# 1953 college football season

The 1953 college football season was marked by the NCAA Rules Committee's revocation of the two-platoon system and unlimited substitution rules in favor of the historic one-platoon system with its highly restrictive substitution rules. This radical rules shift made the 1953 season "The Year of the Great Adjustment," in the words of sportswriter Tommy Devine of the Detroit Free Press, in which teams scrambled to tighten their rosters and alter their strategies in accord with the more traditional "iron man" game.
The season finished with four teams selected as national champions:
* Maryland finished the regular season undefeated (10–0) and was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press (AP), United Press (UP) coaches, and International News Service polls (all released before the bowl games were played). The Terrapins then lost to No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
* Notre Dame compiled a 9–0–1 record (including victories over Oklahoma and Georgia Tech) and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP and UP polls. The Irish have been recognized as the national champion by 11 official selectors. Notre Dame's Johnny Lattner won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award as the best player in college football. Notre Dame does not recognize this title due to its policy of only recognizing AP or Coaches Poll titles during the polling era (1936–present).
* Oklahoma compiled a 9–1–1, including a victory over No. 1 Maryland in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners were ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll but have but have been recognized as national champion by Berryman (QPRS) and College Football Researchers Association.
* Prairie View compiled a perfect 12–0 record, outscored opponents by a total of 387 to 88, and was recognized as the black college national champion.
The Cincinnati Bearcats, under head coach Sid Gilman, compiled a 9–1 record and led the country in both total offense (409.5 yards per game) and total defense (184.3 yards per game).
Small college teams compiling perfect records included Juniata (three consecutive undefeated seasons), Peru State (part of 26-game winning streak), and Shippensburg (consecutive perfect seasons).
Individual statistical leaders in major college football included Paul Larson of California with 1,572 yards of total offense; Bobby Garrett of Stanford with 1,637 passing yards; J. C. Caroline of Illinois with 1,256 rushing yards; Johnny Carson of Georgia with 663 receiving yards; and Earl Lindley of Utah State with 81 points scored.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

* Three conferences began play in 1953:
** Atlantic Coast Conference – an active NCAA Division I FBS conference; formed by seven former members of the Southern Conference with an eighth member, Virginia added in December 1953
** Eastern Intercollegiate Conference – active through the 1959 season
** Prairie College Conference – active through the 1967 season
* One conference changed its name in 1953:
** With the addition of independent Michigan State, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives (commonly the Big Nine Conference) once again became the Big Ten Conference (the league had 10 members before Chicago's departure in 1946). The Big Ten name was not officially adopted until 1987.

### Membership changes

| School | 1952 Conference | 1953 Conference |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | MAC | Independent |
| Clemson Tigers | SoCon | ACC |
| Duke Blue Devils | SoCon | ACC |
| Erskine Flying Fleet | Independent | Dropped Program |
| Evansville Purple Aces | Ohio Valley | Indiana Collegiate Conference |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | Independent | MAC |
| Maryland Terrapins | SoCon | ACC |
| Michigan State Spartans | Independent | Big Ten (was Big Nine) |
| Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders | VSAC | Ohio Valley |
| NYU Violets | Independent | Dropped Program |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | SoCon | ACC |
| NC State Wolfpack | SoCon | ACC |
| Santa Clara Broncos | Independent | Dropped Program |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | SoCon | ACC |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | SoCon | ACC |

## September

In the preseason poll released on September 14, 1953, Notre Dame was rated first, followed by the defending champion, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Alabama. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games.
In a Friday night game at Los Angeles, No. 4 UCLA beat Oregon State 41–0. Meanwhile, at Montgomery, AL, No. 5 Alabama was shocked by Southern Mississippi, 25–19. The next day, September 19 No. 3 Georgia Tech beat Davidson, 53–0. Notre Dame and Michigan State began their seasons the following week.
On September 26 No. 1 Notre Dame won 28–21 at No. 6 Oklahoma. No. 2 Michigan State won at Iowa, 21–7. No. 3 Georgia Tech went to No. 15 Florida and was held to a 0–0 tie. No. 4 UCLA beat Kansas 19–7. Still at No. 5, Alabama, trying to salvage some respect against a second unranked opponent, went to 0–1–1 after a 7–7 tie against LSU in Mobile; in the poll that followed, the Crimson Tide fell completely out of the Top 20. No. 9 Maryland, which had won 52–0 at Washington and Lee, rose to third, and previously unranked Michigan (a 50–0 victor over Washington), entered the poll at fourth. The top five were No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Michigan, and No. 5 UCLA.

