1956 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

American college football season

1956 Pittsburgh Panthers football

Gator Bowl, L 14–21 vs. Georgia Tech

Conference| Independent
Ranking
Coaches| No. 12
AP| No. 13
Record| 7–3–1
Head coach|

* John Michelosen (2nd season)

Home stadium| Pitt Stadium

Seasons

<- 1955

1957 ->

1956 NCAA University Division independents football records

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 6 Miami (FL) |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 1  | - | 1
No. 16 Navy |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 2
No. 8 Syracuse |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
Air Force |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 2  | - | 1
Penn State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 2  | - | 1
No. 13 Pittsburgh |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 1
Pacific (CA) |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 1
Army |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 1
Holy Cross |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 3  | - | 1
Villanova |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Boston College |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Florida State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 1
Cincinnati |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 0
Colgate |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 0
Dayton |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Drake |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
San Jose State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 1
Texas Tech |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 1
Notre Dame |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 8  | - | 0
Boston University |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 5  | - | 2
Marquette |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 9  | - | 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1956 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1956 college football season.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 22| at West Virginia| No. 10|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| | W 14–13| 34,800| [1]
September 29| No. 7 Syracuse| No. 10|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA

| | W 14–7| 49,287|
October 6| at California| No. 7|

* California Memorial Stadium
* Berkeley, CA

| | L 0–14| 31,000|
October 20| vs. Duke| No. 16|

* Foreman Field
* Norfolk, VA (Oyster Bowl)

| | W 27–14| 26,000–27,000| [2]
October 27| Oregon| No. 13|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA

| | W 14–7| 36,872| [3]
November 3| at No. 8 Minnesota| No. 11|

* Memorial Stadium
* Minneapolis, MN

| | L 6–9| 63,158|
November 10| Notre Dame| No. 20|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA

| | W 26–13| 58,697|
November 17| Army| No. 16|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA

| | W 20–7| 55,639| [4]
November 24| Penn State| No. 14|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)

| | T 7–7| 51,308|
December 8| at No. 6 Miami (FL)| No. 12|

* Burdine Stadium
* Miami, FL

| NBC| W 14–7| 38,243| [5]
December 29| vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech| No. 13|

* Gator Bowl Stadium
* Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)

| CBS| L 14–21| 37,683| [6]

* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## Coaching staff

[edit]

1956 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff

| Coaching staff

* John Michelosen – Head coach

## Team players drafted into the NFL

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Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club

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Joe Walton | End | 2 | 21 | Washington Redskins
Vince Scorsone | Guard | 4 | 45 | Washington Redskins
Charlie Brueckman | Linebacker | 9 | 104 | San Francisco 49ers
Ralph Jelic | Back | 10 | 113 | Pittsburgh Steelers
Herman Canil | Tackle | 15 | 174 | Pittsburgh Steelers
Dan Wisniewski | Guard | 17 | 198 | Baltimore Colts
Corny Salvaterra | Quarterback | 17 | 199 | Pittsburgh Steelers
Bob Pollock | Tackle | 23 | 271 | Pittsburgh Steelers

[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Alert Pitt Panthers edge West Virginia, 14 to 13". Tampa Sunday Tribune. September 23, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "Pitt turns back Duke in Oyster Bowl, 27 to 14". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. October 21, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ George Kiseda, "Pitt Defeats Stubborn Oregon, 14–7: Theodore, Walton Tally: Pair of Fumbles Hurt Webfoots," Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, section 3, pp. 1, 5.
4. ^ George Kiseda, "Pitt's Last Half Rally Trips Army, 20–7: Salvaterra Star in Big Victory," Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, Nov. 18, 1956, section 3, pp. 1, 4.
5. ^ Morris McLemore, "Pitt's Last Half Drive Stuns U-M, 14–7: Panther Comeback Erases U-M Lead," Miami News, Dec. 9, 1956, pp. 1B-2B.
6. ^ "Georgia Tech outlasts Pitt, 21 to 14, in Gator Bowl". The Huntsville Times. December 30, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Reference at www.pro-football-reference.com". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

* v
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* e

Pittsburgh Panthers football

Venues|

* Recreation Park (1898–1899)
* Exposition Park (1900)
* Schenley Park (1901)
* Coliseum (1902–1903)
* Exposition Park (1904–1908)
* Forbes Field (1909–1924)
* Pitt Stadium (1925–1999)
* Three Rivers Stadium (2000)
* Acrisure Stadium (2001–present)
* UPMC Rooney Sports Complex (practice)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Duquesne: City Game
* Notre Dame
* Old Ironsides
* Penn State
* Syracuse
* West Virginia: Backyard Brawl

Culture & lore|

* Panthers
* "Hail to Pitt"
* "Pitt Victory Song"
* Marching band
* 2007 Backyard Brawl
* Highest-scoring game

People|

* Head coaches
* All-Americans
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
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* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
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* 1913
* 1914
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* 1916
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* 1918
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* 1928
* 1929
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* 1936
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* 1946
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* 1955
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* 1957
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National championship seasons in bold

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*[v]: View this template
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*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number