Hartwell selected". Pulaski Southwest Times. November 30, 1954.
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