1972 Michigan State Spartans football team

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]

1972 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1972 record5–5–1 (5–2–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorDenny Stolz (2nd season)
CaptainBilly Joe DuPree, Brad Van Pelt
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium
(Capacity: 76,000)
1972 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW 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

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 24–0
September 23Georgia Tech*No. 18
L 16–21
September 30at No. 1 USC*
L 6–51
October 7No. 7 Notre Dame*
L 0–16
October 14at No. 5 Michigan
L 0–10103,735
October 21Wisconsin
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 31–0
October 28at Iowa
T 6–6
November 4Purdue
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 22–12
November 11No. 5 Ohio State
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 19–12
November 18at Minnesota
L 10–14
November 25Northwestern
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 24–14
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel
  • LB #98 Gail Clark, Sr.

Game summaries

Michigan
1 234Total
Michigan St 0 000 0
• Michigan 0 307 10

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. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. "2015 Michigan State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. p. 146. 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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