1972 Tampa Spartans football team

Last updated

1972 Tampa Spartans football
Tangerine Bowl champion
Tangerine Bowl, W 21–18 vs. Kent State
ConferenceIndependent
Record10–2
Head coach
Home stadium Tampa Stadium
Seasons
  1971
1973  
1972 NCAA College Division independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Ashland   11 0 0
Bridgeport   11 0 0
No. 1 Delaware   10 0 0
No. 5 Tennessee State   11 1 0
Colorado College   8 1 0
Tampa   10 2 0
Trinity (TX)   8 2 0
Western Carolina   7 2 1
Hawaii   8 3 0
Indiana State   7 3 0
Northeastern   6 2 0
Bucknell   6 3 0
Cortland   6 3 0
San Diego   6 3 1
Arkansas–Pine Bluff   4 2 1
Eastern Michigan   6 4 0
Milwaukee   6 4 0
Samford   5 3 2
Lake Forest   4 3 1
Nevada   6 5 0
Central Michigan   5 5 1
Fordham   5 5 0
Rose-Hulman   5 5 0
Santa Clara   4 4 1
Akron   3 4 2
St. Norbert   4 5 0
Saint Mary's   3 4 0
Kentucky State   4 6 0
Drexel   3 6 0
Northeast Louisiana   3 7 0
Portland State   3 8 0
Wayne State (MI)   2 5 1
Boston University   2 8 0
Northern Michigan   2 8 0
Saint Peter's   2 8 0
Chattanooga   2 9 0
Southern Illinois   1 8 1
Eastern Illinois   1 9 0
Madison   0 4 1
UNLV   1 10 0
Rankings from AP small college poll

The 1972 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 36th season and they competed as an NCAA College Division independent. The team was led by head coach Earle Bruce, in his first and only year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of ten wins and two losses (10–2) and with a victory in the Tangerine Bowl over Kent State, which featured future Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert and future Missouri coach Gary Pinkel (future Alabama coach Nick Saban was injured earlier in the Golden Flashes' season and did not play in the bowl game).

Bruce was hired on February 2, 1972, to serve as the replacement for Bill Fulcher who resigned to become the head coach at Georgia Tech. Bruce departed following the season to become head coach at Iowa State after Johnny Majors was named coach at Pittsburgh. [1]

The Spartans' notable players included John Matuszak, who was selected first overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1973 NFL Draft and later won two Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders; Freddie Solomon, a receiver on two Super Bowl champion teams with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s; and Paul Orndorff, who went on to stardom in the World Wrestling Federation as "Mr. Wonderful".

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 9 Toledo W 21–0
September 16at Northern Michigan
W 34–21
September 22 Eastern Michigan
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 42–0
September 30at Kansas State L 7–3125,000
October 7 Louisville
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
L 14–17
October 14 Southern Illinois
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 44–014,125 [2]
October 21No. 9 Drake
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 24–7
November 4 Florida A&M
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 28–9
November 11 Miami (FL)
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 7–022,525
November 18 Bowling Green
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 29–22
November 25 Vanderbilt
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 30–711,831 [3]
December 29vs. Kent State W 21–1820,062
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Walsh (American football coach)</span> American football coach (1931–2007)

William Ernest Walsh was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. After retiring from the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports broadcaster for several years and then returned as head coach at Stanford for three seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</span> National Football League franchise in Tampa, Florida

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The club joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, and played its first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Prior to the 1977 season, Tampa Bay switched conferences and divisions with Seattle, becoming a member of the NFC Central division. The Seahawks eventually rejoined the NFC in 2002, leaving the Buccaneers as the only NFL team not to play in their original conference. As a result of the league's realignment prior to the 2002 season, the Buccaneers joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South. The club is owned by the Glazer family and plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Williams (quarterback)</span> American football player, coach, and executive (born 1955)

Douglas Lee Williams is an American football executive and former quarterback and coach. Williams is best known for his performance with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, making him the first black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP after breaking two Super Bowl passing records: 340 yards total, and being the first to throw four touchdowns in a single quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Gruden</span> American football coach (born 1963)

Jon David Gruden is an American professional football coach who is an advisor for the Milano Seamen of the European League of Football. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during their Oakland tenure from 1998 to 2001, where he won two consecutive division titles and made an AFC Championship Game appearance. Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, which he led to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII the same season. At age 39, he was the then-youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl. He served as Tampa Bay's head coach through 2008, setting the franchise record for wins, but made only two further playoff runs. After his firing from the Buccaneers, Gruden was featured as an analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts from the 2009 to the 2017 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Leftwich</span> American football coach and former player (born 1980)

