1973 Chico State Wildcats football team

The 1973 Chico State Wildcats football team represented Chico State University[note 1] during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. Chico State competed in the Far Western Conference in 1973. They played home games at University Stadium in Chico, California. This was the first year the stadium was named University Stadium. With the school's change to University status in 1972, the stadium was renamed from "College Field".

1973 Chico State Wildcats football
FWC co-champion
Conference	Far Western Conference
1973 record	7–3 (4–1 FWC)
Head coach	Pete Riehlman (6th season)
Home stadium	University Stadium

1973 Far Western Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
UC Davis +	4	–	1	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Chico State +	4	–	1	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
San Francisco State	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	1
Cal State Hayward	3	–	2	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Humboldt State	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	6	–	2
Sacramento State	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from College Division poll

The 1973 Wildcats were led by sixth-year head coach Pete Riehlman. Chico State finished the season as co-champion of the FWC, with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3, 4–1 FWC). The Wildcats outscored their opponents 185–152 for the season. This was the last season coach Riehlman was at the helm. In his six years, the Wildcats compiled a record of 41–20, a .672 winning percentage. That's the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Chico State's history.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 8	Southern Utah State[note 2]*	University Stadium Chico, CA	W 10–3
September 15	at Willamette*	McCulloch Stadium Salem, OR	W 28–14
September 22	Nevada*	University Stadium Chico, CA	L 3–33
October 6	Humboldt State[note 3]	University Stadium Chico, CA	W 17–13
October 13	at UC Davis[note 4]	Toomey Field Davis, CA	L 10–21
October 20	San Francisco State[note 5]	University Stadium Chico, CA	W 31–7
October 27	Simon Fraser*	University Stadium Chico, CA	L 13–21
November 3	at Cal Poly Pomona*	Kellogg Field Pomona, CA	W 35–34	2,455[1]
November 10	at Cal State Hayward[note 6]	Pioneer Stadium Hayward, CA	W 17–6
November 17	Sacramento State[note 7]	University Stadium Chico, CA	W 21–0
*Non-conference game

[2]

Team players in the NFL

No Chico State players were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft.[3][4][5]

The following finished their Chico State career in 1973, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.

Player	Position	First NFL Team
Tony Bertuca	Linebacker	1974 Baltimore Colts

Notes

1. The official name of Chico State has been California State University, Chico since 1972. However, it is still commonly known as Chico State.
2. Southern Utah University was known as Southern Utah State College from 1969 to 1990.
3. Humboldt State University was known as California State University, Humboldt from 1972 to 1973.
4. The University of California, Davis sports teams were commonly called the “Cal Aggies” from 1924 until the mid 1970s.
5. San Francisco State University was known as California State University, San Francisco from 1972 to 1973.
6. California State University, East Bay was known as California State University, Hayward from 1972 to 2004.
7. The official name of Sacramento State has been California State University, Sacramento since 1972. However, it is still commonly known as Sacramento State.

References

1. Gustkey, Earl (November 4, 1973). "Aztecs Rally for 27-27 Tie With San Jose St". The Los Angeles Times. p. III-11. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "1973 - Cal St.-Chico". Retrieved March 4, 2017.
3. "1974 NFL Draft". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
4. "Cal State-Chico Players/Alumni". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
5. "Draft History: Chico State". Retrieved October 28, 2017.