1972 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–5–1 (5–2–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorDenny Stolz (2nd season)
MVPGail Clark
CaptainBilly Joe DuPree, Brad Van Pelt
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Michigan + 7 – 1 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
No. 9 Ohio State + 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Purdue 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Michigan State 5 – 2 – 1 5 – 5 – 1
Minnesota 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Indiana 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Illinois 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Iowa 2 – 6 – 1 3 – 7 – 1
Wisconsin 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Northwestern 1 – 8 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 19th season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 5–5–1 overall record (5–2–1 against Big Ten opponents) and finished in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference.[1][2]

Five Spartans were selected by either the Associated Press (AP) or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1972 All-Big Ten Conference football team: tight end Billy Joe Dupree (AP-2, UPI-1); offensive guard Joe DeLamielleure (AP-1, UPI-1); linebacker Gail Clark (AP-1, UPI-1); and defensive backs Bill Simpson (AP-1, UPI-1) and Brad Van Pelt (AP-1, UPI-1).[3][4]

On November 3, 1972, Duffy Daugherty announced that he would resign as Michigan State's head football coach at the end of the 1972 season.[5] In 19 years as the head coach, he compiled a 109–69–5 record and won two Big Ten championships. Denny Stolz, who had been the Spartans' defensive coordinator for two years, was hired in December 1972 to replace Daugherty.[6]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 16at Illinois
W 24–055,493
September 23Georgia Tech*No. 18
L 16–2177,141
September 30at No. 1 USC*
L 6–5163,934
October 7No. 7 Notre Dame*
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
L 0–1677,828
October 14at No. 5 Michigan
L 0–10103,735
October 21Wisconsindagger
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 31–062,638
October 28at Iowa
T 6–646,852
November 4Purdue
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 22–1258,649
November 11No. 5 Ohio State
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 19–1276,264
November 18at Minnesota
L 10–1433,001
November 25Northwestern
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 24–1446,140
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Michigan

1 234Total
Michigan St 0 000 0
• Michigan 0 307 10
Scoring summary
2MICHLantry 22-yard field goalMichigan 3-0
4MICHChapman 58-yard run (Lantry kick)Michigan 10-0

On October 14, 1972, Michigan State lost to Michigan, 10–0, in front of a crowd of 103,735 at Michigan Stadium. The game was Michigan's first shutout victory over Michigan State since 1947. Michigan scored on a 22-yard field goal by Mike Lantry in the second quarter and a 58-yard touchdown run by Gil Chapman in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines totaled 334 rushing yards, including 107 by Ed Shuttlesworth, 81 by Chuck Heater, and 64 by Dennis Franklin. The Spartans had a 24-yard touchdown run called back due to a clipping penalty, and their only other scoring threat ended when a hit from Dave Brown forced the Spartans' ball carrier to fumble into the end zone.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Michigan State Yearly Results (1970-1974)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. ^ "2015 Michigan State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "Wells named to All-Big Ten team". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois). November 28, 1972.
  4. ^ "UM, State, Buckeyes Dominate UPI's All Big Ten Team". Ludington Daily News (UPI story). November 28, 1972. p. 5.
  5. ^ "Duffy's Last Season With Mich. State: Only One Winner Since '66 Title". The Des Moines Register. November 4, 1972. p. 17.
  6. ^ "Michigan State Selects Stolz as Grid Coach". News-Herald, Panama City, Florida. December 13, 1972. p. 23.
  7. ^ Curt Sylvester (October 15, 1972). "U-M Whips Spartans . . . But It's A Battle, 10–0". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D, 6D.


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