## October

October 3 With the exception of No. 4 Michigan, which beat Tulane 26–7 at home, the other top teams won on the road: No. 1 Notre Dame at Purdue, 37–7, No. 2 Michigan State at Minnesota 21–0, No. 3 Maryland at Clemson, 20–0, and No. 5 UCLA defeated Oregon 12–0 in an away game. No. 6 Ohio State, which won 33–19 at California, rose to third in the next poll, knocking UCLA down to sixth. The Big Ten had three of the spots in the top five: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 5 Michigan.
October 10 No. 1 Notre Dame was idle, but stayed at No. 1 after No. 2 Michigan State's 26–19 win over TCU. No. 4 Maryland won 40–13 over Georgia and No. 5 Michigan edged Iowa 14–13. The night before, No. 3 Ohio State had lost 40–21 to Illinois, while No. 6 UCLA returned to the top bracket with a 13–0 win over visiting Wisconsin. The next poll: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Michigan.
October 17 No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 15 Pittsburgh 23–14. No. 2 Michigan State defeated Indiana 47–18. No. 3 Maryland won 26–0 at North Carolina. No. 4 UCLA lost at Stanford, 21–20. No. 5 Michigan beat Northwestern 20–12. No. 6 Georgia Tech, which beat Auburn 36–6, took UCLA's place in the next poll: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Georgia Tech, and No. 5 Michigan.
October 24 No. 1 Notre Dame stayed unbeaten with a 27–14 win over No. 4 Georgia Tech. No. 2 Michigan State lost 6–0 at Purdue and No. 5 Michigan lost at Minnesota 22–0. No. 3 Maryland won a Friday game at Miami, 30–0. Coming into the Top Five were No. 6 Baylor (14–13 over No. 15 Texas A&M), No. 7 Illinois (20–13 over Syracuse), and No. 8 West Virginia (52–20 over VMI). The next poll: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Baylor, No. 4 Illinois, and No. 5 West Virginia.
October 31 No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 20 Navy 38–7. No. 2 Maryland beat South Carolina 24–6. No. 3 Baylor beat TCU 25–7. No. 4 Illinois defeated Purdue 21–0. No. 5 West Virginia won at Penn State 20–19. No. 6 Michigan State, which beat Oregon State 34–6, rose to fifth. The next poll: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3.Baylor, No. 4 Illinois, and No. 5 Michigan State.

## November

November 7 No. 1 Notre Dame won 28–20 at Penn. No. 2 Maryland beat George Washington University 27–6 at a game in Washington, DC. No. 3 Baylor lost at No. 19 Texas, 21–20. No. 4 Illinois beat No. 17 Michigan 9–3. No. 5 Michigan State won 28–13 at No. 16 Ohio State, and No. 6 Georgia Tech beat Clemson 20–7. The next poll featured No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 Michigan State, and No. 5 Georgia Tech.
November 14 No. 1 Notre Dame won at North Carolina, 34–14, and No. 2 Maryland beat No. 11 Mississippi 38–0 as both stayed unbeaten and untied. No. 4 Michigan State beat Michigan 14–6. On the other hand, No. 3 Illinois lost to Wisconsin, 34–7 and No. 5 Georgia Tech fell 13–6 to Alabama in a game at Birmingham. Returning to the Top Five to take their place were No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 UCLA, which had defeated Iowa State (47–0) and Washington (22–6), respectively. The next ranking was No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 5 UCLA.
November 21 Number one since the season began, No. 1 Notre Dame played to a 14–14 tie with No. 20 Iowa in a controversial game where Notre Dame's players were accused of faking injuries to stop the clock and gain time for a final touchdown. No. 2 Maryland closed its season with a 21–0 win over No. 11 Alabama to finish the season unbeaten and untied at 10–0–0. No. 3 Michigan State closed with a 21–15 win over Marquette. No. 4 Oklahoma beat Nebraska 30–7, and No. 5 UCLA beat No. 9 USC, 13–0. The next poll featured No. 1 Maryland, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 5 UCLA.
November 28 The new No. 1, Maryland had already finished its season. No. 2 Notre Dame, with a 48–14 win at No. 20 USC, and No. 4 Oklahoma (42–7 over Oklahoma A&M) were the only Top Five members who hadn't closed their seasons.
November 30 The final AP Poll ranked Maryland, the only unbeaten and untied team, No. 1 with 187 first place votes. Unbeaten, once-tied, and one-game-left-to-play No. 2 Notre Dame received 141 votes.
December 5 Notre Dame beat visiting SMU 40–14. No additional AP Poll was taken because there were few other games played this Saturday.
ACC member Maryland would accept a bid to the Orange Bowl to meet once-beaten (8–1–1), Big 7 champ, and No. 4 Oklahoma, while No. 3 Michigan State and No. 5 UCLA would meet in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame declined to participate in a postseason game.

