1971 Memphis State Tigers football team

1971 Memphis State Tigers football
MVC champion Pasadena Bowl champion
Pasadena Bowl, W 28–9 vs. San Jose State
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
Record	5–6 (4–1 MVC)
Head coach	Billy J. Murphy (14th season)
Home stadium	Memphis Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1970 1972  →

1971 Missouri Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Memphis State $	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Louisville	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	1
Tulsa	3	–	2	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
North Texas State	3	–	2	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Drake	2	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
West Texas State	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Wichita State	0	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
New Mexico State *	0	–	0	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
$ – Conference champion * – New Mexico State was ineligible for conference play, but its games against Drake, North Texas State, West Texas State, and Wichita State counted in the conference standings for its opponents. Drake's game against Tampa, Memphis State's games against Cincinnati and Southern Miss, and Tulsa's games against BYU and Virginia Tech were also designated as conference games.

The 1971 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In its 14th and final season under head coach Billy J. Murphy, the team compiled an overall record of 5–6 record with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, winning he MVC title. ^[1] Memphis State defeated San Jose State in the Pasadena Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 255 to 202. ^{[2] [3]} The team played its home games at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

The team's statistical leaders included John Robison with 496 passing yards, Paul Gowen with 644 rushing yards and Paul Gowen with 42 points scored, and Stan Davis with 509 receiving yards. ^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11		West Texas State	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	W 30–0	21,412	[5]
September 18	7:30 p.m.	Ole Miss *	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	L 21–49	50,164	[6]
October 2		South Carolina *	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	L 3–7	20,666	[7]
October 9		Louisville	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	L 20–26	20,559
October 16	2:30 p.m.	at Utah State *	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	L 6–7	5,041
October 23		Southern Miss [n 1]	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (Black and Blue Bowl)	W 27–12	19,494	[9]
October 30	1:00 p.m.	at Cincinnati [n 1]	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (rivalry)	W 45–21	17,020
November 6		No. 19 Houston *	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	L 7–35	10,132	[10]
November 13		North Texas State	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	W 47–8	13,788	[11]
November 20		Kansas State *	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	L 21–28	17,234
December 18		vs. San Jose State *	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Pasadena Bowl)	W 28–9	15,244	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[13]

Notes

1. Designated conference game ^[8]

References

1. "Truthful Tulsa 2nd in MVC". The Austin American . Austin, Texas. Associated Press. November 29, 1971. p. 25. Retrieved January 19, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
2. "1971 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
3. "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
4. "1971 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
5. "Memphis State cruises 30–0". The Tennessean. September 12, 1971. Retrieved March 13, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Ole Miss waltzes across Tiger rug". The Commercial Appeal. September 19, 1971. Retrieved October 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Gamecocks' defense proves frustrating". The Lynchburg News. October 3, 1971. Retrieved January 23, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Valley Has 'New Look'". Denton Record-Chronicle . Denton, Texas. Associated Press. September 16, 1971. p. 14C. Retrieved January 19, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
9. "USM has bad night as Tigers roll 27–12". The Clarion-Ledger. October 24, 1971. Retrieved March 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Houston defeats Mem. St. 35–7". Tallahassee Democrat. November 7, 1971. Retrieved April 10, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Tigers cap MVC title; Head for Pasadena Bowl". The Jackson Sun. November 14, 1971. Retrieved October 31, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Memphis State takes 28-9 win over San Jose State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 19, 1971. p. 17.
13. "Schedule/Results (1971 Memphis State)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved May 28, 2025.