1956 Big Ten Conference football season

Season overview

Results and team statistics

Preseason

• On December 9, 1955, Purdue head coach Stu Holcomb resigned his position and signed a five-year contract as the athletic director at Northwestern. Four days later, Purdue president Frederick L. Hovde announced that Holcomb's top assistant, Jack Mollenkopf, had been signed to a three-year contract as Purdue's head football coach.
• On December 12, 1955, Stu Holcomb, in his new position as Northwestern's athletic director, fired head coach Lou Saban and his entire staff of assistant coaches. Four days later, Holcomb announced that he had signed Miami head coach Ara Parseghian to a three-year contract as the Wildcats' new head coach. Parseghian had led the 1955 Miami Redskins football team to a perfect 9–0 record.
• Also in December 1955, Wisconsin head coach Ivy Williamson was promoted to athletic director. He appointed Milt Bruhn as the school's new head football coach. Bruhn had been a lineman on Minnesota's undefeated 1934 and 1935 national championship teams and had been Wisconsin's line coach since 1949.

Regular season

September 29

• Michigan State 21, Stanford 7. Michigan State defeated Stanford, 21–7, before a crowd of 55,000 at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. The game was tied at the end of the third quarter, and Michigan State scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Dennis Mendyk rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries.
• Ohio State 34, Nebraska 7. Ohio State defeated Nebraska, 34–7, before a crowd of 82,153 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The crowd was the largest for an opening game in Ohio State history to that point. The Buckeyes rushed for 416 yards in the game. Ohio halfback Don Clark scored two touchdowns on runs of 35 and 38 yards.
• Michigan 42, UCLA 13. Michigan defeated UCLA, 42–13, before a crowd of 67,739 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan took a 28–0 lead at halftime. The loss was the worst suffered by UCLA since 1950. Fullback John Herrnstein and halfback Bob Ptacek made their debuts for Michigan. Herrnstein scored two rushing touchdowns, and Ptacek threw a touchdown pass to Jim Van Pelt. Ron Kramer also scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Terry Barr.
• Iowa 27, Indiana 0. Iowa defeated Indiana, 27–0, before a crowd of 25,000 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, for the first conference game of the 1956 season. Iowa scored two touchdowns in the first quarter off an Indiana fumble and an interception. Iowa rushed for 242 yards to 76 yards for Indiana.
• Minnesota 34, Washington 14. Minnesota defeated Washington, 34–14, before a crowd of 40,000 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Quarterbacks Dick Larson and Bobby Cox led Minnesota on offense. Cox had played for Washington in 1954 threw a touchdown pass to give Minnesota the lead at halftime.
• Northwestern 14, Iowa State 13. Northwestern defeated Iowa State, 14–13, before a crowd of 38,000 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. With six seconds remaining in the game and Iowa State driving deep into Northwestern territory, Chuck Latting fumbled at the seven-yard line.
• Wisconsin 41, Marquette 0. Wisconsin defeated Marquette, 41–0, before a crowd of 52,700 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin totaled 441 rushing yards to 43 for Marquette.
• Purdue 16, Missouri 7. Purdue defeated Missouri, 16–7, before a crowd of 46,455 at Ross–Ade Stadium in Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue halfback Tom Fletcher rushed for 154 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown run. Purdue quarterback Len Dawson completed eight of 17 passes for 118 yards.
• Illinois 32, California 20. Illinois defeated California, 32–20, before a crowd of 54,833 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. The attendance was a Memorial Stadium record for an opening game. California took a 20–0 lead, but Illinois scored four touchdowns in the third quarter over a span of six minutes and 36 seconds. Abe Woodson recovered Ray Nitschke's fumble for Illinois' first touchdown.

