American college football season
The 1953 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1953 college football season . Led by first-year head coach Woody Woodard , the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the SWC. SMU played home games at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas . Jack Gunlock and Jerry Clem were the team captains.
Schedule
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source October 3 at No. 9 Georgia Tech * L 4–637,000 [ 1]
October 9 Missouri * W 20–735,000 [ 2]
October 17 No. 11 Rice W 12–750,000 [ 3]
October 24 at Kansas * No. 13 W 14–629,000 [ 4]
October 31 Texas No. 11 L 7–1651,000 [ 5]
November 7 at Texas A&M W 23–020,000 [ 6]
November 14 Arkansas W 13–726,500 [ 7]
November 21 at Baylor L 21–2730,000 [ 8]
November 28 at TCU L 0–1327,000 [ 9]
December 5 at No. 2 Notre Dame * L 14–4055,522 [ 10]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 11] [ 12]
Personnel
References
^ "Georgia Tech squeezes pat SMU Mustangs, 6–4" . The Brownsville Herald . October 4, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Mustangs trim Missouri, 20–7" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . October 11, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Ponies nudge Owls, 12 to 7" . The Marshall News Messenger . October 18, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "SMU uses breaks to defeat Kansas" . The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph . October 25, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Texas defeats fumbling SMU, 16–7, with second-half scoring outburst" . The Lexington Herald . November 1, 1953. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Mustangs maul Ags in mud, 23–0" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . November 8, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Nutt leads Mustangs over determined Arkansas, 13–7" . The Victoria Advocate . November 15, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Baylor comeback drops Ponies from SWC race" . The Victoria Advocate . November 22, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Frogs arise from cellar to swat Mustangs, 13–0" . The Bryan Daily Eagle . November 29, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Angry Irish punish S.M.U." The Des Moines Register . December 6, 1953. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1953 SMU Mustangs Schedule and Results" . Sports Reference . Retrieved December 24, 2022 .
^ "2022 Football Media Guide" (PDF) . SMU Athletics. p. 99. Retrieved December 24, 2022 .
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