Byron Antron Leftwich is an American former football coach and quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, twice receiving MAC Most Valuable Player honors, and was selected seventh overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft. Leftwich held a starting role with the Jaguars during his first four seasons and spent the remainder of his career as a backup for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Steelers, he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan State Spartans</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Michigan State University

The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white. The university participates in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision for football. The Spartans participate as members of the Big Ten Conference in all varsity sports. Michigan State offers 11 varsity sports for men and 12 for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football</span> Football team in Delaware

The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represents the University of Delaware (UD) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) college football as a member of CAA Football, the technically separate football arm of UD's full-time home of the Coastal Athletic Association. The team is currently led by head coach Ryan Carty and plays on Tubby Raymond Field at 18,500-seat Delaware Stadium located in Newark, Delaware. The Fightin' Blue Hens have won six national titles in their 117-year history – 1946, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1979, and 2003. They returned to the FCS National Championship game in 2007 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan State Spartans football</span> American college football program

The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a total of six national championships, including two from major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. The Spartans have also won eleven conference championships, with two in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and nine in the Big Ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Allen (American football)</span> American football executive

Bruce Allen is a former American football executive. He served as general manager for two teams in the National Football League (NFL): the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2004 to 2008 and the Washington Redskins from 2009 to 2019. He got his start in the NFL as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Arians</span> American football player and coach (born 1952)

Bruce Charles Arians is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017 and the Buccaneers from 2019 to 2021. He was also the interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season. Arians is known for his slogan "No risk-it, no biscuit," which encourages aggressive playcalling.

Todd Robert Bowles is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. Bowles has also served as the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals and Buccaneers and as the secondary coach for the Jets, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles. Bowles played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, primarily with the Washington Redskins, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XXII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in the Tampa Bay area</span> Overview of sports opportunities in the Tampa Bay area

The Tampa Bay area is home to many sports teams and has a substantial history of sporting activity. Most of the region's professional sports franchises use the name "Tampa Bay", which is the name of a body of water, not of any city. This is to emphasize that they represent the wider metropolitan area and not a particular municipality and was a tradition started by Tampa's first major sports team, the original Tampa Bay Rowdies, when they were founded in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Florida</span> Overview of sports in Florida

The U.S. state of Florida has three National Football League teams, two Major League Baseball teams, two National Basketball Association teams, two National Hockey League teams, two Major League Soccer teams and 13 NCAA Division I college teams.

The Tampa Spartans football program was an intercollegiate American football team for the University of Tampa (UT) located in Tampa, Florida, that began play in 1933. The program competed against other small college programs in the forerunner of today's NCAA Division II for almost forty years before moving to the top level of NCAA Division I as an independent in 1971. Successfully competing against top college programs as a much smaller school put an enormous strain on the university's finances, and the school decided to discontinue football after the 1974 season.

The 1973 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. It was the Spartans' 37th season and they competed as an NCAA Division I independent. The team was led by head coach Dennis Fryzel, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of eight wins and three losses (8–3). Fryzel was hired on January 3, 1973, to serve as the replacement for Earle Bruce who resigned to become the head coach at Iowa State.

The 1971 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 35th season. The team was led by head coach Bill Fulcher, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of six wins and five losses (6–5). Fulcher was hired on January 7, 1971, to serve as the replacement for Fran Curci who resigned to become the head coach at Miami.

The 1970 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 34th season and competed as a College Division Independent. The team was led by head coach Fran Curci, in his third year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of ten wins and one loss (10–1).

The 1972 Tangerine Bowl, part of the 1972 bowl game season, took place on December 29, 1972, at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. The competing teams were the Tampa Spartans, that competed as a College Division Independent, and the Kent State Golden Flashes, that competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In the game, Tampa took a 21–0 halftime lead, and then held off a Golden Flashes comeback to win 21–18.

The 1963 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1963 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 27th season. The team was led by head coach Fred Pancoast, in his second year, and played their home games at Phillips Field in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of four wins, five losses and one tie (4–5–1). Pancoast resigned as the Spartans' head coach on January 20, 1964, to take the position of ends coach at Florida.

The 1968 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 32nd season. The team was led by head coach Fran Curci, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3). Curci was officially hired as the replacement for Sam Bailey as head coach on January 25, 1968, from the Miami Hurricanes, and he won his first game as head coach on the road against UC Santa Barbara. Other games of note during the season included upsets at Tulane and over Mississippi State, both of the NCAA University Division.

References

  1. "Tampa hires coach". Palm Beach Post . February 3, 1972. p. D1. Retrieved October 5, 2012 via Google News Archives.
  2. "Final 1972 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  3. "Tampa Spartans crush Vandy 30–7". Fort Myers News-Press. November 26, 1972. Retrieved October 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.