1954 Virginia Cavaliers football team

The 1954 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the 1954 college football season. The Cavaliers were led by second-year head coach Ned McDonald and played their home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. This was their first year competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was in its second year of existence. Virginia failed to pick up its first ACC win, finishing 0–2 against conference opponents.

1954 Virginia Cavaliers football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	3–6 (0–2 ACC)
Head coach	Ned McDonald (2nd season)
Captain	Henry Strempek[1]
Home stadium	Scott Stadium
Seasons ← 1953 1955 →

1954 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 14 Duke $	4	–	0	–	0			8	–	2	–	1
No. 8 Maryland	4	–	0	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
North Carolina	4	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
South Carolina	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Clemson	1	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Wake Forest	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	7	–	1
Virginia	0	–	2	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
NC State	0	–	4	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 25	Lehigh*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 27–21	12,000	[3]
October 2	George Washington*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 14–13	14,000	[4]
October 9	at No. 12 Penn State*	New Beaver Field University Park, PA	L 7–34	21,820	[5]
October 16	VMI*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 21–0	17,000	[6]
October 23	vs. No. 14 VPI*	Victory Stadium Roanoke, VA (rivalry)	L 0–6	17,000	[7]
October 30	at No. 5 Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	L 20–21	20,500	[8]
November 13	at South Carolina	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC	L 0–27	19,000	[9]
November 20	North Carolina	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA (South's Oldest Rivalry)	L 14–26	15,000	[10]
November 27	No. 12 West Virginia*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	L 10–14	10,000	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[12]

References

1. "2017 Cavalier Football Fact Book" (PDF). Virginia Cavaliers Athletics. p. 120. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
2. "1954 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
3. Young, Ed (September 26, 1954). "Bill Clark Guides Virginia over Gallant Lehigh, 27-21". Daily Press. Newport News, Va. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Virginia grabs 14–13 victory over GW in final four minutes". Daily Press. October 3, 1954. Retrieved February 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Fleet Penn State runners key 34–7 decision over Virginia". The Greenville News. October 10, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "VMI beaten by Cavaliers". The News and Observer. October 17, 1954. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Virginia Tech edges past touch Cavalier team, 6 to 0: Gobblers win on Cranwell 20-yard pass; VPI chalks up 5th straight triumph". No. October 24, 1954. October 24, 1954. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
8. "Cadets pushed to win over inspired Virginia, 21 to 0". The Jackson Sun. October 31, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Gamecocks use ground game to rack Virginia". The Charlotte Observer. November 14, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Tarheels' big quarter downs Virginia by 26–14". The Baltimore Sun. November 21, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Bowl fever almost beats Mountaineers". The State. November 28, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "1954 Virginia Cavaliers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 18, 2018.