1956 Brown Bears football team

The 1956 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University as a member of the Ivy League during the 1956 college football season.

1956 Brown Bears football
ConferenceIvy League
Record5–4 (3–4 Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainDick Bence
Home stadiumBrown Stadium
Seasons
← 1955
1957 →
1956 Ivy League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Yale $ 7 0 0 8 1 0
Princeton 5 2 0 7 2 0
Dartmouth 4 3 0 5 4 0
Penn 4 3 0 4 5 0
Brown 3 4 0 5 4 0
Columbia 2 5 0 3 6 0
Harvard 2 5 0 2 6 0
Cornell 1 6 0 1 8 0
  • $ – Conference champion

In their sixth season under head coach Alva Kelley, the Bears compiled a 5–4 record and outscored opponents 124 to 94. Richard "Dick" Bence was the team captain.[1]

The Bears' 3–4 conference record was good for fifth in the Ivy League.[2] This was the first season of formal play for the Ivy League, although the Bears' previous independent schedules, dating back to the 19th century, often featured future Ivy opponents. Six of the seven Ivy matchups on Brown's 1956 schedule had been present on the 1955 slate, as well (as had the two remaining non-Ivy fixtures, Colgate and URI).

Brown played its home games at Brown Stadium in Providence, Rhode Island.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 29 at Columbia W 20–0 12,000 [3]
October 6 at Yale L 2–20 29,904 [4]
October 13 Dartmouth
  • Brown Stadium
  • Providence, RI
L 7–14 12,500 [5]
October 20 at Penn L 7–14 15,716 [6]
October 27 Rhode Island*
  • Brown Stadium
  • Providence, RI (rivalry)
W 27–7 [7]
November 3 at Princeton L 7–21 15,000 [8]
November 10 Cornell
  • Brown Stadium
  • Providence, RI
W 13–6 10,000 [9]
November 17 at Harvard W 21–12 13,500 [10]
November 22 Colgate*
  • Brown Stadium
  • Providence, RI
W 20–0 10,500 [11]
  • *Non-conference game

References

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  1. ^ "Game-by-Game Results (1878-2019) (Football)". Providence, R.I.: Brown University. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. p. 22. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Briordy, William J. (September 30, 1956). "Bruins Register in Ivy Opener, 20-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  4. ^ Werden, Lincoln A. (October 7, 1956). "Eli Eleven Beats Brown Team, 20-2". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  5. ^ Werden, Lincoln A. (October 14, 1956). "Indians Set Back Brown Team, 14-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  6. ^ Werden, Lincoln A. (October 21, 1956). "Penn Triumphs, 14-7, on Brown's Fumbles". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  7. ^ "Brown Defeats Rhode Island with Second-Half Touchdowns at Providence". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. Associated Press. October 28, 1956. p. S6.
  8. ^ McGowen, Roscoe (November 4, 1956). "Princeton Trims Brown Team, 21-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  9. ^ Strauss, Michael (November 11, 1956). "Brown Conquers Cornell, 13 to 6". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  10. ^ Briordy, William J. (November 18, 1956). "Brown Sets Back Harvard, 21 to 12". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  11. ^ Strauss, Michael (November 23, 1956). "Brown Pins First Shutout on Colgate Team Since 1951 in Surprise Triumph". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. 41.