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1956 Michigan Wolverines football team

1956 Michigan Wolverines football
Conference Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches No. 7
AP No. 7
1956 record 7–2 (5–2 Big Ten)
Head coach Bennie Oosterbaan (9th year)
MVP Dick Hill
Captain Tom Maentz
Home stadium Michigan Stadium
Seasons
← 1955
1957 →
1956 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#3 Iowa $ 5 1 0     9 1 0
#7 Michigan 5 2 0     7 2 0
#12 Minnesota 4 1 2     6 1 2
#9 Michigan State 4 2 0     7 2 0
#15 Ohio State 4 2 0     6 3 0
Northwestern 3 3 1     4 4 1
Purdue 1 4 2     3 4 2
Illinois 1 4 2     2 5 2
Wisconsin 0 4 3     1 5 3
Indiana 1 5 0     3 6 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
Week 1: UCLA at Michigan
1 2 3 4 Total
UCLA 0 0 7 6 13
Michigan 14 14 7 7 42

The 1956 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1956 Big Ten Conference football season. In their ninth year under head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines compiled a 7-2 record (5-2 Big Ten), outscored opponents 233 to 123, and finished the season in second place in the Big Ten Conference and ranked #7 in the final 1956 AP poll. The team played five of its nine games against ranked opponents, losing to #2 Michigan State by a 9-0 score and #15 Minnesota by a 20-7 score, but defeating #15 Army by a 48-14 score, #7 Iowa by a 17-14 score, and #12 Ohio State by a 19-0 score.

End Ron Kramer was selected as a consensus All-American and a first team All-Big Ten player. Guard Dick Hill was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player and was named by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team All-Big Ten player. Halfback Terry Barr averaged 6.1 yards per carry rushing and 19.7 yards per punt return and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player by the United Press (UP).

On September 29, 1956, Michigan opened its season with a 42–13 victory over UCLA. The Bruins were ranked #4 in the final AP Poll in 1955, but lost a number of players due to sanctions imposed by the Pacific Coast Conference. Michigan rushed for 234 yards against UCLA, including 67 yards by junior halfback Jim Pace. In the air, Michigan completed four of nine passes for 103 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bob Ptacek to Jim Van Pelt and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Terry Barr to Ron Kramer. Barr also set up a touchdown with a 51-yard punt return to the UCLA 15-yard line in the first quarter. Halfback John Herrnstein scored two touchdowns for Michigan on runs of six and four yards. Ed Shannon and Jim Dickey also scored touchdowns for Michigan. Kramer and Maddock each kicked three extra points for Michigan.


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