Perhaps thinking that he needed to put his own mark on the IU program to get it going in the right direction, Smith introduced a white Riddell shell with a one-inch crimson center stripe for 1949. The 1-8 result was worse with the lone victory against Pitt and not totally unexpected with twenty-eight sophs on the roster. Other than the occasional flash of brilliance by HB Bobby Robertson and steady play of QB Kenny Gorgal, Smith's squad showed little. As 1950 began, Purdue snapped Notre Dame's thirty-nine game winning streak in the season's second game. With the Notre Dame team depleted by graduation, the Hoosiers took their turn and the 20-7 defeat of the Irish was the pinnacle of this 3-5-1 year. Break-away runner Robertson and HB Dick Olson were the primary weapons on a team still short on depth. Somehow, Smith was granted a contract extension before the season ended despite his 6-20-1 record. Smith believed his '51 team would compete well with nineteen lettermen returning and a number of highly touted freshmen committed to the Hoosiers. Unfortunately, Notre Dame got their revenge in a 48-6 opener and it was a lost season. With a knack for beating Pitt and almost no one else, the 2-7 finish was the end for Smith, despite his contract extension. Gene Gedman played well enough to be named the team MVP from his fullback post. Robertson was drafted into the military following the mid-season Illinois game leaving end Cliff Anderson as the only real star and the fistfight against Purdue that involved spectators and officials, as perhaps the season highlight.

The Hoosiers' new coach for 1952 was Bernie Crimmins, a former Notre Dame player who had become an assistant at his alma mater. Used to working with some of the best college players in the country, facing the IU squad must have been a shock as he installed the T-Formation and had QB Lou D'Achille run it. FB Gene Gedman and HB Bill Holzbach took to the new formation and soph end Nate Borden, a mediocre receiver proved to be an excellent defender as Crimmins managed to "tie" Smith's 2-7 record of the previous year. Crimmins went all out to put more heft in his poor '52 line for the 1953 season. Borden was an emerging star, primarily as a defensive player and Ted Karras one of a number of Karras brothers to star at Gary Emerson H.S. teamed with sophomore tackle Bob Skoronski to provide better protection and blocking for HB Holzbach and QB Florian Helinski. Unfortunately, the lack of depth contributed to another 2-7 slate, made worse by Crimmins ill-advised "I promise you that tomorrow we will win" statement prior to the Purdue clash and the lack of attendance at the two home games that were on the schedule. Crimmins was excited about an influx of talented underclassmen for the '54 season, especially RB Milt Campbell. The Plainfield, N.J. running back had placed second in the 1952 Olympic Decathalon to Bob Mathias as an eighteen-year-old high school senior and his speed was reknown. Unfortunately, he was dogged by a leg injury most of the season. Helinski ran the team, punted, played great defense, and did everything but sell popcorn but the team could not win although he single-handedly powered them through Michigan by a 13-9 tally. Skoronski and Karras were joined on the line by Joe Amstutz and Charley Leo and Borden was a true defensive star, polishing his skills before heading off to the NFL for a career that lasted from 1955 through 1962 with his first few years productive ones with a poor Packer team. With better talent, the final slate was only 3-6 although a number of games could have gone the other way with a break or two. Borden was gone for '55 but the line still had some decent players in Karras, Leo, and Skoronski who would become a key component of Lombardi's championship teams in Green Bay. Karras, like his older brother Lou who played at Purdue and then with the Redskins for three seasons, went on to an NFL career as an offensive linemen and linebacker for Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Detroit where he both battled against and played with his younger brother Alex, a star at Iowa a few seasons later. Amstutz found his calling at linebacker and went on to a short pro career. His younger brother Tom helped to put their Toledo, Ohio neighborhood on the map as "Toledo Tom" who starred at the University Of Toledo and is currently their highly respected head coach. Charley Leo's younger brother Jim was an All American at Cincinnati and played DE with the Giants while Charley left Indiana and was on the Patriots first squad as an offensive guard. Young players getting time were Milt Campbell's younger brother Tom who played behind him, with Milt going on to the Browns for a brief nine game career at RB and Tom Cousineau at guard. Cousineau became the head coach at national powerhouse St. Edwards H.S. of Cleveland for forty-three years and his son of the same name was a star LB at Ohio State, the best defensive player in the CFL for a few years prior to having a solid NFL career with the Browns and 49'ers. There were a number of interesting "family connections" on the 1955 team but only one Big Ten victory.

If interested in any of these Indiana helmets please click on the photos below.