Maryland Terrapins Football Under Jim Tatum (1947–1955) - The 1953 Season

The 1953 Season

During this season, Maryland outscored its opponents 298–38, accumulated six shutout wins, and allowed only one team, Georgia, to score more than 7 points. No ACC team scored more total points until 1967 and none has ever allowed fewer points in the regular season (31). Maryland ranked first nationally in terms of rushing defense (83.9 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (3.1 points allowed per game). At the end of the regular season, the three wire services, the Associated Press, International News Service, and United Press, each named Maryland as the national championship team.

Maryland entered the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll. In the season opener against Missouri, Chet Hanulak scored in the first two minutes of play on a 61-yard run. Maryland intercepted four passes while sacrificing three fumbles in the 20–7 win.

Against Washington and Lee, Hanulak made an interception and then on Maryland's possession rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. Ron Waller dropped a Generals' punt at mid-field, but recovered and returned it for a touchdown. After halftime, Tatum fielded third- and fourth-string players before the final results of 52–0.

At Clemson, quarterback Bernie Faloney returned the opening kick off 88 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Clemson quarterback Don King was sacked by several Maryland defenders and suffered a game-ending knee injury. With 45 seconds left in the half, Dick Nolan scored on a 90-yard punt return. In the second half, Faloney connected with Nolan for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Clemson finished the game with two pass completions and suffered its first shutout at home in 11 years, 20–0.

Against Georgia, most critics thought Maryland faced its first true test. In the first quarter, the Terrapins took a quick 14–0 lead and held the Bulldogs to six offensive plays, two of which were punts. In the second quarter, Georgia quarterback Zeke Bratkowski led his team to two consecutive touchdown drives, and the score was 21–13 in favor of Maryland at halftime. Two minutes into the third quarter, Faloney intercepted a Bratkowski pass and returned it for a touchdown. Bratkowski was taken out of the game after numerous sacks by Stan Jones and Bob Morgan. The 40–13 final result would be the most points the Terrapins allowed during the entire season.

At North Carolina, the undefeated Terrapins met the undefeated Tar Heels. Two 15-yard penalties against North Carolina set up a quarterback sneak by Faloney for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Bill Walker caught a pitch at the Maryland 35 and ran it 49 yards to the North Carolina 16-yard line. From there, Charlie Boxold scored another touchdown for the Terrapins. In the third quarter, Hanulak took a pitch and took it 34 yards into the end zone. The 26–0 win was the Maryland's first in Chapel Hill, North Carolina since 1924. Tatum later called it "the greatest win of any team I ever coached, including the Sugar Bowl ."

At Miami, Hanulak scored first on a two-yard rush. Morgan recovered a Miami fumble and on the ensuing possession Faloney scored on an eight-yard rush. By halftime, Maryland led 27–0. Tatum disallowed any passes or trick plays in the second half, and the final result was 30–0.

Maryland next traveled to South Carolina to face a team coming off of a four-game winning streak. Ralph Felton scored first to cap a long drive with a short rush. In the next series, the Gamecocks punted it away and the ball was returned by Hanulak 35 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, South Carolina recovered a Maryland fumble on the Terrapins' 14-yard line. In three plays, Maryland had pushed them back to the 32-yard line before South Carolina finally scored. With South Carolina held to 37 rushing yards the final result was 24–6.

After defeating George Washington 27–6, the Terrapins went on to shut out two ranked teams: 11th-ranked Mississippi and 11th-ranked Alabama. Maryland secured a share of the ACC championship alongside Duke and a berth in the Orange Bowl as the only undefeated and untied team in the nation. Maryland finished the regular season 10–0 and were crowned the national champions.