1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
American college football season
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The 1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1971 Big Ten season. In their 21st season under head coach Woody Hayes, the Buckeyes compiled a 6–4 record (5–3 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 224 to 120.[1] An early season loss to No. 10 Colorado snapped the Buckeyes' 19-game home winning streak. The Buckeyes ended the season with three consecutive losses for the first time since 1924 and were unranked in the final AP and UPI polls.
- Woody Hayes (21st season)
| 1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football | |
|---|---|
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| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 6–4 (5–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | George Hill (1st season) |
| MVP | Tom DeLeone |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Ohio Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Michigan $ | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Buckeyes gained an average of 211.6 rushing yards and 102.6 passing yards per game. On defense, they allowed 164.7 rushing yards and 118.2 passing yards per game.[2] The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Don Lamka (718 passing yards, 50.5% completion percentage), tailback Rick Galbos (540 rushing yards, 3.8 yards per carry), right end Dick Wakefield (31 receptions for 432 yards), and linebacker Vic Koegel with 61 solo tackles and 126 total tackles.[3] Lamka and kicker Fred Schram each scored 48 points to lead the team in scoring.[3] Center Tom DeLeone received first-team All-America honors from, among others, the UPI and NEA. Five Ohio State players won first-team honors on the 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team: DeLeone; offensive tackle Rick Simon; defensive tackle George Hasenohrl; and linebackers Stan White and Randy Gradishar.[4][5][6]
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Home attendance totaled 506,699 in six games, an average of 84,449 per game.[3] This was the first season the field had artificial turf (the turf was scheduled to be installed for the 1970 season, but was delayed). The AstroTurf field remained in place through the 1989 season.[citation needed]
This was the first season the Buckeyes played ten regular season games, six years after the other nine members of the Big Ten added a 10th game. Ohio State and Purdue were the only Big Ten schools not to play an 11th game, which was first permitted by the NCAA in 1970.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Iowa | No. 11 | W 52–21 | 75,596 | [7][8] | ||
| September 25 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 10 Colorado* | No. 6 |
| L 14–20 | 85,586 | [9] | |
| October 2 | 1:32 p.m. | California* | No. 14 |
| W 35–3 | 86,280 | [10][11] | |
| October 9 | 2:30 p.m. | at Illinois | No. 15 | W 24–10 | 53,555 | [12][13] | ||
| October 16 | 1:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 13 | W 27–7 | 50,812 | [14][15] | ||
| October 23 | 1:30 p.m. | Wisconsin | No. 12 |
| ABC | W 31–6 | 86,559 | [16] |
| October 30 | 2:30 p.m. | at Minnesota | No. 10 | W 14–12 | 36,281 | [17][18] | ||
| November 6 | 1:30 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 9 |
| L 10–17 | 86,616 | [19][20] | |
| November 13 | 1:30 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 16 |
| L 10–14 | 86,062 | [21][22] | |
| November 20 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 3 Michigan | L 7–10 | 104,016 | [23][24][25] | |||
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Game summaries
Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • Ohio St | 17 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 52 |
- Date: September 11
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Game start: 1:32p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:36
- Game attendance: 75,596
- Game weather: Rain, 67 °F (19 °C)
| Q1 | 13:07 | OHST | Schram 39-yard field goal | Ohio St 3–0 |
| Q1 | 5:39 | OHST | Bledsoe 3-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 10–0 |
| Q1 | 4:55 | OHST | Lamka 21-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 17–0 |
| Q2 | 11:37 | IOWA | Holmes 1-yard run (Kokolus kick) | Ohio St 17–7 |
| Q2 | 7:41 | OHST | Bledsoe 11-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 24–7 |
| Q3 | 13:26 | IOWA | Cabalka 10-yard pass from Sunderman (Kokolus kick) | Ohio St 24–14 |
| Q3 | 10:42 | OHST | Lamka 19-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 31–14 |
| Q3 | 5:20 | OHST | Lamka 6-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 38–14 |
| Q4 | 12:14 | OHST | Lamka 1-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 45–14 |
| Q4 | 6:55 | OHST | Lippert 10-yard run (Schram kick) | Ohio St 52–14 |
| Q4 | 3:02 | IOWA | Mitchell 6-yard run (Kokolus kick) | Ohio St 52–21 |
Don Lamka, who spent the last two seasons as a reserve defensive back, made his debut at quarterback with 211 total yards and four touchdowns.[7] [8]
Colorado
