1973 Memphis State Tigers football team

American college football season

1973 Memphis State Tigers football

Conference| Independent
Record| 8–3
Head coach|

* Fred Pancoast (2nd season)

Home stadium| Memphis Memorial Stadium

Seasons

<- 1972

1974 ->

1973 NCAA Division I independents football records

* v
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* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | 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 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In its second season under head coach Fred Pancoast, the team compiled an 8–3 record and outscored opponents by a total of 264 to 167.[1][2] The team played its home games at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

The team's statistical leaders included David Fowler with 759 passing yards, Dornell Harris with 564 rushing yards, Bobby Ward with 744 receiving yards, and Bobby Ward and Cliff Taylor with 42 points scored each.[3]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 8| Louisville|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN (rivalry)

| W 28–21| |
September 15| North Texas State|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN

| W 24–3| 25,518| [4]
September 22| vs. Ole Miss| Jackson, MS (rivalry)| W 17–13| 45,620| [5]
September 29|  No. 15 Houston|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN

| L 21–35| 40,126| [6]
October 6| at Kansas State|

* KSU Stadium
* Manhattan, KS

| L 16–21| 34,970|
October 13| Tulsa|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN

| W 28–16| 10,420|
October 20| at Florida State|

* Doak Campbell Stadium
* Tallahassee, FL

| W 13–10| 28,883|
November 3| Virginia Tech|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN

| W 49–16| 27,454| [7]
November 10| Southern Miss|

* Memphis Memorial Stadium
* Memphis, TN (Black and Blue Bowl)

| L 10–13| 23,399| [8]
November 17| at Southwestern Louisiana|

* Cajun Field
* Lafayette, LA

| W 41–6| |
November 24| at Cincinnati|

* Nippert Stadium
* Cincinnati, OH (rivalry)

| W 17–13| 3,215| [9]

* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1973 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
2. ^ "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
3. ^ "1973 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
4. ^ "Memphis State gets 24–3 win". The Tennessean. September 16, 1973. Retrieved October 31, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Courageous Tigers prove they're for real". The Commercial Appeal. September 23, 1973. Retrieved October 26, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Cougars upend Memphis". Longview Morning Journal. September 30, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Tigers defeat Gobblers". Kingsport Times-News. November 4, 1973. Retrieved December 14, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Southern upsets Mem. St". The Delta Democrat-Times. November 11, 1973. Retrieved March 23, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Memphis State Rallies to 17-13 Win". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press. November 25, 1973. p. 6E. Retrieved January 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com .

* v
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* e

Memphis Tigers football

Venues|

* Normal Field (1912–1916)
* Russwood Park (1912–1915, 1918–1920, 1922–1924)
* Hodges Field (1917, 1919, 1921–1923, 1926–1929)
* Memorial Field (1924–1936)
* Fairgrounds Stadium (1937)
* Crump Stadium (1937–1964)
* Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (1965–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Arkansas State: Paint Bucket Bowl
* Cincinnati
* Louisville
* Ole Miss
* Southern Miss: Black and Blue Bowl
* UAB: Battle for the Bones

Culture & lore|

* History
* Pouncer
* TOM (mascot)
* "Go Tigers Go"
* Mighty Sound of the South
* Miami Beach Brawl

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
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* 1929
* 1930
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* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
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* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943–1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
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* 1973
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* 2012
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* 2015
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* 2021
* 2022
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* 2025

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number