## Postseason

After the AP national champion Maryland lost in the Orange Bowl, there was a lot of controversy since the AP Poll had been finalized beforehand and could not be changed to take this result into account. This Maryland loss resulted in Notre Dame being ranked No. 1 by 10 polls, including Billingsley , Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, National Championship Foundation, Williamson, and several others. As a reward for beating the Terrapins, the Sooners received No. 1 from Berryman and Football Research. Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine

## Conference standings
### Major conference standings

1953 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings :
| 1953 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Maryland + 3 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 18 Duke + 4 –0 –07 –2 –1 South Carolina 2 –3 –07 –3 –0 North Carolina 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Wake Forest 2 –3 –03 –6 –1 Clemson 1 –2 –03 –5 –1 NC State 0 –3 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from AP poll | 1953 Big Seven Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Oklahoma $ 6 –0 –09 –1 –1 Missouri 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Kansas State 4 –2 –06 –3 –1 Colorado 2 –4 –06 –4 –0 Nebraska 2 –4 –03 –6 –1 Kansas 2 –4 –02 –8 –0 Iowa State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1953 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Michigan State + 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 7 Illinois + 5 –1 –07 –1 –1 No. 15 Wisconsin 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 Ohio State 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 No. 20 Michigan 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 No. 9 Iowa 3 –3 –05 –3 –1 Purdue 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Indiana 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Northwestern 0 –6 –03 –6 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from AP Poll |
| 1953 Border Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Texas Tech $ 5 –0 –011 –1 –0 Hardin–Simmons 4 –1 –06 –5 –0 Texas Western 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Arizona 3 –2 –04 –5 –1 Arizona State 1 –3 –04 –5 –1 New Mexico A&M 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 West Texas State 0 –6 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1953 Mid-American Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Ohio $ 5 –0 –16 –2 –1 Miami (OH) 3 –0 –17 –1 –1 Kent State 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 Toledo 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Western Reserve 1 –2 –15 –3 –1 Western Michigan 0 –4 –11 –6 –1 Bowling Green 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Middle Three Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Rutgers $ 1 –0 –02 –6 –0 Lafayette 1 –1 –05 –4 –0 Lehigh 0 –1 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Pacific Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 UCLA $ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 19 Stanford 5 –1 –16 –3 –1 USC 4 –2 –16 –3 –1 California 2 –2 –24 –4 –2 Washington State 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Oregon State 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Washington 2 –4 –13 –6 –1 Oregon 2 –5 –14 –5 –1 Idaho 0 –3 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1953 Skyline Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Utah $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Utah State 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 Wyoming 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 New Mexico 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Colorado A&M 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Montana 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Denver 1 –5 –13 –5 –2 BYU 1 –5 –12 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Alabama $ 4 –0 –36 –3 –3 No. 8 Georgia Tech 4 –1 –19 –2 –1 No. 16 Kentucky 4 –1 –17 –2 –1 Ole Miss 4 –1 –17 –2 –1 No. 17 Auburn 4 –2 –17 –3 –1 Mississippi State 3 –1 –35 –2 –3 Tennessee 3 –2 –16 –4 –1 LSU 2 –3 –35 –3 –3 Florida 1 –3 –23 –5 –2 Vanderbilt 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Georgia 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 Tulane 0 –7 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |
| 1953 Southern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 West Virginia $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0 Furman 2 –0 –07 –2 –0 George Washington 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 William & Mary 3 –2 –05 –4 –1 Richmond 3 –3 –05 –3 –1 VPI 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 VMI 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Washington and Lee 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 The Citadel 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Davidson 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1953 Southwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Rice + 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 11 Texas + 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Baylor 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 SMU 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Arkansas 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Texas A&M 1 –5 –04 –5 –1 TCU 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from AP Poll |

### Independents

1953 Eastern college football independents records :
| 1953 Eastern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Westminster (PA)   –  8 –0 –0 Juniata   –  7 –0 –0 No. 14 Army   –  7 –1 –1 Harvard   –  6 –2 –0 Franklin & Marshall   –  5 –2 –0 Hofstra   –  6 –3 –0 Penn State   –  6 –3 –0 Yale   –  5 –2 –2 Carnegie Tech   –  5 –3 –0 Boston College   –  5 –3 –1 Boston University   –  5 –3 –1 Syracuse   –  5 –3 –1 Princeton   –  5 –4 –0 Tufts   –  4 –3 –0 Cornell   –  4 –3 –2 Holy Cross   –  5 –5 –0 Temple   –  4 –4 –1 Colgate   –  3 –4 –2 Columbia   –  4 –5 –0 Fordham   –  4 –5 –0 Villanova   –  4 –6 –0 Drexel   –  2 –3 –1 Brown   –  3 –5 –1 Penn   –  3 –5 –1 Pittsburgh   –  3 –5 –1 Dartmouth   –  2 –7 –0 Buffalo   –  1 –5 –1 Bucknell   –  1 –8 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1953 Midwestern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Notre Dame   –  9 –0 –1 Cincinnati   –  9 –1 –0 Carthage   –  8 –1 –0 Youngstown   –  7 –1 –0 John Carroll   –  7 –2 –0 Washington University   –  7 –2 –0 Rose Poly   –  6 –2 –0 Wabash   –  6 –2 –1 Marquette   –  6 –3 –1 Baldwin–Wallace   –  4 –4 –0 Drake   –  4 –4 –0 Wayne   –  3 –4 –1 Dayton   –  3 –5 –1 Xavier   –  2 –7 –1 Rankings from AP Poll | 1953 Southern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Arkansas State   –  8 –0 –2 Delaware   –  7 –1 –0 Maryland State   –  7 –1 –0 Mississippi Southern   –  9 –2 –0 Navy   –  4 –3 –2 Memphis State   –  6 –4 –0 Florida State   –  5 –5 –0 Tampa   –  6 –6 –0 Miami (FL)   –  4 –5 –0 Sewanee   –  3 –5 –0 Marshall   –  2 –5 –2 Chattanooga   –  3 –7 –0 Louisville   –  1 –7 –0 Virginia   –  1 –8 –0 |
| 1953 Western college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pacific (CA)   –  4 –4 –2 San Jose State   –  4 –4 –1 Hawaii   –  5 –6 –0 Nevada   –  2 –3 –0 La Verne   –  3 –7 –0 Cal Poly San Dimas   –  2 –6 –0 |

