1959 Michigan Wolverines football team

1959 Michigan Wolverines football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
1959 record	4–5 (3–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bump Elliott (1st year)
MVP	Tony Rio
Captain	George Genyk
Home stadium	Michigan Stadium

1959 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#6 Wisconsin $	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Michigan State	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Purdue	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	2
#13 Illinois	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Northwestern	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Iowa	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Michigan	3	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Indiana	2	–	4	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Ohio State	2	–	4	–	1			3	–	5	–	1
Minnesota	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1959 college football season. The team's head coach was Bump Elliott. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 26, 1959		Missouri*		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		L 15–20	52,756
October 3, 1959		Michigan State		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		L 8–34	103,234
October 10, 1959		Oregon State*		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		W 18–7	76,020
October 17, 1959		#2/2 Northwestern		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		L 7–20	68,393
October 24, 1959		at Minnesota		Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN		W 14–7	56,082
October 31, 1959		#10/9 Wisconsin		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		L 10–19	68,756
November 7, 1959		at #NR/16 Illinois		Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Il		W 20–15	44,768
November 14, 1959		at Indiana		Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN		L 7–26	24,171
November 21, 1959		Ohio State		Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI		W 23–14	88,804
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Statistical leaders

Rushing

Player	Attempts	Net yards	Yards per attempt	Touchdowns
Fred Julian	72	289	4.0	2
Bennie McRae	76	242	3.2	1
Darrell Harper	67	224	3.3	2

Passing

Player	Attempts	Completions	Interceptions	Comp %	Yards	Yds/Comp	TD	Long
Stan Noskin	115	61	15	53.0	697	11.4	5	46

Receiving

Player	Receptions	Yards	Yds/Recp	TD	Long
Robert Johnson	20	264	13.2	0	20
Bennie McRae	4	102	25.5	1	46
Tony Rio	8	90	11.3	2	26

Kickoff returns

Player	Returns	Yards	Yds/Return	TD	Long
Bennie McRae	7	148	21.1	0	30
Fred Julian	5	90	18.0	0	21
Darrell Harper	4	62	15.5	0	22

Punt returns

Player	Returns	Yards	Yds/Return	TD	Long
Darrell Harper	3	101	33.7	1	83
Reid Bushong	4	62	15.5	0	21
Jim Raeder	3	38	12.7	0	25

Players

• Jared Bushong - started 5 games at right tackle
• Alex Callahan - started 8 games at right guard
• Donald R. Deskins - started 2 games at right tackle
• Mike Fillichio - started 1 game at left guard, 1 games at right guard
• George Genyk - started 8 games at left guard
• John Halstead - started 9 games at left end
• Darrell Harper - started 9 games at left halfback
• Willard Hildebrand - started 1 game at right tackle
• Thomas Jobson - started 9 games at left tackle
• Robert Johnson - started 9 games at right end
• Fred Julian - started 7 games at right halfback
• Brad Myers - started 2 games at right halfback
• Stan Noskin - started 9 games at quarterback
• Tony Rio - started 9 games at fullback
• Jon Schopf - started 2 games at right tackle
• Jerry Smith - started 9 games at center

Awards and honors

The 1959 team honored at Michigan Stadium on the occasion of its 55-year reunion in 2014.

• Captain: George Genyk
• Most Valuable Player: Tony Rio
• Meyer Morton Award: Willard Hildebrand
• John Maulbetsch Award: Bob Brown

Coaching staff

• Head coach: Bump Elliott
• Assistant coaches: Don Dufek, Henry Fonde, Jack Fouts, Robert Hollway, Jack Nelson
• Trainer: Jim Hunt
• Manager: John Jabe Jr.

External links

• 1959 Football Team -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History