The 1957 Pittsburg State Gorillas football team was an American football team that represented Pittsburg State College (now known as Pittsburg State University) as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) during the 1957 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Carnie Smith, the Gorillas compiled a perfect 11–0 record (5–0 against CIC opponents) and outscored opponents by a total of 347 to 79. They won the CIC championship and defeated Hillsdale, 27–26, before a national television audience in the Holiday Bowl to win the NAIA championship.[1][2]
| 1957 Pittsburg State Gorillas football | |
|---|---|
NAIA national champion CIC champion | |
NAIA Championship (Holiday Bowl), W 27–26 vs. Hillsdale | |
| Conference | Central Intercollegiate Conference |
| Record | 11–0 (5–0 CIC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Brandenburg Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburg State $^ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Benedict's | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fort Hays State | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washburn | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emporia State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern (KS) | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carnie Smith was the unanimous pick as the CIC Coach of the Year, and Tom Miller was named the CIC Lineman of the Year. A total of eleven Pittsburg State players were included on the All-CIC teams selected by the United Press (UP): quarterback John Matous (UP-2); halfbacks Dick Adamson (UP-1) and Bill Samuels (UP-2); fullback John Ewing (UP-1); end Carroll Cobble (UP-1); tackles Ted Stahura (UP-1) and Leonard Mansfield (UP-1); guards Miller (UP-1) and Kenny Yoss (UP-2); and center Robert Gordon (UP-2).[3]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14 | Truman State | W 40–14 | |||
| September 21 | at Southwest Missouri State |
| W 13–0 | [4] | |
| September 28 | Warrensburg State |
| W 31–0 | [5] | |
| October 5 | at Missouri Mines | Rolla, MO | W 14–6 | ||
| October 12 | St. Benedict's |
| W 17–13 | [6] | |
| October 19 | Fort Hays State |
| W 54–0 | ||
| October 26 | at Washburn | W 21–6 | [7] | ||
| November 2 | at Emporia State | Emporia, KS | W 46–0 | ||
| November 9 | Southwestern (KS) |
| W 64–7 | [8] | |
| November 16 | at Northeastern State | Tahleuah, OK | W 20–7 | [9] | |
| December 21 | Hillsdale | St. Petersburg, FL (Holiday Bowl) | W 27–26 | 7,500 | [10] |