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
Conf.Overall
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
Ball State  – 5 –4 –1
Lake Forest  – 4 –3 –1
Nevada  – 6 –5 –0
Central Michigan  – 5 –5 –1
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

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 98:11 p.m. Toledo
W 21–023,806 [2]
September 161:30 p.m.at Northern Michigan
W 34–216,500 [3]
September 228:04 p.m. Eastern Michigan
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 42–014,407 [4]
September 302:33 p.m.at Kansas State
L 7–3135,000 [5]
October 78:00 p.m. Louisville
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
L 14–1719,437 [6]
October 148:05 p.m. Southern Illinois
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 44–014,125 [7] [8]
October 218:02 p.m.No. 9 Drake
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 24–715,240 [9]
November 48:00 p.m. Florida A&M
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 28–931,350 [10]
November 117:02 p.m. Miami (FL)
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 7–022,525 [11]
November 188:00 p.m. Bowling Green
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 29–2215,111 [12]
November 258:03 p.m. Vanderbilt
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 30–711,831 [13]
December 29vs. Kent State
W 21–1820,062 [14]

[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Tampa hires coach". Palm Beach Post . February 3, 1972. p. D1. Retrieved October 5, 2012– via Google News Archives.
  2. ↑ "Tampa topples Toledo with shocking 21–0 win". The Bradenton Herald. September 10, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Tampa doesn't need sunshine". The Saginaw News. September 17, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Tampa is inspired by key turnover". Tallahassee Democrat. September 24, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Kansas State tames Tampa". Great Bend Tribune. October 1, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Louisville miniback Howard Stevens propels unbeaten Cards to 17–14 win". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. October 8, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Final 1972 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Southern Illinois)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Tampa rebounds". The Orlando Sentinel. October 15, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Behind at half, Tampa smashes past Drake, 24–7". The Orlando Sentinel. October 22, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Tampa overpowers rival Rattlers". The Palm Beach Post-Times. November 5, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Tampa's early touchdown holds up, Miami falls". Fort Pierce Tribune. November 12, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Dubose sparks Tampa past Bowling Green". The Miami Herald. November 19, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Tampa Spartans crush Vandy 30–7". Fort Myers News-Press. November 26, 1972. Retrieved October 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "QBs spark Tampa in Tangerine". The San Francisco Examiner. December 30, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Schedule/Results (1972 Tampa)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved May 6, 2025.
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