1947 Denison Big Red football team

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1947 Denison Big Red football
Head coach Woody Hayes, 1947
OAC champion
ConferenceOhio Athletic Conference
Record9–0 (6–0 OAC)
Head coach
CaptainWalter Cheslock
Home stadiumDeeds Field
Seasons
← 1946
1948 →
1947 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Denison $ 6 0 0 9 0 0
Findlay 4 0 0 9 1 0
Heidelberg 6 1 0 7 1 0
John Carroll 5 1 0 6 3 0
Toledo 3 1 0 9 2 0
Kent State 3 1 0 4 4 0
Baldwin–Wallace 4 2 0 5 4 0
Ohio Wesleyan 4 2 0 6 2 1
Wittenberg 4 4 0 4 5 0
Muskingum 3 3 0 5 3 0
Kenyon 1 1 0 3 4 0
Wooster 4 5 0 4 5 0
Mount Union 3 4 0 5 4 0
Ohio Northern 2 4 0 2 5 1
Oberlin 1 2 0 3 4 1
Wilmington (OH) 1 2 0 2 6 0
Akron 2 5 0 2 6 0
Ashland 1 3 0 3 5 0
Marietta 1 3 0 2 5 0
Otterbein 1 4 0 2 6 1
Capital 1 6 0 2 6 1
Case 0 5 0 1 7 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1947 Denison Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Denison University as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1947 college football season. In their second year under head coach Woody Hayes, the Big Red compiled a 9–0 record (6–0 in conference games), won the OAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 268 to 60. Of the 39 college footall teams in Ohio, Denison was the only one in 1947 to compile a perfect season with no losses or ties.[1][2] It was also the first perfect season in Denison football history. Hayes also led the 1948 Denison team to a perfect season before moving on to Miami (OH) and Ohio State.

Tackle Walter Cheslock was the team captain.[3] Four Denison players were selected as first-team players on the 1947 All-Ohio Conference football team: Cheslock; halfback Ed Rupp; end Bill Hart; and center Bill Wehr. Halfback Gerald Gaynor was named to the second team[4] Hart was selected as a first-team player on the 1947 Little All-America college football team,[5] and Gaynor was selected to play in the Blue-Gray gridiron classic, the first Denison player to be so honored.[6]

The team played its home games at Deeds Field in Granville, Ohio.

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultSource
September 27Rio Grande*
W 38–0[7][8]
October 4at Washington & Jefferson*Washington, PAW 20–14[9]
October 11at Beloit*Beloit, WIW 50–7[10]
October 18Woosterdagger
  • Deeds Field
  • Granville, OH
W 21–0[11]
October 25Oberlin
  • Deeds Field
  • Granville, OH
W 33–6[12][13]
November 1at Muskingum
W 20–14[14]
November 8at CapitalColumbus, OHW 56–7[15]
November 16at Ohio WesleyanDelaware, OHW 18–6[16]
November 22Wittenberg
  • Deeds Field
  • Granville, OH
W 12–6[17]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

Players[edit]

  • Walter Cheslock, tackle and captain, New Philadelphia, Ohio
  • Glenn Culp, quarterback, Youngstown, Ohio
  • Norman Dellner, tackle, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
  • William Hart, end, East Cleveland, Ohio
  • Richard Huff, tackle, Dover, Ohio
  • Bill Fleitz, fullback, Newark, Ohio
  • Gerald Gaynor, halfback, Toledo, Ohio
  • William Henderson, halfback, Culver, Indiana
  • Richard Koster, end, Toledo, Ohio
  • William G. Miller, guard, Dayton, Ohio
  • Robert Phillips, quarterback, Dover, Ohio
  • Eddie Rupp, halfback, Granville, Ohio
  • Don C. Watkins, tackle, Granville, Ohio
  • William Wehr, center, Barnesville, Ohio

[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Howell, Fritz (November 25, 1947). "Denison Footballers Sweep Ohio College Laurels". Mansfield New-Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. Associated Press. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "2020 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Record Book" (PDF). Ohio Athletic Conference. 2020. p. 46. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  3. ^ "D.U. Begins Practice; Cheslock Voted Leader". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. September 9, 1947. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Four Denison Gridders Placed On 1947 All-Ohio Conference Eleven". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. December 11, 1947. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Hart On Little All-America Grid Team". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. December 9, 1947. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Gaynor To Play in North-South Tilt". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. December 4, 1947. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Five Seniors Will Start Saturday for Big Red Eleven Against Rio Grande in Grid Opener". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. September 26, 1947. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Bob Rock (September 29, 1947). "Denison Defeats Rio Grande In Grid Opener, 38-0: Big Red Scores in Three Periods for Lop-Sided Victory". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Denison Defeats Washington and Jefferson, 19-14: Big Red Rallies To Defeat Favored Team For Second Triumph". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. October 6, 1947. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Denison Smashes Beloit For Third Straight Win". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. October 13, 1947. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Bob Rock (October 20, 1947). "Denison Smashes Wooster 28-0 For Fourth Victory: Rupp Collects Two Touchdowns Before Homecoming Crowd". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Denison Rips Oberlin, 33-0, to Bag Fifth". Cleveland Plain Dealer. October 26, 1947. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Bob Rock (October 27, 1947). "Denison Romps Over Oberlin For Fifth Win, 33-0". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Bob Rock (November 3, 1947). "Denison Undefeated, Untied Nips Muskies, 20-14". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Bob Rock (November 10, 1947). "Denison Retains Undefeated and Untied Record: Big Red Runs Over Capital, 56 to 7, for Seventh Grid Verdict". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 12 – via Newspaper.com.
  16. ^ "Denison One Game Away From Perfect Season: Big Red Chalks Up Eighth Straight by Defeating Weseleyan". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. November 17, 1947. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Bob Rock (November 24, 1947). "Denison Boasts First Unbeaten, Untied Season: Big Red Extended To Nip Wittenberg Team In Final Game, 12 to 6". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Denison University Opens Football Practice Monday". The Newark Advocate and American Tribune. September 6, 1947. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.