1973 Northwestern Wildcats football team

American college football season

1973 Northwestern Wildcats football

Conference| Big Ten Conference
Record| 4–7 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach|

* John Pont (1st season)

Captain| Stan Key[1]
Home stadium| Dyche Stadium

Seasons

<- 1972

1974 ->

1973 Big Ten Conference football standings

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 2 Ohio State \+  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 1 |  |  | 10  | - | 0  | - | 1
No. 6 Michigan \+  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 1 |  |  | 10  | - | 0  | - | 1
Minnesota | 6  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Illinois | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Michigan State | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Purdue | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Northwestern | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Wisconsin | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Indiana | 0  | - | 8  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0
Iowa | 0  | - | 8  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 11  | - | 0

* \+ - Conference co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University in the 1973 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first year under head coach John Pont, the Wildcats compiled a 4–7 record (4–4 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten Conference.[2]

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Mitch Anderson with 1,224 passing yards, Stan Key with 894 rushing yards, and Steve Craig with 479 receiving yards.[3] Four Northwestern players received All-Big Ten honors. They are: (1) tight end Steve Craig (AP-1, UPI-1); (2) linebacker Mike Varty (AP-1, UPI-2); (3) quarterback Mitch Anderson (AP-2, UPI-2); and (4) running back Stan Key (AP-2).[4][5]

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance

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September 15| Michigan State|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| W 14–10| 27,305
September 22| at No. 8 Notre Dame*|

* Notre Dame Stadium
* Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)

| L 0–44| 59,075
September 29| Pittsburgh*|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| L 14–21| 24,462
October 6| Ohio*|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| L 12–14|
October 13| Iowa|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| W 31–15| 25,194
October 20| at Purdue|

* Ross–Ade Stadium
* West Lafayette, IN

| L 10–21| 57,657
October 27| at No. 1 Ohio State|

* Ohio Stadium
* Columbus, OH

| L 0–60| 87,453
November 3| Minnesota|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| L 43–52| 30,081
November 10| at Indiana|

* Memorial Stadium
* Bloomington, IN

| W 21–20| 41,053
November 17| at Wisconsin|

* Camp Randall Stadium
* Madison, WI

| L 34–36| 46,248
November 24| Illinois|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL (rivalry)

| W 9–6| 26,117

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## Personnel[edit]

1973 Northwestern Wildcats football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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|
|

QB | `` | Mitch Anderson
RB | `` | Rich Boothe
RB | `` | Greg Boykin
TE | `` | Steve Craig
WR | `` | Mike Darraugh
OL | `` | Ray Felton
OL | `` | James Foskett
WR, P | `` | Wayne Frederickson
QB | `` | Kim Girkins
WR | `` | Steve Harris
OL | `` | Donnie Haynes
OL | `` | Paul Hiemenz
RB | `21` | Stan Key (C) | Sr
OL | `` | Larry Lilja
TE | `` | Frank Lutostanski
WR | `` | Pat McNamara
RB | `` | Jim Pooler
WR | `` | Bill Stevens
RB | `` | Jim Trimble
TE | `` | Scott Yelvington
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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|
|

LB | `` | Steve Anenen
DL | `` | Doug Belko
DL | `` | Darryl Branford
DB | `` | Charles Hickerson
DL | `` | John Holliday
DB | `` | Neil Little
DL | `` | Paul Maly
DL | `` | Rob Mason
DB | `` | Ken Shaw
DL | `` | Jamie Summerfelt
DB | `` | Greg Swanson
LB | `` | Mike Varty
DB | `` | Pete Wessel
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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Head coach

* John Pont

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2007. p. 148\. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
2. ^ "1973 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
3. ^ "1973 Northwestern Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
4. ^ "1973 AP All Big Ten Football Team". Piqua Daily Call. November 27, 1973. p. 11.
5. ^ "Bucks, Wolves Dominate: Buckeyes Place 10 On All-Big Ten Team". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). November 28, 1973. p. 11B.

* v
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Northwestern Wildcats football

Venues|

* Northwestern Field (1905–1925)
* Ryan Field (1926–2023)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Illinois
* Michigan: George Jewett Trophy
* Notre Dame

Culture and lore|

* Willie the Wildcat
* "Go U Northwestern"
* Marching band
* 2006 Michigan State game

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1876
* 1877–1881
* 1882
* 1883–1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906–1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
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* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
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* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
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* 1979
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* 2015
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* 2018
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* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

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