1956 UCLA Bruins football team

1956 UCLA Bruins football
ConferencePacific Coast Conference
Record7–3 (5–2 PCC)
Head coach
Offensive schemeSingle-wing
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
1956 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 10 Oregon State $ 6 – 1 – 1 7 – 3 – 1
No. 18 USC 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
UCLA 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Washington 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oregon 3 – 3 – 2 4 – 4 – 2
Stanford 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Washington State 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 6 – 1
California 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Idaho 0 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1956 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1956 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Red Sanders, the Bruins compiled a 7–3 record (5–2 in PCC, third).[1] Entering the season, UCLA had won three consecutive conference titles.

UCLA's offensive leaders were Doug Bradley with 293 passing yards, Barry Billington with 399 rushing yards, and Dick Wallen with 308 receiving yards.[2]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21Utah*No. 17
W 13–737,038[3]
September 29at No. 13 Michigan*
L 13–4267,739[4]
October 5Oregon
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 6–032,097[5]
October 13Washington State
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 28–027,192[6]
October 20at California
W 34–2048,000[7]
October 27at Oregon State
L 7–2117,080[8]
November 3No. 10 Stanford
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 14–1376,505[9]
November 10at WashingtonNo. 19
W 13–927,500[10]
November 17Kansas*
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 13–021,913[11]
November 24USC
L 7–1063,709[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • Source: [13][14]

Personnel

Players

  • Bob Bergdahl
  • Barry Billington, fullback
  • Don Birren
  • Doug Bradley, halfback
  • Dick Butler, center
  • Jim Dawson, tackle
  • Preston Dills, senior
  • Dennis Dressel, center, sophomore
  • Don Duncan, halfback, sophomore
  • Bob Dutcher
  • Lou Elias, wingback
  • Bob Enger, quarterback, junior
  • Steve Gertsman, quarterback
  • Edison Griffin, safety/halfback junior
  • Joe Harper, guard
  • Esker Harris, guard
  • Chuck Holloway, halfback
  • Bill Leeka, sophomore
  • Don Long
  • Jim Matheny, junior
  • Pete O'Garro, end
  • Phil Parslow, halfback
  • Jerry Penner, tackle
  • Dan Peterson
  • Dave Peterson, fullback
  • Pat Pinkston, end
  • Don Shinnick
  • Hal Smith, junior
  • Dick Wallen, end
  • Clint Whitfield, guard, sophomore
  • Kirk Wilson, punter
  • Gary Yurosek, tackle

Coaching staff

  • Head coach - Red Sanders
  • Assistant coaches - Bill Barns, Deke Brackett, Ray Nagle, George Dickerson, Jim Myers, Johnny Johnson[15]

Other personnel

  • Managers - Ted Manos, Frances Helstein, Jim Walker, Ted Dallas, and Barry Snooke[15]
  • Head trainer - Ducky Drake[16]

References

  1. ^ "1956 UCLA Bruins Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  2. ^ "1956 UCLA Bruins Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  3. ^ "UCLA sputters for narrow pigskin win". Valley Times. September 22, 1956. Retrieved April 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Wolverines rip UCLA, 42–13". The Blade. September 30, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Bruins barely manage 6–0 Webfoot win". Valley Times. October 6, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Soph Long sparks UCLA over Washington State". The Register. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "UCLA beats California on interceptions". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. October 21, 1956. ProQuest 148764943.
  8. ^ "Beavers roll over UCLA Bruins, 21–7". The Press Democrat. October 28, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Hyland, D. (November 4, 1956). "UCLA upsets Tribe, 14–13, before 76,505". The Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167060498.
  10. ^ "Passes save Bruins, 13–9". The Tennessean. November 11, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "UCLA beats Kansas, 13–0". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. November 18, 1956. ProQuest 148710480.
  12. ^ "Kissinger's field goal nips UCLA". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 25, 1956. Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Schedule/Results (1956 UCLA)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  14. ^ "2015 UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  15. ^ a b UCLA Southern Campus 1957, p. 222.
  16. ^ UCLA Southern Campus 1957, p. 223.
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