  October 6

• Michigan State 9, Michigan 0. Michigan State defeated Michigan, 9–0, before a crowd of 101,001 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Michigan dominated the game in the first half but was unable to score. Michigan State was hampered by an ankle injury to its leading rusher and a passing game that failed to complete a single pass. In the third quarter, the Spartans kicked a field goal after Arch Matsos intercepted a pass at Michigan's 38-yard line. John Matsko, who had not attempted a field goal in high school or in three years of college ball, kicked the field goal. In the fourth quarter, John Herrnstein fumbled at Michigan's 21-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Dennis Mendyk.
• Ohio State 32, Stanford 20. Ohio State defeated Stanford, 32–20. The crowd of 82,881 was the largest to that point to see a game at Ohio Stadium. Stanford quarterback John Brodie completed 21 of 35 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State gained 302 of its 320 yards on the ground. In the fourth quarter, Don Clark ran for a touchdown and threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jim Roseboro to break a 20–20 tie.
• Iowa 14, Oregon State 13. Iowa defeated Oregon State, 14–13, before a crowd of 41,027 at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City. The game matched the same teams that met again in the 1957 Rose Bowl. Oregon State scored on its second play from scrimmage on a 30-yard pass, but the extra point attempt was blocked. Oregon State scored again in the third quarter on a 49-yard run by Paul Lowe and led, 13–0, at the start of the fourth quarter. Iowa threw two touchdown passes in a span of six minutes in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
• Minnesota 21, Purdue 14. Minnesota defeated Purdue, 21–14, before a crowd of 59,314 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Fullback Dick Borstad scored two Minnesota touchdowns on runs of 23 yards and one yard. Purdue quarterback Len Dawson completed seven of 13 passes for 102 yards and three interceptions.
• Tulane 20, Northwestern 13. Tulane defeated Northwestern, 20–13, before a crowd of 32,000 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston. Tulane scored all 20 of its points in a wild second quarter. Northwestern's Bob McKelver rushed for 116 net yards on 12 carries.
• USC 13, Wisconsin 6. USC defeated Wisconsin, 13–6, before a crowd of 52,979 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. USC's All-American halfback Jon Arnett rushed for 182 yards on 25 carries.
• Washington 28, Illinois 13. Washington defeated Illinois, 28–13, before a crowd of 36,261 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. On the opening series of the game, Illinois drove to Washington's two yard line but quarterback Hiles Stout fumbled. Washington recovered the ball, and Dean Derby ran 92 yards for a touchdown.
• Notre Dame 20, Indiana 6. Notre Dame defeated Indiana, 20–6, before a crowd of 58,372 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

  October 13

• Michigan State 53, Indiana 6. Michigan State defeated Indiana, 53–6, before a crowd of 58,858 at Macklin Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Spartans gained 264 rushing yards and 204 passing yards. Clarence Peaks also returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. Michigan State played backups for much of the second half with a total of 50 Spartans seeing game action. The outcome was Indiana's worst defeat since 1948.
• Ohio State 26, Illinois 6. Ohio State defeated Illinois, 26–6, before a crowd of 58,247 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Ohio State rushed for 307 yards, aided by the blocking of guard Jim Parker who was selected as the team's most valuable player for the 1956 season. Parker also played on defense and recovered a fumble at the Illinois 10-yard line to set up a touchdown. Quarterback Frank Ellwood rushed for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to Jim Roseboro.
• Michigan 48, Army 14. Michigan defeated Army, 48–14, before a crowd of 93,101 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Michigan led, 48–0, after three quarters and played substitutes through most of the second half, with a total of 49 players seeing game action. Army fumbled eight times in the game. Seven different Michigan players scored touchdowns.
• Minnesota 0, Northwestern 0. Minnesota and Northwestern played to a scoreless tie in front of a crowd of 62,006 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Minnesota had been a 14-point favorite and moved the ball well, out-gaining Northwestern 271 yards to 142. However, the Gophers were unable to score, turning the ball over on fumbles three times, including one at Northwestern's goal line. Heavy rain slowed the teams in the second half.
• Purdue 28, Notre Dame 14. Purdue defeated Notre Dame, 28–14, before a crowd of 58,778 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Purdue back Mel Dillard rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.
• Iowa 13, Wisconsin 7. Iowa defeated Wisconsin, 13–7, before a crowd of 53,273 at Iowa Stadium. With only a minute remaining in the first half, Iowa drove 84 yards, running eight plays in 59 seconds and scoring on a pitchout from Ken Ploen to Mike Hagler. Iowa scored again on the first drive of the second half on a short run by Ploen, taking a 13–0 lead.

