1956 Virginia Cavaliers football team

The 1956 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the 1956 college football season. The Cavaliers were led by first-year head coach Ben Martin and played their home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in last. Their win against Wake Forest was Virginia's first ACC victory as members of the conference, coming in their third year of membership.

1956 Virginia Cavaliers football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	3–7 (1–4 ACC)
Head coach	Ben Martin (1st season)
Captain	Henry Jordan[1]
Home stadium	Scott Stadium
Seasons ← 1955 1957 →

1956 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 19 Clemson $	4	–	0	–	1			7	–	2	–	2
Duke	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	4	–	1
South Carolina	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Maryland	2	–	2	–	1			2	–	7	–	1
North Carolina	2	–	3	–	1			2	–	7	–	1
NC State	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Wake Forest	1	–	5	–	1			2	–	5	–	3
Virginia	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	VMI*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 18–0	22,000	[3]
September 29	Duke	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	L 7–40	17,000	[4]
October 6	Wake Forest	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 7–6	12,000	[5]
October 13	vs. No. 20 South Carolina	City Stadium Richmond, VA (Tobacco Bowl)	L 13–27	19,000	[6]
October 20	at Lehigh*	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 24–12	9,000	[7]
October 27	vs. No. 16 VPI*	Victory Stadium Roanoke, VA (rivalry)	L 7–14	16,000	[8]
November 3	Vanderbilt*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	L 2–6	8,000	[9]
November 10	North Carolina	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA (South's Oldest Rivalry)	L 7–21	16,000	[10]
November 17	vs. No. 15 Navy*	Municipal Stadium Baltimore, MD	L 7–34	12,000	[11]
November 24	at Clemson	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC	L 0–7	16,000	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[13]

References

1. "2017 Cavalier Football Fact Book" (PDF). Virginia Cavaliers Athletics. p. 120. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
2. "1956 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
3. "Bakhtiar leads Cavaliers over VMI, 18–0". The Progress-Index. September 23, 1956. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Devils gain easy win over Cavaliers, 40–7". The News and Observer. September 30, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Virginia wins first ACC game, beating Wake Forest, 7–6". Asheville Citizen-Times. October 7, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Dixon paces Gamecocks in 27–13 win". Greensboro Daily News. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Aubrey, Coulter J. (October 21, 1956). "Virginia Triumphs by 24-12". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Gobblers trip Cavaliers, 14–7". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 28, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Vandy edges Cavaliers". The Roanoke Times. November 4, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Tar Heels rip by Virginians in 21–7 game". San Angelo Standard-Times. November 11, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Virginia loses 34–7 decision to Middies". The State. November 18, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Clemson trips Virginia 7–0; Eyes Orange bid". St. Petersburg Times. November 25, 1956. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "1956 Virginia Cavaliers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 17, 2018.