Year-By-Year Summaries (1950s)
Aug 19, 2010 | Football
1950 (6-2-1, 3-1-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Henry Frnka
Coach Henry Frnka led the Green Wave to its third consecutive winning season with a 6-2-1 record. Harold Waggoner replaced Price as the team's top rusher, and he set a new season record by averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
Quarterback Joe Ernst set a new Tulane record with 990 passing yards. In a 27-0 win over Navy, he connected with Joe Shinn 10 times for 152 yards. Ernst's yardage record lasted 19 years, while Shinn's single-game receiving marks stood for 32 seasons. Tackle Paul Lea was named All-SEC for the third year in a row, the only Tulane player to ever achieve this honor.
FINAL RANKING: 20th AP
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S30 Alabama* New Orleans, La. 14-26 L
O7 Louisiana College New Orleans, La. 64-0 W
O14 Notre Dame New Orleans, La. NR/10 9-13 L
O21 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. 27-20 W
O28 at Auburn* Auburn, Ala. 28-0 W
N11 at Navy* Baltimore, Md. 27-0 W
N18 Virginia New Orleans, La. 42-18 W
N25 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 35-6 W
D2 LSU* New Orleans, La. 20/NR 14-14 T
1951 (4-6, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Henry Frnka
Tulane posted a losing 4-6 mark in Coach Henry Frnka's final season. Facing an athletic deficit, the university put football on an austerity program and limited the number of scholarships. Coach Frnka left Tulane after the 1951 season with 31 wins.
A lanky Texan named Max McGee, who went on to earn fame in the NFL as a wide receiver, led Tulane rushers as a sophomore with 537 yards. W.C. McElhannon led the team with 33 receptions and Lester Kennedy just missed the school record with eight interceptions.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S29 Miami (Fla.) New Orleans, La. 21-7 W
O6 Baylor New Orleans, La. NR/19 14-27 L
O13 Holy Cross New Orleans, La. NR/15 20-14 W
O20 at Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss. 6-25 L
O27 Auburn* New Orleans, La. 0-21 L
N3 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 7-10 L
N10 Kentucky* New Orleans, La. NR/12 0-37 L
N17 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 14-10 W
N24 Southeastern Louisiana New Orleans, La. 48-7 W
D1 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 13-14 L
1952 (5-5, 3-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Raymond Wolf
Raymond "Bear" Wolf replaced Henry Frnka as head coach and rallied the squad from a 1-3 start to end up 5-5. The offensive highlight of the season was a 46-14 romp over Louisiana College that saw quarterback Fred Dempsey throw five TD passes. In that game, Tulane rushed for 240 yards and passed for 219.
Max McGee led Tulane rushers for the second straight season, but Roy Bailey had some bright moments, rushing for 127 yards against Mississippi State and 121 yards against Vanderbilt.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S27 Georgia* New Orleans, La. 16-21 L
O4 Santa Clara New Orleans, La. 35-0 W
O11 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. NR/5 0-14 L
O18 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. 14-20 L
O25 at Auburn* Auburn, Ala. 21-6 W
N1 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 34-21 W
N8 at Kentucky* Lexington, Ky. 6-27 L
N15 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 16-7 W
N22 Louisiana College New Orleans, La. 46-14 W
N29 LSU* New Orleans, La. 0-16 L
1953 (1-8-1, 0-7 SEC)
Head Coach: Raymond Wolf
Coach Bear Wolf's brief tenure came to an end after a 1-8-1 record. Led by Max McGee's 132 yards, Tulane rushed for 432 yards and demolished The Citadel 54-6 in the season opener. The team did not win another game as scholarship limits began to show up on the scoreboard. McGee ended the year as the squad's leading rusher for the third year in a row.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S19 The Citadel New Orleans, La. 54-6 W
S26 at Georgia* Athens, Ga. 14-16 L
O3 at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. NR/4 7-26 L
O10 Georgia Tech* New Orleans, La. NR/10 13-27 L
O17 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. 14-45 L
O24 Auburn* Mobile, Ala. 7-34 L
O31 Army New Orleans, La. NR/15 0-0 T
N7 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 0-21 L
N14 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 7-21 L
N28 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 13-32 L
1954 (1-6-3, 1-6-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
Long-time Tulane assistant and former Notre Dame All-American Andy Pilney assumed the coaching reins of a football program that needed a boost, and he made an immediate impact. The 1954 squad showed significant improvement on defense, and that kept them in more football games.
Although the team won only once, they played to a school record three ties and lost a tough 14-13 decision to LSU in the season finale. Pilney began to turn it around in 1954, and the results got a lot better the next two seasons. The only win in a 1-6-3 season was a 6-0 triumph over Vanderbilt.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result Attendance
S18 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. NR/7 0-28 L 28,000
S25 Memphis New Orleans, La. 13-13 T
O2 North Carolina New Orleans, La. 7-7 T 15,000
O9 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 0-14 L 17,000
O16 at Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss. NR/7 7-34 L 22,500
O23 Georgia* New Orleans, La. 0-7 L 16,000
O30 vs. Auburn* Mobile, Ala. 0-27 L 13,500
N6 Alabama* New Orleans, La. 0-0 T 22,000
N13 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 6-0 W 15,000
N27 LSU* New Orleans, La. 13-14 L
1955 (5-4-1, 3-3-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
Co-captains Tony Sardisco and Bryan Burnthorne led a resurgence in Tulane football as the program enjoyed its first winning season since 1950. Coach Andy Pilney's second Green Wave squad won three consecutive games late in the year to ensure a winning campaign.
Fullback Ronny Quillian finished second in the SEC in rushing and punting and had a big game in a Tulane win over Alabama, scoring two touchdowns, rushing for 107 yards and launching a 72-yard punt.