  October 20

• Michigan State 47, Notre Dame 14. Michigan State defeated Notre Dame, 47–14, before a crowd of 59,378 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Michigan State gained 521 yards, 396 on the ground and 171 in the air. Dennis Mendyk led the Spartans attack with 157 rushing yards, including touchdown runs of 62 and 68 yards in the third quarter. After the game, Michigan State rose to No. 1 in the following week's AP and UPI polls.
• Penn State 7, Ohio State 6. Penn State defeated Ohio State, 7–6, before a crowd of 82,584 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Neither team scored through the first three quarters. Penn State's Bruce Gilmore scored on a short run in the fourth quarter, and Milt Plum kicked the extra point. Later in the quarter, Don Clark scored for Ohio State on a short touchdown run, but Frank Kremblas' kick for extra point went wide of the goalpost.
• Michigan 34, Northwestern 20. Michigan defeated Northwestern, 34–20, before a Band Day crowd of 81,227 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Fullback John Herrnstein scored three touchdowns for Michigan.
• Iowa 34, Hawaii 0. Iowa defeated Hawaii, 34–0, at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City. Iowa led, 14–0, at halftime and played second, third and fourth-string players in the second half, with a total of 42 Hawkeyes seeing game action. Iowa rushed for 266 yards and held Hawaii to 67 rushing yards.
• Minnesota 16, Illinois 13. Minnesota defeated Illinois, 16–13, before a crowd of 63,037 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Dick Borstad kicked a field goal with two minutes remaining to put the Golden Gophers in the lead.
• Purdue 6, Wisconsin 6. Purdue and Wisconsin played to a 6–6 tie before a Dad's Day crowd of 53,094 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Danny Lewis ran 30 yards for a Wisconsin touchdown in the first quarter, and Len Dawson threw a touchdown pass to Lamar Lundy in the second quarter. Neither team converted its extra point.
• Indiana 19, Nebraska 14. Indiana defeated Nebraska, 19–14, before a crowd of 38,000 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska led, 14–0, at halftime, but Indiana rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The result was Indiana's first win of the season. Brad Bomba caught six passes in the game.

  October 27

• Illinois 20, Michigan State 13. Illinois defeated Michigan State, 20–13, before a homecoming crowd of 71,119 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Michigan State was ranked No. 1 before the game and had its national championship hopes, and a 12-game winning streak, dashed by the defeat. The Spartans led, 13–0, at halftime, but Abe Woodson, the Big Ten's indoor sprint champion, led the Illini to 20 unanswered points in the second half. Woodson scored all three Illinois touchdowns: a 70-yard touchdown run, an 82-touchdown reception, and a short touchdown run. Woodson had 116 rushing yards and total gains of 198 yards.
• Minnesota 20, Michigan 7. in the annual battle for the Little Brown Jug, Minnesota defeated Michigan, 20–7, before a crowd of 84,639 at Michigan Stadium. Michigan led, 7–0, at halftime on 16-yard touchdown run by Terry Barr, but Barr was injured on the touchdown and did not return to the game. Minnesota came back in the second half with 20 unanswered points, including two touchdown runs by Bobby Cox.
• Iowa 21, Purdue 20. Iowa defeated Purdue, 21–20, before a crowd of 41,415 at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Purdue quarterback Len Dawson threw two touchdown passes, and Mel Dillard ran for a third. Iowa also scored three touchdowns, with the difference being a missed extra point. Purdue drove into Iowa territory late in the game, but Purdue fumbled at the 25-yard line with a minute and a half remaining in the game.
• Indiana 19, Northwestern 13. Indiana defeated Northwestern, 19–13, before a homecoming crowd of 23,000 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The game was tied, 13–13, at halftime. Indiana intercepted a Northwestern pass with four minutes remaining to set up the winning touchdown.
• Ohio State 21, Wisconsin 0. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin, 21–0, before a crowd of 82,661 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The victory was Ohio State's 16th in a row against a Big Ten opponent, tying a conference opponent.

