1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1956 college football season. In its 13th year under head coach Eddie Anderson, the team compiled a 5–3–1 record.[1] The team played its home games at Fitton Field on the college's campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1956 Holy Cross Crusaders football
Conference	Independent
1956 record	5–3–1
Head coach	Eddie Anderson (13th season)
Captain	Richard J. Arcand
Home stadium	Fitton Field

1956 NCAA University Division independents football records
	Conf							Overall
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

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 30	Dayton	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 13–14	20,000	[2]
October 6	Colgate	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 20–6	12,000	[3]
October 13	at Penn State	New Beaver Field State College, PA	L 0–43	24,870	[4]
October 20	at Dartmouth	Memorial Field Hanover, NH	T 7–7	12,000	[5]
October 28	Quantico Marines ^	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 13–0	17,000	[6]
November 3	at Boston University	Boston University Field Boston, MA	W 21–12	12,089	[7]
November 10	at No. 9 Syracuse	Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY	L 20–41	17,000	[8]
November 18	Marquette	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 41–0	7,000	[9]
December 1	vs. Boston College	Fenway Park Boston, MA (rivalry)	W 7–0	34,176	[10]
Homecoming ^ Family weekend Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Statistical leaders

Statistical leaders for the 1956 Crusaders included:[1]

• Rushing: Dick Surrette, 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 53 attempts
• Passing: Bill Smithers, 699 yards, 44 completions and 8 touchdowns on 87 attempts
• Receiving: Dick Arcand, 200 yards and 4 touchdowns on 13 receptions
• Scoring: Dick Arcand, 24 points on 4 touchdowns
• Total offense: Bill Smithers, 796 yards (699 passing, 97 rushing)
• All-purpose yards: Dick Surrette, 252 yards (168 rushing, 84 receiving)

References

1. "2019 Holy Cross Football Fact Book" (PDF). Worcester, Mass.: College of the Holy Cross. p. 121. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
2. Burns, Joe (October 1, 1956). "DeFabio Goes 49 and U.D. Beats Holy Cross". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Holy Cross Upsets Colgate Team, 20-6". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. Associated Press. October 7, 1956. p. S1.
4. Smith, Chester L. (October 14, 1956). "Penn State Wallops Holy Cross, 43-0". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pa. sect. 4, p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Strauss, Michael (October 21, 1956). "Dartmouth Ties Holy Cross, 7-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
6. Keane, Clif (October 29, 1956). "H.C. Scores Upset, Downs Quantico, 13-0". The Boston Daily Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
7. The Associated Press (November 4, 1956). "Holy Cross Gains 21-to-12 Conquest". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. 207.
8. Keane, Clif (November 11, 1956). "Mistakes Hurt Holy Cross; Syracuse Wins, 41 to 20". The Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Keane, Clif (November 19, 1956). "Holy Cross Wallops Marquette, 41 to 0". The Boston Daily Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Strauss, Michael (December 2, 1956). "Boston College Vanquished, 7-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.