1964 Detroit Titans football team

The 1964 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit as an independent during the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. In their third and final season under head coach John Idzik, the Titans played their home games on campus at University of Detroit Stadium, finished 3–7, and were outscored 158 to 127.[1]

1964 Detroit Titans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record3–7
Head coach
CaptainFred Beier
Home stadiumUniversity of Detroit Stadium
Seasons
← 1963
1964 NCAA University Division independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Notre Dame     9 1 0
Florida State     9 1 1
Colgate     7 2 0
Georgia Tech     7 3 0
Syracuse     7 4 0
Villanova     6 2 0
Boston College     6 3 0
Southern Miss     6 3 0
New Mexico State     6 4 0
Penn State     6 4 0
Memphis State     5 4 0
Utah State     5 4 1
Holy Cross     5 5 0
Buffalo     4 4 1
Colorado State     5 6 0
Air Force     4 5 1
Miami (FL)     4 5 1
Xavier     4 5 1
Army     4 6 0
Idaho     4 6 0
West Texas State     4 6 0
San Jose State     4 6 0
Pittsburgh     3 5 2
Navy     3 6 1
Dayton     3 7 0
Detroit     3 7 0
Boston University     2 7 0
Houston     2 6 1
Texas Western     0 8 2
Rankings from AP Poll

Basketball head coach Bob Calihan was named the school's athletic director in September 1964.[2] The football team's assistant coaches were Joe Clark, Dave Nusz, and Tony Hanley. Fullback Fred Beier was the team captain.

Discontinuance of football program

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On November 30, nine days after the season ended with a road loss at Boston College, the university announced that the football program was being discontinued.[3][4] The university's president, the Very Rev. Laurence V. Britt, SJ, noted that the football program had not made a profit since 1951, had operated at a deficit for years, and had lost $65,000 in 1964 – a figure critics said was a bookkeeping device attempting to estimate the loss of tuition from players receiving football scholarships. With limited resources and mounting academic costs, Father Britt stated that the university could not subsidize the program at the level demanded by alumni and students.[5] The decision stunned players and angered alumni.[6][7] A protest by students included the removal of the stadium's goalposts.[3][4]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19at KentuckyL 6–1334,000[8][9]
September 25 ToledoW 22–610,181[10]
October 2 Cincinnati
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 0–1916,539[11]
October 10at VillanovaL 0–3412,700[12]
October 17at Wichita StateL 7–8[13]
October 23 Dayton
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit
W 21–612,050[14]
October 30 Miami (FL)
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
L 7–1015,180[15]
November 6 VMI
  • University of Detroit Stadium
  • Detroit, MI
W 28–7  8,373[16]
November 14at XavierL 27–38  6,102[17][18]
November 21at Boston CollegeL 9–1725,100[19]

Players

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  • Dennis Assenmacher, halfback
  • Fred Beier, fullback/defensive back and captain
  • Tom Beer, end/guard
  • Ron Bishop, quarterback
  • Joe D'Angelo, halfback
  • Jerry Dudley, guard
  • John Everly, end
  • Dennis Hackett, fullback
  • Mike Haggerty, tackle
  • Mike Randall, halfback
  • Tony Richardson, end
  • Tony Rossi, center
  • Tom Siedlaczek, halfback
  • Dick Waring, quarterback

References

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  1. ^ "1964 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  2. ^ "Titans Pick Calihan As Athletic Director". The Detroit Daily Press. September 18, 1964. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Students yip as Detroit drops grid". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 1, 1964. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b "Detroit kicks out football, students stage big protest". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 1, 1964. p. 41.
  5. ^ Jack Berry (December 1, 1964). "U-D Football Finally Dies of Neglect: Sport Couldn't Pay Its Own Way -- Britt". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D, 2D.
  6. ^ Joe Dowdall (December 1, 1964). "U-D Football Players Stunned: Football Requiem". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D.
  7. ^ Lyall Smith (December 1, 1956). "NOW They Care for U-D Football". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D.
  8. ^ "Kentucky Troubled In Beating U-D". The Detroit Daily Press. September 21, 1964. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Dave Whitaker (September 20, 1964). "Birds Heroics Wing Wildcats To 13-6 Win". The Courier-Journal. p. 2-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Bob Pille (September 26, 1964). "Titans Whip Toledo, 22-6". The Detroit Daily Press. pp. 7–8 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Bob Pille (October 3, 1964). "Titans Lose, 19-0". The Detroit Daily Press. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Cats Swamp Titans, 34-0". The Detroit Daily Press. October 11, 1964. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Titans Protest Loss". The Detroit Daily Press. October 19, 1964. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Bob Pille (October 24, 1964). "U-D Clips Dayton, 21-6". The Detroit Daily Press. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Miami Nips Titans, 10-7". The Detroit Daily Press. October 31, 1964. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Jack Berry (November 7, 1964). "Soph Sparks Titans to 28-7 Win". The Detroit Daily Press. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Xavier Wins, 38-27: Titans' Soph QB Meets His Master". The Detroit Daily Press. November 16, 1964. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bill Ford (November 15, 1964). "XU Drubs Detroit, 38-27". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "B.C. Whips Titans". The Detroit Daily Press. November 22, 1964. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
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  NODES
Note 2