### Minor conferences

| Conference | Champion(s) | Record |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo | 5–0 |
| Central Church College Conference | Dana | 3–1 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | North Carolina College | 5–1 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Saint Benedict's Washburn | 4–1 |
| College Conference of Illinois | Wheaton (IL) | 4–0 |
| Evergreen Conference | Puget Sound Whitworth | 5–1 |
| Far Western Conference | Chico State College | 1–0–1 |
| Frontier Conference | Carroll (MT) | 4–0 |
| Gulf Coast Conference | Trinity (TX) | 2–0 |
| Indiana Collegiate Conference | Butler | 5–0 |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Iowa Wesleyan | 4–0 |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | College of Emporia | 7–0 |
| Lone Star Conference | East Texas State Teachers | 5–0 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Hope | 5–1 |
| Mid-American Conference | Ohio | 5–0–1 |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Saint Olaf | 6–0 |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Gustavus Adolphus | 6–0 |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Northeast Missouri State | 5–0 |
| Nebraska College Conference | Peru State Teachers | 6–0 |
| New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference | Panhandle A&M | 6–0 |
| North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | South Dakota State College | 5–0–1 |
| North Dakota College Athletic Conference | Valley City State | 6–0 |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Ohio Wesleyan | 7–0 |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Tennessee Tech | 5–0 |
| Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference | Northeastern State College (OK) | 4–0–1 |
| Oregon Collegiate Conference | Unknown | — |
| Pacific Northwest Conference | College of Idaho | 5–0 |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | Shippensburg State Teachers West Chester State Teachers | 6–0 4–0 |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | Idaho State College | 5–0 |
| South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference | Northern State Teachers | 6–0 |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Pomona-Pitzer | 3–1 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Florida A&M | 6–0 |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Prairie View A&M College | 6–0 |
| State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota | St. Cloud State Teachers | 4–0 |
| Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Abilene Christian McMurry (TX) Texas A&I College | 3–1 |
| Wisconsin State College Conference | Wisconsin State–La Crosse Wisconsin State–Platteville | 5–0 4–0 |