Quarterback Gene Newton also had some big games, running for both TDs in a 14-0 win over Georgia in Athens, passing for two TDs in a win over Auburn and scoring a TD in the 13-13 tie with LSU.
In the season opener, the Green Wave beat VMI 20-7 in the first night game ever in Tulane Stadium.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S17 VMI New Orleans, La. 20-7 W
S24 at Texas Austin, Texas 21-35 L
O1 Northwestern New Orleans, La. 21-0 W
O8 at Mississippi State* Starkville, Miss. 0-14 L
O15 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. 13-27 L
O22 at Georgia* Athens, Ga. 14-0 W
O29 Auburn* New Orleans, La. NR/8 27-13 W
N5 Alabama* Mobile, Ala. 27-7 W
N12 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 7-20 L
N26 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 13-13 T
1956 (6-4, 3-3 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
Andy Pilney did one of the great coaching jobs in Tulane history, crafting a 6-4 record that included one point losses to Texas and LSU. Coaching a team of true student-athletes during a period of financial austerity, he led the program to its second consecutive winning season against a tough schedule.
Ronny Quillian, running behind the tough blocking of fellow captains Donald Miller and Dalton Truax, led the team in rushing for the second straight season. Against Mississippi State, Quillian rushed for 141 yards and scored the game-winning TD in the final two minutes.
Quarterback Gene Newton had some big moments, breaking off an 86-yard TD run to help defeat Ole Miss in Jackson, catching a 71-yard pass against Alabama and tossing five TD passes in wins over Virginia Tech and Navy. Sophomore Claude "Boo" Mason showed promise of things to come by rushing for 128 yards against LSU.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S22 Virginia Tech New Orleans, La. 21-14 W
S29 Texas New Orleans, La. 6-7 L
O6 at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. 20-13 W
O13 Navy New Orleans, La. NR/14 21-6 W
O20 at Ole Miss* Jackson, Miss. 19/6 10-3 W
O27 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. 15/3 0-40 L
N3 Mississippi State* New Orleans, La. 20-14 W
N10 Alabama* New Orleans, La. 7-13 L
N17 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 13-6 W
D1 LSU* NEW ORLEANS 6-7 L
1957 (2-8, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
The Green Wave slumped to 2-8 in 1957, the first of a school-record nine consecutive losing seasons. The wins came against Marquette and Alabama.
Defense against the pass was a highlight, as the Green Wave held the opposition to only 33 completions, a modern school record.
Junior Boo Mason led the team in rushing and he enjoyed big games against Army, rushing for 130 yards, and Marquette, against whom he scored two touchdowns in a 20-6 Tulane win.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result
S20 Virginia Tech New Orleans, La. 13-14 L
S28 at Texas Austin, Texas NR/13 6-20 L
O5 at Marquette Milwaukee, Wis. 20-6 W
O11 Georgia* New Orleans, La. 6-13 L
O18 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. NR/11 0-50 L
O26 Georgia Tech* New Orleans, La. 13-20 L
N2 at Mississippi State* Jackson, Miss. 6-27 L
N9 Alabama* Mobile, Ala. 7-0 W
N16 at Army West Point, N.Y. NR/10 14-20 L
N30 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 6-25 L
1958 (3-7, 1-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
Coach Andy Pilney improved the Green Wave's record slightly, beating Navy, Texas Tech and Alabama to finish 3-7. Quarterback Richie Petitbon, who went on to an All-Pro career as a defensive back with the Chicago Bears, earned All-SEC recognition as he completed 66 of 125 passes for 728 yards.
In the win over Texas Tech, Boo Mason gained 104 yards receiving to become the first player in Tulane history to gain 100 yards in a game rushing and receiving in his career.
The season ended on a sour note as national champion LSU poured it on 62-0.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result Attendance
S20 at Florida* Gainesville, Fla. 14-34 L
S26 Texas New Orleans, La. 20-21 L
O4 at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. 0-14 L
O11 Ole Miss* New Orleans, La. NR/7 8-19 L
O18 Navy Norfolk, Va. NR/6 14-6 W
O25 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. 9-14 L
O31 Texas Tech New Orleans, La. 27-0 W
N7 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. 13-7 W
N15 at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn. 0-12 L
N22 LSU* New Orleans, La. NR/1 0-62 L 83,221
1959 (3-6-1, 0-5-1 SEC)
Head Coach: Andy Pilney
The Green Wave suffered its third consecutive losing season, but there was reason for hope in the presence of young running backs Tommy Mason and Terry Terrebonne. While Mason was a year away from one of the great seasons in Tulane history, there was nothing wrong with Terrebonne. The sophomore from New Orleans had big games in consecutive wins over Wake Forest and Detroit. Against Wake Forest, Terrebonne rushed for 112 yards in a 6-0 victory, while his 49-yard TD run keyed a 25-0 romp over Detroit.
A fog-shrouded win over Texas Tech the night before Halloween was the third victory in the 1959 season.
Ranking
Date Opponent Location Tul/Opp Score Result Attendance
S18 Florida* New Orleans, La. 0-30 L 24,086
S25 at Miami (Fla.) Miami, Fla. 7-26 L 35,688
O3 Wake Forest New Orleans, La. 6-0 W 14,604
O9 Detroit New Orleans, La. 25-0 W 14,246
O17 at Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss. NR/5 7-53 L 24,000
O24 Georgia Tech* New Orleans, La. NR/9 13-21 L 21,852
O30 Texas Tech New Orleans, La. 17-7 W 13,216
N7 vs. Alabama* Mobile, Ala. 7-19 L 29,000
N14 Vanderbilt* New Orleans, La. 6-6 T 13,698
N21 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. NR/3 6-14 L 65,000 
