1953 Princeton Tigers football team

The 1953 Princeton Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Princeton University during the 1953 college football season. In their ninth year under head coach Charlie Caldwell, the Tigers compiled a 5–4 record but were outscored 204 to 144. Homer A. Smith was the team captain.[1]

1953 Princeton Tigers football
Conference	Independent
1953 record	5–4
Head coach	Charlie Caldwell (9th season)
Captain	Homer A. Smith
Home stadium	Palmer Stadium

1953 Eastern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 14 Army			–					7	–	1	–	1
Harvard			–					6	–	2	–	0
Franklin & Marshall			–					5	–	2	–	0
Hofstra			–					6	–	3	–	0
Penn State			–					6	–	3	–	0
Yale			–					5	–	2	–	2
Carnegie Tech			–					5	–	3	–	0
Boston College			–					5	–	3	–	1
Boston University			–					5	–	3	–	1
Syracuse			–					5	–	3	–	1
Princeton			–					5	–	4	–	0
Tufts			–					4	–	3	–	0
Cornell			–					4	–	3	–	2
Holy Cross			–					5	–	5	–	0
Temple			–					4	–	4	–	1
Colgate			–					3	–	4	–	2
Columbia			–					4	–	5	–	0
Fordham			–					4	–	5	–	0
Villanova			–					4	–	6	–	0
Drexel			–					2	–	3	–	1
Brown			–					3	–	5	–	1
Penn			–					3	–	5	–	1
Pittsburgh			–					3	–	5	–	1
Dartmouth			–					2	–	7	–	0
Buffalo			–					1	–	5	–	1
Bucknell			–					1	–	8	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The Tigers were ranked No. 19 in the preseason AP poll but dropped out of the rankings after the first week of play.

Princeton played its home games at Palmer Stadium on the university campus in Princeton, New Jersey.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 26	Lafayette	No. 19	Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	W 20–14	10,000	[2]
October 3	Columbia		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	W 20–19	17,500	[3]
October 10	Rutgers		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ (rivalry)	W 9–7	25,000	[4]
October 17	No. 14 Navy		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 7–65	44,000	[5]
October 24	Cornell		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 19–26	25,000	[6]
October 31	Brown		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	W 27–13	15,000	[7]
November 7	at Harvard		Harvard Stadium Boston, MA (rivalry)	W 6–0	24,000	[8]
November 14	Yale		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ (rivalry)	L 24–26	45,000	[9]
November 21	Dartmouth		Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 12–34	23,000	[10]
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Results". Princeton Football Record Book. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. Sheehan, Joseph M. (September 27, 1953). "Princeton Beats Lafayette, 20-14; Rally Saves Tiger". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
3. Danzig, Allison (October 4, 1953). "Princeton Beats Columbia, 20-19; Pass Saves Tigers". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
4. Nichols, Joseph C. (October 11, 1953). "Tigers Vanquish Rutgers by 9 to 7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
5. Sheehan, Joseph M. (October 18, 1953). "Middies Pin Worst Setback on Tiger Eleven in 85 Years". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
6. Werden, Lincoln A. (October 25, 1953). "Cornell Overcomes Princeton, 26 to 19". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
7. Werden, Lincoln A. (November 1, 1953). "Princeton Victor over Brown, 27-13". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
8. Sheehan, Joseph M. (November 8, 1953). "Princeton Tops Harvard; Tiger Pass Wins, 6-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
9. Danzig, Allison (November 15, 1953). "Yale Defeats Princeton, 26-24; Elis Click on Pass". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
10. Nichols, Joseph C. (November 22, 1953). "Indians Post 34-12 Triumph After Fast Princeton Start". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.