The 1954 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan College of Education, renamed

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

in 1959, in the

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States. At one time the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or IIAC, was a robust league that clai ...

(IIAC) during the

1954 college football season The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins sharing the national championship as the No. 1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners o ...

. In their fourth season under head coach

Kenneth Kelly Kenneth A. "Wild Bill" Kelly (June 1, 1905 – March 7, 1984) was an American football, basketball, and tennis player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Central Michigan University from 1951 to 1966, compiling a record of 91– ...

, the Chippewas compiled an 8–2 record (5–1 against IIAC opponents), tied for the IIAC championship, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 321 to 107. The team's statistical leaders included Jim King with 399 passing yards,

Jim Podoley James Podoley (September 16, 1933 – January 24, 2010) was an American football halfback and end for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). Born in Mount Morris, Michigan, he played college football at Central Michigan ...

with 1,079 rushing yards, and Jerry Thomas with 121 receiving yards. Center Dick Kackmeister received the team's most valuable player award. Four Central Michigan players (Podoley, Kackmeister, guard Ray Figg, and halfback LaVerne Wolf) received first-team honors on the All-IIAC team.2015 Media Guide, p. 96.

Schedule

References

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...

Central Michigan Chippewas football seasons Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football champion seasons

Central Michigan Chippewas football The Central Michigan Chippewas are a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University (CMU). CMU has the 30th highest overall winning percentage of programs playing in NCAA Division I. The Chippewas have pla ...

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