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Date: September 25, 1971
- Game time: 1:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 85,586
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Fourth quarter
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California
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Ohio St | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 35 |
- Date: October 2
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Game start: 1:32p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:28
- Game attendance: 86,280
- Game weather: Clear, 85 °F (29 °C)
| Q1 | 6:17 | OHST | Lamka 4 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 7–0 |
| Q1 | 1:50 | OHST | Bradshaw 12 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 14–0 |
| Q2 | 7:20 | CAL | Wersching 47 yard field goal | OHST 14–3 |
| Q4 | 13:02 | OHST | Hare 40 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 21–3 |
| Q4 | 9:39 | OHST | Bradshaw 4 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 28–3 |
| Q4 | 0:33 | OHST | Eggers 1 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 35–3 |
Illinois
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Ohio St | 14 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: October 9
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
- Game start: 1:32p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 2:32
- Game attendance: 53,555
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, NE wind 10 mph (16 km/h), 53 °F (12 °C)
| Q1 | 11:58 | OHST | Keith 1 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 7–0 |
| Q1 | 10:09 | OHST | Keith 2 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 14–0 |
| Q2 | 9:52 | ILL | Wells 37 yard field goal | OHST 14–3 |
| Q3 | 9:47 | OHST | Hare 3 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 21–3 |
| Q3 | 6:12 | OHST | Schram 26 yard field goal | OHST 24–3 |
| Q4 | 8:22 | ILL | Navarro 1 yard run (Wells kick) | OHST 24–10 |
Indiana
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Ohio State | 7 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
| Indiana | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
- Date: October 16
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
- Game start: 1:30p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3:35
- Game attendance: 50,812
- Game weather: Overcast, 74 °F (23 °C)
| Q1 | 11:06 | OHST | Keith 3 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 7–0 |
| Q2 | 0:10 | OHST | Schram 31 yard field goal | OHST 10–0 |
| Q3 | 12:24 | IND | St. Pierre 21 yard run (Garner kick) | OHST 10–7 |
| Q3 | 10:23 | OHST | Schram 40 yard field goal | OHST 13–7 |
| Q4 | 13:15 | OHST | Keith 1 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 20–7 |
| Q4 | 0:47 | OHST | Lamka 25 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 27–7 |
Wisconsin
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| • Ohio St | 0 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: October 23
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Game start: 2:00p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:40
- Game attendance: 86,559
- Game weather: Rainy, 62 °F (17 °C)
| Q2 | 12:45 | OHST | Lippert 48 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 7–0 |
| Q2 | 10:37 | OHST | Bradshaw 88 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 14–0 |
| Q2 | 0:44 | OHST | Schram 41 yard field goal | OHST 17–0 |
| Q4 | 13:49 | OHST | Galbos 1 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 24–0 |
| Q4 | 1:07 | WIS | Lund 12 yard run (pass failed) | OHST 24–6 |
| Q4 | 0:55 | OHST | Bradshaw 88 yard kickoff return (Schram kick) | OHST 31–6 |
Minnesota
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Ohio St | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
- Date: October 30
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Game start: 1:30 CST
- Elapsed time: 2:25
- Game attendance: 36,281
- Game weather: Rain, windy E(20-25 mph (40 km/h)), 50 °F (10 °C)
| Q2 | 1:27 | MINN | Kingsriter 31 yard pass from Curry (kick failed) | MINN 6–0 |
| Q3 | 7:42 | OHST | Wakefield 4 yard pass from Lamka (Schram kick) | OHST 7–6 |
| Q4 | 4:00 | OHST | Galbos 4 yard run (Schram kick) | OHST 14–6 |
| Q4 | 0:39 | MINN | Curry 2 yard run (run failed) | OHST 14–12 |
Michigan State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Michigan State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
- Date: November 6
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- Game start: 1:29p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:20
- Game attendance: 86,616
- Game weather: Rain/Snow, 35 °F (2 °C)
| Q2 | 14:12 | MSU | Shlapak 47 yard field goal | MSU 0–3 |
| Q2 | 9:55 | OSU | Bradshaw 11 yard run (Schram kick) | OSU 7–3 |
| Q2 | 5:54 | MSU | Allen 5 yard run (Shlapak kick) | MSU 7–10 |
| Q2 | 2:32 | OSU | Shram 30 yard field goal | TIED 10–10 |
| Q4 | 14:21 | MSU | Allen 1 yard run (Shlapak kick) | MSU 17–10 |
Northwestern
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Northwestern | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Ohio State | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
