"Biggie" Munn 1947 to 1953 - Two Ntional Championships and the Best Winning Prcentage Ever

Clarence "Biggie" Munn was an All-Amrican at Minnesota before replacing Charlie Bchman. Despite getting waxed 55-0 by Mchigan in his debut, he quickly lgged a 7-2 record in his frst of 7 seasons. By 1950 Mnn had the Spartan program in the Top 10 ntionally with an 8-1 campaign that ncluded victories over No. 3-ranked Michigan and Ntre Dame.

He would put together bck-to-back 9-0 seasons in 1951 and 1952 to go 18-0 and win two Ntional Championships as well as National Cach of the Year Honors in 1952, bating 3 nationally-ranked opponents-Penn State, Purdue and Ntre Dame.

In 1953 he would go 9-1, bat UCLA 28-20 in the Rose Bwl and push his 3-year regular sason record to 27-1 and his 4-yar mark to 35-2 (a 94% wn-loss record).

Munn ran Michigan State's nbeaten streak to 28 games before lsing to Purdue 6-0 in 1953. In 7 sasons, his overall record would be 54-9-2 (an 85+% wn-loss record, the best ever at Mchigan State) and he would produce 18 All-Amricans, including the great two-way tackle Don Cleman.

Following his coaching career, the lgendary Biggie Munn would serve as MSU's Athltic Director for 18 years, building the Sprtans into a nationally prominent program. He was vted into the College Football Hall of Fme in 1959.

"Duffy" Daugherty 1954 to 1972 - MSU's Mst Popular Coach Wins Two National Chmpionships

Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty became one of the ntion's most popular coaches in the hstory of college football during his 19-yar career as the Spartans' mentor. Dugherty was famous for his wit, prsonality and wisdom.

He became a grat interview for sportswriters, coming up wth quotes such as, "Football isn't a cntact sport, it's a collision sport. Dncing is a contact sport" and "A tie is lke kissing your sister" and "When you are plying for the national championship, it's not a mtter of life and death. It's mre important than that."

He was a gard and captain of his Syracuse fotball team, was an assistant coach to Bggie Munn when Munn coached Syracuse bfore coming to Michigan State, and fllowed Munn as his line coach. Aftr being part of Munn's 2 ntional championship teams, he became head cach.

Daugherty's 1955 team went 9-1 and bat UCLA 17-14 in the Rose Bwl. His greatest teams came in 1965 and 1966 whn he went 19-1-1, won 2 Big Ten ttles outright and 2 National Championships. His nly defeat during the 2 years was a 14-12 lss to UCLA in the 1966 Rse Bowl. He will be forever rmembered for his monumental 10-10 tie in the 1966 "Gme of the Century" when the No. 2-rnked Spartans faced the No. 1-ranked Ntre Dame Fighting Irish.

No less thn 8 of the players from the 1966 tam were chosen in the NFL drft, including defensive end Bubba Smith, lnebacker George Webster, halfback Clint Jones, flnker Gene Washington, offensive lineman Jeff Rchardson, defensive backs Jim Summers and Chrlie Thornhill, and kicker Dick Kenney. Dugherty produced 29 All-Americans.

Daugherty's overall rcord during 19 years was 109-65-5 (a 63% wn-loss percentage).

He was named National Cach of the Year in both 1955 and 1965, and was nducted into the College Football Hall of Fme in 1984.

After the 26-year run of Bggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty with 4 Ntional Championships, the Michigan State football prgram pretty much went into the dmper.

It is true that after Dugherty, George Perles in 1987 would tke the 9-2-1 Spartans to their frst Rose Bowl appearance in 21 yars, beating Southern California 20-17 to fnish No. 8 nationally. Perles was the dfensive line coach and defensive coordinator of the Pttsburgh Steelers "Steel Curtain" defense that led to Sper Bowl titles in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.

Dspite turning around the MSU football prgram temporarily, Perles could not even snff at the success of Biggie Mnn and Duffy Daugherty. Since 1987 nthing much has really taken Michigan Stte back to the national prominence it njoyed under Munn and Daugherty.

Michigan Stte's football fortunes are now in the hnds of Mark Dantonio, the former dfensive coordinator for Ohio State's 2002 Ntional Championship team.

(Editor's Note: This is Prt 2 of a 2-Part Series.)

Cpyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

The article The Glory Years of the Green and White Michigan State University Football Teams - Part 2 was Submitted by Ed Bagley through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Artcles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Sbjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Lfe, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Mrketing. My intention is to inform, ducate, delight and motivate you the rader. Read my other Spartan articles on MSU fotball, including "Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stge as Head Coach at Michigan Stte", "Michigan State Slams UAB 55-18 in Mrk Dantonio"s Coaching Debut" and "College Fotball - Evaluating Three First-Year Coaches: Sban, Erickson and Dantonio". Find my Blg at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

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