1951 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
| 1951 Arizona State Sun Devils football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| 1951 record | 6–3–1 (4–1 BIAA) |
| Head coach | Larry Siemering (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Goodwin Stadium |
The 1951 Arizona State Sun Devils football team was an American football team that represented Arizona State College (later renamed Arizona State University) in the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association (BIAA) during the 1951 college football season. In their first season under head coach Larry Siemering, the Sun Devils compiled a 6–3–1 record (3–1 against BIAA opponents) and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 308 to 176. The Sun Devils finished (4-2) at home and (2-1-1) on the road. Assistant Coaches were Harold Brown and Bob White. All home games were played at Goodwin Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Arizona State's team captain was QB Harold Self.
In the season opener, Arizona State College defeated Utah State 33-27 on the road. The Sun Devils lost at Arkansas 30-13 the following week. ASC prevailed 50-6 in their home opener against Wayne State. The Maroon & Gold dropped a 39-14 home contest to Hardin-Simmons. Despite recording 510 net yards offensively, the Devils tied San Diego State 27-27 on the road. Arizona State responded with a 46-0 shutout over New Mexico State in Tempe. The Sun Devils collected 165 total punt return yards against NMSU, paced by James Bilton's 124 punt return yards. ASC delivered a 2nd consecutive home shutout with a 34-0 victory against West Texas State. The Sun Devils defended their home turf in a dominating 61-14 win over Arizona at Goodwin Stadium. Arizona State downed Texas El-Paso 23-13 in their final road matchup of the season. Closing out the 1951 campaign at home, ASC lost to Wyoming 20-7. The Devils accumulated only 13 total passing yards, which ranks as the 2nd lowest total in school history.
The usual Arizona State College offensive lineup included: (LE John Allen, RE Gene Mitcham, LT Robert Lutcke, LG Dom Patrone, C Virgil Savage, RG Allan Strangeland, RT Lee Olson, QB Harold Self, HB Marv Wahlin, FB Duane Morrison, & RB Wayne Welker). Jim Aitken, Ed Anderson, Bob Alford, James Bilton, Sam Colella, Harley Cooper, & Dick Mackey were also on roster.
Arizona State's leading rusher was Duane Morrison (103 Carries, 775 Gross Yards, 25 Yards Lost, 750 Net Yards, & 7.3 Yard Avg). The Maroon & Gold amassed 3,350 net rushing yards during the 1951 campaign, averaging 335.0 rushing yards per game. ASC set a school-record by averaging 5.59 yards per carry as a team.
The Sun Devils' leading passer was Harold Self (41-86, 599 Yds, 47.7% Completion Pct., 7 TD, & 3 INT). Arizona State set the school-record by having the fewest pass completions in a single season with 51 completions, while also setting a school-record for fewest completions per game in a single season with 5.1 completions per game. The Devils also set the school-record for fewest first downs passing in a single season with 27.
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