  November 3

• Michigan 17, Iowa 14. Michigan defeated Iowa by a 17–14 score before a crowd of 58,137 at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City. The loss was the only one of the year for Iowa. Iowa had not beaten Michigan since 1924. Michigan took a 3–0 lead in the first quarter on a field goal by Ron Kramer. Iowa then scored two touchdowns and led, 14–3, at halftime. One of the Iowa touchdowns was set up when Michigan quarterback was sacked and fumbled with Alex Karras recovering the ball for Iowa. Michigan's third-string halfback, Mike Shatusky, scored two touchdowns in the second half, a three-yard run in the third quarter and a two-yard plunge with one minute and six seconds remaining in the game.
• Minnesota 9, Pittsburgh 6. Minnesota defeated Pittsburgh, 9–6, before a homecoming crowd of 63,158 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Minnesota's Dick Borstad kicked a field goal with two-and-a-half minutes to go to give Minnesota the lead. Pitt's Joe Walton returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but the return was called back due to a clipping penalty.
• Michigan State 33, Wisconsin 0. Michigan State defeated Wisconsin, 33–0, before a crowd of 53,647 at Macklin Stadium in East Lansing. Michigan State totaled 352 rushing yards and 168 passing yards. The result was Wisconsin's worst defeat since 1949.
• Ohio State 6, Northwestern 2. Ohio State defeated Northwestern, 6–2, before a homecoming crowd of 42,000 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston. Northwestern guard Al Viola blocked a punt in the first quarter that rolled out of the end zone for a safety. With 16 seconds left in the first half, Ellwood threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Leo Brown.
• Illinois 7, Purdue 7. Illinois and Purdue played to a 7–7 tie before a homecoming crowd of 46,166 at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette.
• Indiana 19, Marquette 13. Indiana defeated Marquette, 19–13, before a crowd of approximately 21,000 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. In the fourth quarter, Indiana's Arnold Steeves recovered a fumble at Marquette's 43-yard line to set up the winning touchdown.

  November 10

• Iowa 7, Minnesota 0. Iowa defeated Minnesota, 7–0, before a crowd of 64,235 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Iowa coach implemented a 6-3-2 defense to contain Minnesota's speedy Bobby Cox. After the game, Cox noted: "I couldn't go outside. They forced me to go inside and then some linebacker would nail me." The outcome put Iowa into the lead in the race for the conference's Rose Bowl bid. After the game, Iowa's players carried coach Evashevski off the field on their shoulders.
• Michigan 17, Illinois 7. Michigan defeated Illinois, 17–7, before a crowd of 75,470 at Michigan Stadium. Illinois scored a touchdown on its first possession but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Michigan came back with rushing touchdowns by Jim Pace and Jim Byers and a field goal by Ron Kramer. Michigan rushed for 328 yards, including 120 yards by Jim Pace.
• Michigan State 12, Purdue 9. Michigan State defeated Purdue, 12–9, before a crowd of 56,431 at Macklin Stadium in East Lansing. Purdue was a three touchdown underdog without Len Dawson but scored on a touchdown run by Mel Dillard and a safety triggered by Fletcher tackling Martin in the end zone. Michigan State scored two touchdowns, a 27-yard pass from Jim Ninowski to Harold Dukes, and a fumble recovery by Tony Kolodziej in Purdue's end zone.
• Ohio State 35, Indiana 14. Ohio State defeated Indiana, 35–14, before a crowd of 82,073 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The victory was Ohio State's 17th in a row against conference opponents, setting a new conference record. The Buckeyes also broke the Big Ten single-game record with 465 rushing yards against the Hoosiers.
• Northwestern 17, Wisconsin 7. Northwestern defeated Wisconsin, 17–7, before a homecoming crowd of 54,645 spectators at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. The attendance was the highest in the history of Camp Randall Stadium to that point. Northwestern's first touchdown of the game was scored by center Ted Ringer when he recovered a loose ball in the end zone following a fumble by teammate Wilmer Fowler. The outcome was Northwestern's first conference victory under Ara Parseghian.