### Minor conference standings

1953 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1953 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Cal Poly $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 San Diego State 3 –1 –15 –3 –1 Fresno State 2 –2 –14 –4 –2 Pepperdine 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Santa Barbara 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Los Angeles State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Central Church College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Dana $ 3 –1 –04 –3 –1 Concordia (NE) 2 –1 –17 –1 –1 Tarkio 0 –3 –12 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 North Carolina College $ 5 –1 –05 –3 –0 No. 9 Morgan State 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 North Carolina A&T 5 –1 –07 –1 –1 Johnson C. Smith 5 –2 –05 –3 –0 No. 8 Virginia State 5 –2 –15 –3 –1 No. 11 West Virginia State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Hampton 5 –3 –06 –3 –1 Howard 3 –5 –03 –5 –1 Shaw 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 St. Augustine's 2 –4 –03 –4 –1 Virginia Union 2 –4 –15 –4 –1 Lincoln (PA) 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Winston-Salem State 2 –4 –03 –5 –1 Delaware State 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Bluefield State 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 1 –4 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from Pittsburgh Courier |
| 1953 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Washburn + 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 St. Benedict's + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Pittsburg State 2 –2 –16 –3 –1 Fort Hays State 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Emporia State 2 –3 –02 –5 –1 Southwestern (KS) 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1953 College Conference of Illinois football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Wheaton (IL) $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Lake Forest 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Augustana (IL) 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Millikin 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 North Central (IL) 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 1 –3 –11 –7 –1 Elmhurst 1 –3 –03 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Puget Sound + 5 –1 –07 –1 –0 Whitworth + 5 –1 –07 –1 –0 Eastern Washington 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 Pacific Lutheran 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Western Washington 2 –4 –03 –4 –2 Central Washington 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 UBC 0 –6 –0 ? – ? – ? + – Conference co-champions |
| 1953 Far Western Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Chico State $ 4 –0 –16 –3 –1 Humboldt State 2 –1 –06 –2 –0 Cal Aggies 1 –2 –11 –6 –1 San Francisco State 0 –1 –05 –3 –0 Southern Oregon 0 –3 –03 –4 –0 $ – Conference championConference records includes both Chico State vs. Cal Aggies games | 1953 Hoosier Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Indiana Central $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Earlham 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 Hanover 4 –2 –04 –4 –1 Anderson (IN) 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Taylor 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Franklin (IN) 1 –5 –01 –7 –0 Manchester (IN) 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Gulf Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Trinity (TX) $ 2 –0 –08 –1 –0 North Texas State 1 –1 –03 –6 –1 Midwestern (TX) 0 –2 –02 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Gulf States Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northwestern State + 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Louisiana Tech + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Southeastern Louisiana + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Southwestern Louisiana 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 McNeese State 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Louisiana College 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Northeast Louisiana State 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1953 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Butler $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –0 Valparaiso 3 –2 –05 –2 –1 Ball State 3 –2 –05 –2 –1 Indiana State 2 –3 –05 –3 –0 Evansville 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 DePauw 0 –0 –00 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Central Michigan $ 5 –0 –17 –1 –1 Western Illinois 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Michigan State Normal 4 –1 –17 –1 –1 Illinois State Normal 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Southern Illinois 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Northern Illinois State 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Eastern Illinois 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Iowa Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Wartburg xy 3 –0 –04 –5 –0 Luther 2 –1 –05 –3 –0 Upper Iowa 1 –2 –03 –4 –0 Buena Vista 0 –3 –02 –6 –1 Southern Division Iowa Wesleyan xy$ 4 –0 –09 –1 –0 Central (IA) 3 –1 –04 –3 –1 Dubuque 2 –2 –04 –3 –0 Parsons 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Simpson (IA) 0 –4 –00 –8 –0 Championship: Iowa Wesleyan 33, Wartburg 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1953 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T College of Emporia $ 7 –0 –08 –0 –0 McPherson 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Bethany (KS) 4 –3 –04 –4 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –3 –13 –5 –1 Baker 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Friends 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Ottawa 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Bethel (KS) 0 –6 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T East Texas State $ 5 –0 –010 –0 –1 Sam Houston State 4 –1 –09 –1 –0 Southwest Texas State 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Lamar Tech 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Sul Ross 1 –4 –04 –7 –0 Stephen F. Austin 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Hampden–Sydney $ 3 –0 –15 –1 –1 Western Maryland 2 –0 –14 –3 –1 Randolph–Macon 2 –2 –03 –4 –2 Bridgewater 1 –2 –03 –3 –0 Gallaudet 0 –1 –02 –2 –0 Johns Hopkins 0 –3 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference championConference standings were based on the Dickinson Scoring System. | 1953 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Albion 4 –1 –15 –2 –1 Alma 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Hillsdale 3 –1 –24 –2 –2 Olivet 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Adrian 1 –4 –12 –5 –1 Kalamazoo 0 –6 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Mid-Ohio League football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Defiance $ 4 –0 –08 –0 –0 Findlay 2 –2 –03 –4 –0 Bluffton 2 –2 –03 –4 –0 Ohio Northern 1 –3 –01 –7 –1 Ashland 1 –3 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Midwest Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Lincoln (MO) + 4 –0 –18 –0 –1 No. 3 Tennessee A&I + 2 –0 –18 –0 –1 No. 12 Grambling 2 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 10 Texas Southern 2 –1 –07 –3 –0 Kentucky State 1 –3 –06 –4 –0 Central State (OH) 0 –3 –01 –5 –0 Jackson 0 –3 –05 –4 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from Pittsburgh Courier | 1953 Midwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T St. Olaf $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Coe 5 –0 –15 –2 –1 Lawrence 5 –1 –16 –1 –1 Grinnell 4 –3 –04 –4 –0 Monmouth (IL) 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Carleton 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Knox 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Ripon 1 –5 –01 –6 –0 Cornell (IA) 0 –7 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus + 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Saint John's (MN) + 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Concordia (MN) 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Macalester 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 3 –3 –03 –4 –0 Hamline 3 –3 –04 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Augsburg 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 Saint Mary's (MN) 0 –6 –00 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1953 Minnesota Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T St. Cloud State $ 4 –0 –06 –1 –0 Moorhead State 2 –2 –05 –3 –0 Winona State 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Bemidji State 1 –3 –01 –6 –0 Mankato State 1 –3 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T William Jewell $ 4 –0 –09 –1 –0 Missouri Valley 3 –1 –07 –1 –1 Tarkio 2 –2 –02 –5 –1 Central (MO) 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Culver–Stockton 0 –4 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T NE Missouri State $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –0 SW Missouri State 3 –2 –03 –6 –0 NW Missouri State 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Missouri–Rolla 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 SE Missouri State 1 –2 –24 –3 –2 Central Missouri State 0 –4 –10 –7 –2 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Missouri Valley Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Oklahoma A&M + 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Detroit + 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 Wichita 1 –2 –04 –4 –1 Houston 1 –2 –04 –4 –1 Tulsa 1 –3 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1953 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Carroll (MT) $ 4 –0 –05 –2 –1 Rocky Mountain 3 –1 –0 ? – ? – ? Eastern Montana 1 –2 –12 –3 –1 Montana Mines 1 –2 –1 ? – ? – ? Western Montana 0 –4 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion | 1953 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Peru State $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Wayne State (NE) 4 –2 –15 –3 –1 Kearney State 3 –2 –13 –5 –1 Doane 3 –2 –24 –3 –2 Midland 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Hastings 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Nebraska Wesleyan 1 –4 –22 –4 –3 Chadron State 0 –7 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 New Mexico Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Panhandle A&M $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –1 New Mexico Military 4 –2 –04 –3 –0 Arizona State–Flagstaff 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Eastern New Mexico 3 –3 –04 –7 –0 Adams State 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 New Mexico Western 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 New Mexico Highlands 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 North Central Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T South Dakota State $ 5 –0 –15 –3 –1 Iowa State Teachers 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 North Dakota 4 –1 –16 –1 –1 Morningside 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 North Dakota State 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 South Dakota 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Augustana (SD) 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Valley City State $ 6 –0 –07 –2 –0 Minot State 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Wahpeton Science 4 –2 –05 –2 –0 Mayville State 4 –2 –04 –2 –0 Jamestown 3 –3 –03 –4 –0 Bismarck JC 2 –4 –02 –4 –0 Dickinson State 2 –4 –02 –5 –0 Ellendale 1 –5 –01 –6 –0 Bottineau 0 –6 –00 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 North State Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T East Carolina $ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Catawba 4 –1 –14 –5 –1 Appalachian State 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Guilford 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Elon 1 –4 –11 –6 –1 Western Carolina 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Northwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T College of Idaho $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Linfield 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Willamette 2 –2 –12 –5 –1 Whitman 2 –3 –04 –3 –0 Lewis & Clark 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Pacific (OR) 0 –4 –12 –4 –2 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Ohio Wesleyan $ 7 –0 –08 –0 –1 Heidelberg 4 –1 –17 –1 –1 Otterbein 5 –2 –05 –3 –0 Denison 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Akron 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Capital 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Wooster 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Muskingum 3 –3 –13 –4 –1 Mount Union 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Wittenberg 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Kenyon 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 Oberlin 0 –5 –01 –6 –1 Hiram 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 Marietta 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Tennessee Tech $ 5 –0 –07 –4 –0 Eastern Kentucky 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Middle Tennessee 3 –2 –07 –4 –0 Western Kentucky 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Murray State 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Morehead State 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northeastern State $ 4 –0 –17 –1 –1 SE Oklahoma State 3 –1 –13 –4 –1 Central State (OK) 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 East Central 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 SW Oklahoma State 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 NW Oklahoma State 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 Oregon Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Oregon College $ 3 –0 –04 –4 –0 Portland State 2 –1 –05 –2 –0 Oregon Tech 1 –2 –02 –5 –1 Eastern Oregon 0 –3 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T West Chester $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0 Shippensburg 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Bloomsburg 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Clarion 3 –1 –04 –3 –1 Indiana (PA) 3 –2 –04 –4 –0 East Stroudsburg 2 –2 –03 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 1 –2 –14 –3 –1 California (PA) 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Mansfield 2 –3 –02 –5 –0 Cheyney 1 –3 –01 –6 –0 Lock Haven 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 Edinboro 1 –3 –13 –5 –1 Kutztown 2 –4 –01 –5 –2 Millersville 0 –6 –00 –6 –0 $ – Conference championConference standings were based on the Saylor system of ratings. | 1953 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Idaho State $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –0 Montana State 4 –1 –04 –4 –0 Western State (CO) 2 –2 –15 –2 –1 Colorado College 1 –2 –22 –4 –2 Colorado Mines 1 –3 –13 –4 –1 Colorado State–Greeley 0 –5 –02 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northern State $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Huron 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern State (SD) 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 South Dakota Mines 4 –2 –04 –4 –1 Dakota Wesleyan 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Yankton 3 –4 –03 –5 –0 Sioux Falls 1 –4 –02 –5 –0 Black Hills 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 General Beadle 0 –5 –00 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pomona-Claremont + 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 Occidental + 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Whittier 2 –2 –06 –3 –1 Redlands 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Caltech 0 –4 –00 –7 –0 + – Conference co-championsCaltech played Pomona-Claremont and Redlands each two times; each game counted as one-half in the standings. | 1953 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Prairie View A&M $ 6 –0 –012 –0 –0 No. 6 Southern 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Texas College 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Arkansas AM&N 2 –3 –13 –5 –2 Langston 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Bishop 1 –4 –12 –6 –1 Wiley 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from Pittsburgh Courier | 1953 Texas Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T McMurry + 3 –1 –08 –1 –1 Abilene Christian + 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Texas A&I + 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 Howard Payne 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Austin 0 –4 –05 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1953 Virginia Little Six Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Hampden–Sydney $ 3 –0 –05 –1 –1 Emory and Henry 1 –1 –06 –5 –0 Randolph–Macon 1 –2 –03 –4 –2 Bridgewater 0 –2 –03 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1953 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Morris Harvey $ 4 –0 –06 –4 –1 [[{{{school}}}|West Liberty State]] 6 –1 –06 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Fairmont State]] 4 –2 –05 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Concord]] 4 –2 –04 –3 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Potomac State]] 3 –4 –03 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Glenville State]] 3 –4 –03 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|West Virginia Tech]] 1 –3 –01 –7 –0 [[{{{school}}}|West Virginia Wesleyan]] 1 –4 –01 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Salem]] 0 –7 –00 –8 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Bethany (WV)]] * 1 –0 –03 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Shepherd]] * 1 –1 –02 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion * – Did not qualify for conference standings Conference standings based on power ratings | 1953 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T [[{{{school}}}|La Crosse State]] + 5 –0 –09 –0 –1 Platteville State + 4 –0 –06 –0 –0 [[{{{school}}}|River Falls State]] 3 –1 –05 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]] 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]] 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]] 2 –3 –02 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]] 2 –3 –02 –6 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Superior State]] 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stout Institute]] 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]] 0 –5 –00 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1953 Yankee Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T New Hampshire + 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Rhode Island + 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Connecticut 2 –1 –13 –4 –1 Maine 1 –2 –14 –2 –1 Vermont 0 –1 –03 –3 –1 UMass 0 –3 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |

