1973 Houston Cougars football team

Last updated

1973 Houston Cougars football
University of Houston classic logo.png
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 13
APNo. 9
Record11–1
Head coach
Offensive scheme Houston Veer
Defensive coordinator Don Todd (2nd season)
Home stadium Houston Astrodome
Seasons
  1972
1974  
1973 NCAA Division I independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Notre Dame   11 0 0
No. 5 Penn State   12 0 0
No. 9 Houston   11 1 0
Temple   9 1 0
No. 20 Tulane   9 3 0
Memphis State   8 3 0
Tampa   8 3 0
Boston College   7 4 0
South Carolina   7 4 0
Utah State   7 4 0
Air Force   6 4 0
Southern Miss   6 4 1
Northern Illinois   6 5 0
Rutgers   6 5 0
West Virginia   6 5 0
Pittsburgh   6 5 1
Colgate   5 5 0
Dayton   5 5 1
Xavier   5 5 1
Georgia Tech   5 6 0
Holy Cross   5 6 0
Miami (FL)   5 6 0
Cincinnati   4 7 0
Marshall   4 7 0
Navy   4 7 0
Southern Illinois   3 7 1
Villanova   3 8 0
Syracuse   2 9 0
Virginia Tech   2 9 0
Army   0 10 0
Florida State   0 11 0
Lamar   5 5 0
Southern Illinois   3 7 1
Texas-Arlington   4 6 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. It was the 28th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by 12th-year head coach Bill Yeoman who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. The team played its home games in the Astrodome, a 50,000-person capacity stadium off-campus in Houston at the Astrodomain. Houston competed as a member of the NCAA in the University Division, independent of any athletic conference. It was their fourteenth year of doing so. The Cougars had been admitted to the Southwest Conference two years prior, but were ineligible for conference play until the 1976 season. [1] After completion of the regular season, the Cougars were invited to the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl where they defeated the Tulane Green Wave. [2]

Contents

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 15 Rice No. 18W 24–643,917 [3]
September 21 South Carolina No. 16
  • Houston Astrodome
  • Houston, TX
W 27–1924,019 [4]
September 29at Memphis State No. 15W 35–2140,126 [5]
October 6at San Diego State No. 14W 14–937,489 [6]
October 12 Virginia Tech No. 14
  • Houston Astrodome
  • Houston, TX
W 54–2727,103 [7]
October 197:03 p.m.at Miami (FL) No. 14W 30–729,340 [8]
October 27at Auburn No. 12L 0–758,426 [9]
November 3 Florida State No. 18
  • Houston Astrodome
  • Houston, TX
W 34–327,587 [10]
November 10at Colorado State No. 15W 28–2017,532 [11]
November 24 Wyoming No. 14
  • Houston Astrodome
  • Houston, TX
W 35–018,441 [12]
December 1 Tulsa No. 14
  • Houston Astrodome
  • Houston, TX
W 35–1621,500–21,590 [13]
December 29 Tulane No. 14
ABC W 47–744,358 [14]

[15] [16] [17]

Coaching staff

Head coach Bill Yeoman Bill Yeoman coaching team.jpg
Head coach Bill Yeoman
NamePositionAlma mater (year)Year at Houston
Bill Yeoman Head coach, offensive coordinator Army (1948)12th
Don Todd Freshman assistant coach Hardin–Simmons (1964)2nd
Melvin Brown Offensive backs coach Oklahoma (1954)11th
Billy Willingham Offensive line coach TCU (1951)8th
Barry SidesOffensive line coach, defensive ends coachHouston (1968)5th
Clarence Daniel Defensive backs coach Huron (1955)2nd
Larry French Defensive coordinator Colorado State (1965)4th
Joe Arenas Wide receivers coach Nebraska-Omaha (1951)11th
Carroll SchultzFreshmen coach Louisiana Tech (1948)12th
Bobby BaldwinFreshmen coachHouston (1958)9th

References

  1. "Houston Joins Southwest Conference". Star-News . May 3, 1971. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  2. "Cougars Rout Tulane 47–7". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . December 30, 1973. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  3. "Cougars abolish Owls 24–6". Waco Tribune-Herald. September 16, 1973. Retrieved March 28, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Cougars outdistance Gamecocks, 27 to 19". The Victoria Advocate. September 22, 1973. Retrieved January 25, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Cougars upend Memphis". Longview Morning Journal. September 30, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Houston wins 14–9". The Waco News-Tribune. October 7, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Cougars glide past Virginia Tech 54–27". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 14, 1973. Retrieved December 14, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Houston shatters 7–7 deadlock for win". The Odessa American. October 20, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Auburn dumps Houston". The Odessa American. October 21, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Parker, Willingham lead Cougar victory". The Austin American-Statesman. November 4, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Houston dumps Colorado State". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 11, 1973. Retrieved October 9, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Coogs jolt Wyoming". Victoria Advocate. November 25, 1973. Retrieved October 9, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Cougars overtake Hurricane". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 2, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  14. "D.C. Nobels picks apart Tulane, 47–7". The Daily Advertiser. December 30, 1973. Retrieved October 15, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  15. "2009 Houston Cougars Media Guide: Year-by-Year results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  16. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Houston)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  17. "1973 Houston Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2025.