  November 17

• Iowa 6, Ohio State 0. Iowa defeated Ohio State, 6–0, before a crowd of 57,732 at Iowa Stadium. Ohio State went into the game with the second best rushing attack in the country but were held to 147 rushing yards, their lowest rushing yardage total in two years. The result broke Ohio State's winning streak of 17 games against conference opponents and clinched for Iowa the conference championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. After time expired, Iowa fans hauled down the goal posts and paraded through Iowa City.
• Michigan 49, Indiana 26. Michigan defeated Indiana, 49–26, before a crowd of 58,515 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Michigan led, 35–0, at halftime and gained for 427 yards in the game. Michigan's Terry Barr scored three touchdowns in the game. Despite the victory, Iowa's victory over Ohio eliminated Michigan from contention for a berth in the Rose Bowl.
• Minnesota 14, Michigan State 13. Minnesota defeated Michigan State, 14–13, before a crowd of 62,478 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Bobby Cox led the way for Minnesota
• Illinois 13, Wisconsin 13. Illinois and Wisconsin played to a 13–13 tie before a crowd of 52,858 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Illinois led 13–6 at halftime. With slightly more than three minutes left in the game, Wisconsin end Sidney Williams threw a 34-yard pass to Danny Lewis on the nine-yard line, setting up a touchdown run on the next play. Williams' pass was his first of the season.
• Northwestern 14, Purdue 0. Northwestern defeated Purdue, 14–0, before a crowd of 32,000 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston. Northwestern recovered five of seven Purdue fumbles and intercepted three passes. Four of the fumbles were recovered by Al Viola. After the game, Edward Prell wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Northwestern had in 1956 been "brought back to life by its new 33 year old coach, Ara Parseghian."

  November 24

• Iowa 48, Notre Dame 8. Iowa defeated Notre Dame, 48–8, before a crowd of 56,632 at Iowa Stadium. The victory, combined with Ohio State's loss, gave Iowa its first undisputed Big Ten championship since 1932. Iowa's 48 points was the fourth highest total allowed by a Notre Dame football team to that point in the program's history. Paul Hornung sprained a thumb 10 minutes into the game and did not return. Iowa rushed for 409 yards and scored on runs of 10 and 41 yards by Ken Ploen, 23 and 61 yards by Fred Harris, and 54 yards by Mike Hagler.
• Michigan 19, Ohio State 0. In the annual Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry game, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 19–0, before a crowd of 82,223 at Ohio Stadium. The loss deprived Ohio State of a share of its third consecutive Big Ten title and pushed Michigan to second in the conference standing. Terry Barr, playing in his last game for Michigan, scored two touchdowns.
• Minnesota 13, Wisconsin 13. In the annual battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe, Minnesota and Wisconsin played to a 13–13 tie before a crowd of 54,149 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. On the final play of the game, Wisconsin's Jon Hobbs missed his third field goal attempt of the game. Wisconsin finished the season without a conference win for the first time since 1939.
• Michigan State 38, Kansas State 17. Michigan State defeated Kansas State, 38–17, before a crowd of 34,115 at Macklin Stadium in East Lansing. Michigan State set a modern school record with 12 fumbles in the game. Despite the victory, Hal Middlesworth of the Detroit Free Press wrote: "But down on the frozen turf of Macklin Stadium, it was a fumbling, bumbling performance which will find no place among State's galaxy of great games."
• Northwestern 14, Illinois 13. In the annual Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry game, Northwestern defeated Illinois, 14–13, before a crowd of 40,000 at Dyche Stadium in Evanston. Bob McKelver kicked two extra points for Northwestern, which proved to be the difference in a game in which each team scored two touchdowns.
• Purdue 39, Indiana 20. In the annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue defeated Indiana, 39–20, at Ross–Ade Stadium in Lafayette, Indiana. In his final college game, Purdue quarterback Len Dawson threw two touchdown passes, both caught by end Lamar Lundy. Mel Dillard rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the game and a conference high 873 yards for the season. The game proved to be a battle for last place in the conference, with Purdue finishing in ninth place and Indiana in tenth and last place.

  Bowl games

Post-season developments

Statistical leaders

Passing yards

Rushing yards

Receiving yards

Total yards

Point scored

Awards and honors

All-Big Ten honors

All-American honors

Other awards

1957 NFL Draft