| 1958 college football season | ||
|---|---|---|
 Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins | ||
| Preseason AP No. 1 | Ohio State Buckeyes[1] | |
| Regular season | September 13 – November 29, 1958 | |
| Number of bowls | 8 | |
| Bowl games | December 13, 1958 – January 1, 1959 | |
| Champion(s) | LSU (AP, Coaches) Iowa (FWAA) | |
| Heisman | Pete Dawkins, (halfback, Army) | |
| ||
The 1958 college football season was the 90th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. It concluded with two teams having claim to the major college national championship:
- LSU compiled an 11–0 record, defeated Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, and was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press (AP) writers and United Press International (UPI) coaches polls. LSU received 139 first-place votes in the AP poll and 29 of 35 first-place votes in the UPI poll.[2] LSU was also selected as the national champion by numerous other selectors, including: Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, Helms Athletic Foundation, and National Championship Foundation.[3] LSU halfback Billy Cannon finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
- Iowa compiled an 8–1–1 record, defeated California in the Rose Bowl, and was selected as the national champion by the Football Writers Association of America. Iowa quarterback Randy Duncan led major college football with 1,347 passing yards and a .587 completion percentage and finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Three small college teams also claimed national championships:
- Mississippi Southern compiled a 9–0 record and was ranked No. 1 in the UPI small college coaches poll.
- Prairie View compiled a 10–0–1 record, defeated Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic, and was selected as the black college national champion.
- Northeastern State compiled an 11–0 record, defeated Arizona State–Flagstaff in the Holiday Bowl, and won the NAIA championship.
Army halfback Pete Dawkins won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award as the best player in college football. Pacific fullback Dick Bass led all major college football players with 1,448 yards of total offense, 1,361 rushing yards, and 116 points scored.
On January 13, 1958, the eleven-man NCAA Rules Committee unanimously approved a resolution to allow teams to choose between kicking an extra point after a touchdown, or running or passing from the three-yard line for a two-point conversion.[4][5] University of Michigan athletic director Fritz Crisler said at the meeting in Fort Lauderdale, "It's a progressive step which will make football more interesting for the spectators," adding that the rule "will add drama to what has been the dullest, most stupid play in the game."[6][7]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "October 27, 1958 Football Polls | College Poll Archive".
- ^ Houlgate, Deke (1954). The Football Thesaurus: 85 Years on the American Gridiron. Los Angeles, California: Houlgate House. In the Huddle with Deke Houlgate: College Football from 1869 through 1953; Annual Supplements for 1954–1958
- ^ "NCAA announces new point-after scoring". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 13, 1958. p. 2B.
- ^ "Colleges get PAT bonus for run or pass". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). INS. January 13, 1958. p. B3.
- ^ Down, Fred (January 13, 1958). "New two-point rule to kill kick attempts". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). United Press. p. 2.
- ^ "Pass or Run Conversion Worth Two Points Now," San Antonio Express, January 13, 1958, p9-A