- Date: November 13
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- Game start: 1:32p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:18
- Game attendance: 86,062
- Game weather: Clear, 60 °F (16 °C)
| Q1 | 4:19 | OSU | Lamka 7 run (Schram kick) | OSU 7–0 |
| Q1 | 4:05 | NW | Strunk 93 yard kick-off return (Planisek kick) | TIED 7–7 |
| Q2 | 5:13 | OSU | Schram 27 yard field goal | OSU 10–7 |
| Q4 | 7:25 | NW | Anderson 1 yard run (Planisek kick) | NW 10–14 |
Michigan
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • Michigan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: November 20
- Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
- Game start: 1:30p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:22
- Game attendance: 104,016
- Game weather: Overcast to Sunny, winds gusty 17 mph (27 km/h), 32 °F (0 °C)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit (Big Ten)
| Q2 | 5:19 | MICH | Coin 32 yard field goal | MICH 3–0 |
| Q3 | 2:07 | OSU | Campana 85 yard punt return (Schram kick) | OSU 3–7 |
| Q4 | 2:07 | MICH | Taylor 21 yard run (Coin kick) | MICH 10–7 |
On November 20, Ohio State lost to rival Michigan, 10–7, before an NCAA record crowd of 104,016 persons in attendance at Michigan Stadium.[27] Michigan took a 3–0 lead at halftime on a 32-yard field goal by Dana Coin. Ohio State took the lead in the third quarter on an 85-yard punt return by Tom Campana. Michigan running back Billy Taylor put Michigan back in the lead with a 21-yard touchdown run with two minutes and seven seconds left in the game. Ohio State's final drive ended when Thom Darden intercepted a pass with one-and-a-half minutes remaining. After the interception, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes ran across the field, berating the officials for Darden going over the back of intended receiver Dick Wakefield. The officials assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct against Hayes. When the official moved the first-down markers to assess the penalty, Hayes pulled the markers from ground, threw one onto the field and threw the other to the ground, proceeding to then rip the plastic flag from the pole with his hand. The victory gave Michigan an undefeated record in the regular season for the first time since 1948.[23][24][25]
Roster
| 1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Net yards | Yards per attempt | Touchdowns |
| Richard Galbos | 141 | 540 | 3.8 | 3 |
| Morris Bradshaw | 65 | 340 | 5.2 | 4 |
| Don Lamka | 107 | 308 | 2.9 | 8 |
| Elmer Lippert | 53 | 265 | 5.0 | 2 |
| John Bledsoe | 61 | 265 | 4.3 | 2 |
| Randal Keith | 66 | 216 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Greg Hare | 25 | 84 | 3.4 | 2 |
Passing
| Player | Attempts | Completions | Interceptions | Comp % | Yards | TD |
| Don Lamka | 107 | 54 | 5 | 50.5 | 718 | 2 |
| Greg Hare | 59 | 25 | 5 | 42.4 | 299 | 0 |
Scoring
| Player | TD | PAT | FG | Points |
| Don Lamka | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 48 |
| Fred Schram | 0 | 27-27 | 7-13 | 48 |
| Morris Bradshaw | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 30 |
| Randal Keith | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 24 |
Receiving
| Player | No. | Yards | Avg | TD |
| Dick Wakefield | 31 | 432 | 13.9 | 1 |
| Rick Middleton | 11 | 152 | 13.8 | 1 |
| Jimmy Harris | 9 | 200 | 22.2 | 0 |
| Richard Galbos | 9 | 47 | 5.2 | 0 |
| Fred Pagac | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 0 |
Awards and honors
Senior center Tom DeLeone from Kent, Ohio, was the only Ohio State player to receive national recognition. He received first-team honors on the 1971 All-America team by the UPI,[30] NEA,[31] Football News,[32] Time magazine, and The Sporting News.[33] He received second-team honors from the AP.[34] He was also selected as the team's most valuable player.[35]
The following Ohio State players received first- or second-team honors on the 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team:
- Tom DeLeone, center (AP-1, UPI-1)
- Rick Simon, offensive tackle (UPI-1)
- George Hasenohrl, defensive tackle (AP-1, UPI-1)
- Stan White, linebacker (AP-1, UPI-2)
- Randy Gradishar, linebacker (AP-2, UPI-1)
- Tom Campana, defensive back (UPI-2)
- Harry Howard, defensive back (UPI-2)
DeLeone and Harry Howard were the team's co-captains.[3] Other team awards included:
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon trophy as outstanding performer in the homecoming game - Randy Gradishar
- Quarterback Club - Randy Gradishar and Vic Koegel
- Jack W. Stephenson award as outstanding tackle - George Hasenohrl
1972 NFL draft picks
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom DeLeone | 5 | 106 | Center | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Harry Howard | 9 | 225 | Defensive back | Los Angeles Rams |
| Jimmy Harris | 12 | 312 | Wide receiver | Dallas Cowboys |
| Tom Campana | 13 | 316 | Defensive back | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Dick Wakefield | 16 | 409 | Wide receiver | Cleveland Browns |
| Stan White | 17 | 438 | Linebacker | Baltimore Colts |
