The 1959 Orange football team was one of the most dominant squads to ever set foot on a college football field. Led by 1961 Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis and a defense that pitched five shutouts, Syracuse cruised to an 11-0 season and its first national championship. With 20 days remaining until the start of the 2003 season we review that magical season.
Syracuse began the 1959 season unranked, but a 35-21 victory against Kansas on Sept. 26 vaulted the team to 20th in the nation. The 21 points scored by the Jayhawks would be the most any team would score against the Orangemen all season. Arthur Baker led SU’s ground attack, carrying 18 times for 92 yards and Ger Schwedes and David Sarette each threw touchdown passes in the victory.
Against Maryland on Oct. 3, the defense held the Terrapins scoreless, while Davis rushed for 64 yards and Sarette passed for 105 more as the Orange shut out Maryland 29-0.
After a 32-6 drubbing of Navy at Annapolis, Md., the Orange were ranked eighth in the polls and returned home to face Holy Cross, but the Crusaders were no match for Syracuse and the Orangemen rolled to a 42-6 win in front of 30,000 fans at Archbold Stadium.
The victory against Holy Cross moved SU up to sixth in the nation and the Orange responded with consecutive shutouts versus West Virginia (44-0) and Pittsburgh (35-0).
Syracuse faced its toughest test of the season at Penn State on Nov. 7. The seventh-ranked Nittany Lions trailed 20-6 in the fourth quarter, but ran out of time and SU hung on for a 20-18 win. The Orangemen gained 287 yards on the ground to Penn State’s 111. Schwedes, Baker, and Davis each scored touchdowns in the triumph.
The Penn State victory gave the Orangemen the No. 1 ranking in the country, and Syracuse returned home to face Colgate. The Red Raiders never had a chance as SU put up 30 points in the first quarter and cruised to a 71-0 win. Syracuse rolled up 607 yards of total offense to Colgate’s 80. Schwedes and Thomas Gilsburg each scored twice in the rout. Davis rushed for 88 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown gallop in the second half, and Peter Brokaw caught four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
After dominating wins against Boston University (46-0) and UCLA (36-8), Syracuse finished the regular season 10-0 setting the stage for a Cotton Bowl matchup versus No. 2 Texas.
On SU’s third play from scrimmage against the Longhorns, Davis caught an 87-yard touchdown pass from Schwedes to give the Orange an early 7-0 lead.
Davis scored from four yards out and caught a pass for the two-point conversion to put SU ahead 15-0 and the Orangemen never looked back, winning 23-14.
In 1959 Syracuse outscored its opponents 390-59 and led the nation in 18 categories, including total offense, points scored, most plays from scrimmage, and fewest rushing yards allowed. Davis led the team with 686 yards on the ground, while Sarette threw for 763 yards and 10 touchdowns. Head coach Ben Schwartzwalder was named the national coach of the year.