## Bowl games
### Major bowls

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Cotton Bowl | No. 6 Rice | 28 | No. 13 Alabama | 6 |
| Orange Bowl | No. 4 Oklahoma | 7 | No. 1 Maryland | 0 |
| Rose Bowl | No. 3 Michigan State | 28 | No. 5 UCLA Bruins | 20 |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 8 Georgia Tech | 42 | No. 10 West Virginia | 19 |

### Other bowls

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Gator Bowl | No. 12 Texas Tech' | 35 | No. 17 Auburn | 13 |
| Sun Bowl | Texas Western | 37 | Mississippi Southern | 14 |
| Tangerine Bowl | Arkansas State | 7 | East Texas State | 7 |

## Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
| Johnny Lattner | Notre Dame | HB | 384 | 283 | 132 | 1,850 |
| Paul Giel | Minnesota | HB | 366 | 295 | 106 | 1,794 |
| Paul Cameron | UCLA | HB | 44 | 89 | 134 | 444 |
| Bernie Faloney | Maryland | QB | 46 | 34 | 52 | 258 |
| Bobby Garrett | Stanford | QB | 32 | 43 | 49 | 231 |
| Alan Ameche | Wisconsin | FB | 25 | 38 | 60 | 211 |
| J. C. Caroline | Illinois | HB | 15 | 37 | 74 | 193 |
| J. D. Roberts | Oklahoma | G | 6 | 21 | 48 | 108 |
| Lamar McHan | Arkansas | QB | 15 | 12 | 9 | 78 |
| Steve Meilinger | Kentucky | E | 12 | 10 | 9 | 65 |
Source:

## Statistical leaders
### Individual
#### Total offense

The following players were the individual leaders in total offense among major college football players during the 1953 season: 1. Paul Larson, California, 1,572 yards 2. Lamar McHan, Arkansas, 1,516 yards 3. Joe Mastrogiovanni, Wyoming, 1,514 yards 4. Bobby Garrett, Stanford, 1,502 yards 5. Zeke Bratkowski, Georgia, 1,416 yards 6. Paul Giel, Minnesota, 1,339 yards 7. Richard "Iron Man" Carr, Columbia, 1,262 yards 8. J. C. Caroline, Illinois, 1,256 yards 9. Sandy Lederman, Washington, 1,133 yards 10. Don Ellis, Texas A&M, 1,128 yards

