KSU

Coach Bus Mertes continued his skid, posting a 3-6-1 record in 1957. The "Eagle" numbers were removed from the back of the helmet for this season and the white Riddell shell with one-inch purple center stripe had the addition of two-and-a-half inch black numbers placed on the sides of the helmets for better player identification. The Wildcats started off well with a win and a tie in their first four games and took their 2-3-1 record into Norman to play number two ranked Oklahoma. They gave the Sooners a scare in a 13-0 loss and finished the season playing surprisingly well against top-ranked Michigan State in a 27-9 loss that was closer than the score indicated. Captain Ellis Rainsberger always played well and was a two-time All Big Eight pick in 1956 and '57 as well as their top wrestler. He later held the head coaching position at Kansas State in 1975 through '77 and was a long-time assistant in the CFL and USFL, even serving as interim head coach of the Pittsburgh Maulers for part of a season.