#### Passing

The following players were the individual leaders in pass completions among major college football players during the 1953 season: 1. Bobby Garrett, Stanford, 118 of 205 (57.6%), 1,637 yards, 10 interceptions, 17 touchdowns 2. Zeke Bratkowski, Georgia, 113 of 224 (50.4%), 1,461 yards, 23 interceptions, 6 touchdowns 3. Sandy Lederman, Washington, 92 of 189 (48.7%), 1,157 yards, 14 interceptions, 8 touchdowns 4. Paul Larson, California, 85 of 171 (49.7%), 1,431 yards, 16 interceptions, 6 touchdowns 5. Tony Rados,Penn State, 81 of 171 (47.4%), 1,025 yards, 12 interceptions, 8 touchdowns 6. Don Rydalch, Utah, 78 of 128 (60.9%), 980 yards, 8 interceptions, 7 touchdowns 7. Lamar McHan, Arkansas, 78 of 150 (52.0%), 1,107 yards, 11 interceptions, 8 touchdowns 8. Richard "Iron Man" Carr, Columbia, 77 of 191 (40.3%), 1,367 yards, 18 interceptions, 13 touchdowns 9. Don Ellis, Texas A&M, 76 of 171 (44.4%), 950 yards, 14 interceptions, 4 touchdowns 10. Dick Thomas, Northwestern, 74 of 145 (51.0%), 933 yards, 7 interceptions, 5 touchdowns 10. Cotton Davidson, Baylor, 74 of 156 (47.4%), 1,092 yards, 16 interceptions, 9 touchdowns

#### Rushing

The following players were the individual leaders in rushing yards among major college football players during the 1953 season: 1. J. C. Caroline, Illinois, 1,256 yards on 194 carries (6.47 average) 2. Kosse Johnson, Rice, 944 yards on 187 carries (5.05 average) 3. Kenny Cardella, Arizona, 915 yards on 148 carries (6.18 average) 4. Bobby Watkins, Ohio State, 875 yards on 153 carries (5.72 average) 5. Neil Worden, Notre Dame, 859 yards on 145 carries (5.92 average) 6. Dicky Moegle, Rice, 833 yards on 114 carries (7.31 average) 7. Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, 801 yards on 165 carries (4.85 average) 8. Larry Grigg, Oklahoma, 792 yards on 130 carries (6.09 average) 9. Bobby Cavazos, Texas Tech, 757 yards on 97 carries (7.80 average) 10. Chet Hanulak, Maryland, 753 yards on 77 carries (9.78 average)

#### Receiving

The following players were the individual leaders in receptions among major college football players during the 1953 season: 1. Johnny Carson, Georgia, 45 receptions, 663 yards, 4 touchdowns 2. Ken Buck, Pacific, 45 receptions, 660 yards, 5 touchdowns 3. Sam Morley, Stanford, 45 receptions, 594 yards, 6 touchdowns 4. John Steinberg, Stanford, 32 receptions, 425 yards, 3 touchdowns 5. Dave McLaughlin, Dartmouth, 31 receptions, 592 yards, 6 touchdowns 6. Floyd Sagely, Arkansas, 30 receptions, 542 yards, 3 touchdowns 6. John Allen, Arizona State, 30 receptions, 505 yards, 8 touchdowns 6. Chet Lyssy, Hardin-Simmons, 30 receptions, 389 yards, 5 touchdowns 6. Jim Garrity, Penn State, 30 receptions, 349 yards, 3 touchdowns 10. Dale Hopp, Columbia, 29 receptions, 437 yards, 4 touchdowns 10. Andy Nacrelli, Fordham, 29 receptions, 428 yards, 3 touchowns

#### Scoring

The following players were the individual leaders in scoring among major college football players during the 1953 season: 1. Earl Lindley, Utah State, 81 points (13 TD, 3 PAT) 2. Bobby Cavazos, Texas Tech, 80 points (13 TD, 2 PAT) 3. Larry Grigg, Oklahoma, 78 points (13 TD) 3. Fred Mahaffey, Denver, 78 points (13 TD) 3. Johnny Mapp, VMI, 78 points (13 TD) 6. Burgmeier, Detroit, 72 points (12 TD) 6. Cameron, UCLA, 72 points (12 TD) 8. Lewis, Texas Tech, 67 points (11 TD, 1 PAT) 8. Joe Mastrogiovanni, 67 points (9 TD, 13 PAT) 10. Bates, Illinois, 66 points (11 TD) 10. Gatewood, Drake, 66 points (11 TD) 10. Talley, California, 66 points (11 TD)

### Team
#### Total offense

The following teams were the leaders in total offense in major college football during the 1953 season: 1. Cincinnati, 409.5 yards per game 2. Notre Dame, 383.9 yards per game 3. West Virginia, 377.6 yards per game 4. Texas Tech, 376.5 yards per game 5. Utah, 375.1 yards per game 6. Maryland, 359.5 yards per game 7. Rice, 358.6 yards per game 8. Illinois, 356.1 yards per game 9. Oklahoma, 352.1 yards per game 10. Army, 348.4 yards per game

#### Total defense

The following teams were the leaders in total defense in major college football during the 1954 season: 1. Cincinnati, 184.3 yards per game 2. UCLA, 188.4 yards per game 3. Maryland, 193.2 yards per game 4. Yale, 194.9 yards per game 5. Syracuse, 196.6 yards per game 6. Oklahoma, 196.9 yards per game 7. Texas Western, 198.6 yards per game 8. Wichita, 198.8 yards per game 9. Detroit, 199.6 yards per game 10. West Virginia, 203.9 yards per game