1972 San Diego State Aztecs football team
American college football season
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The 1972 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented California State University San Diego[note 1] during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA).[note 2]
- Don Coryell (12th season)
| 1972 San Diego State Aztecs football | |
|---|---|
PCAA champion | |
| Conference | Pacific Coast Athletic Association |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 20 |
| Record | 10–1 (4–0 PCAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Rod Dowhower (5th season) |
| Home stadium | San Diego Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State $ | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal State Los Angeles* | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Aztecs were led by head coach Don Coryell, in his twelfth (and final) year, and played home games at San Diego Stadium[note 3] in San Diego, California. They finished the season as conference champion, with a record of ten wins and one loss (10–1, 4–0 PCAA).
Coryell had an overall record of 104–19–2 (.840) in twelve seasons. The total wins, winning percentage, and games coached are all San Diego State coaching records. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and was the first coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level.[1]
After the season, Coryell left to become the head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL).
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | Oregon State* | W 17–8 | 32,829 | [2] | ||
| September 23 | 5:30 p.m. | at North Texas State* | W 25–0 | 10,500 | [3] | |
| September 30 | 10:30 a.m. | at Kent State* | W 14–0 | 5,415–5,421 | [4] | |
| October 7 | 7:30 p.m. | San Jose State |
| W 23–12 | 35,030 | [5] |
| October 14 | at Houston* | L 14–49 | 29,891 | [6] | ||
| October 21 | Bowling Green* |
| W 35–19 | 36,121 | [7] | |
| October 28 | Fresno State |
| W 21–14 | 23,653 | [8] | |
| November 4 | 8:00 p.m. | West Texas State* |
| W 37–6 | 23,000–23,206 | [9] |
| November 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Pacific (CA) |
| W 20–7 | 25,000–25,838 | [10] |
| November 25 | 7:30 p.m. | at Long Beach State | W 33–14 | 17,644 | [11] | |
| December 2 | Iowa State* |
| W 27–14 | 39,048 | [12] | |
| ||||||
Team players in the NFL
The following were selected in the 1973 NFL draft.[16]
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac Curtis | Wide receiver | 1 | 15 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Bill Ferguson | Linebacker | 4 | 90 | New York Jets |
| Jim Peterson | Linebacker | 6 | 133 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Joe Lavender | Defensive back | 12 | 288 | Philadelphia Eagles |
The following finished their college career in 1972, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.[17]
| Player | Position | First NFL Team |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Donckers | Quarterback | 1976 St. Louis Cardinals |
Team awards
| Award | Player |
|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player (John Simcox Memorial Trophy) | Isaac Curtis |
| Outstanding Offensive & Defensive Linemen (Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy) | Chris Miller, Off Randy Bixler, Def |
| Team captains Dr. R. Hardy / C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy | Bill Donckers, Off Bill Ferguson, Def |
| Most Inspirational Player | Bill Ferguson |
Notes
- San Diego State University was known as California State University, San Diego from 1972 to 1973.
- The Big West Conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association from its founding in 1969 through 1987.
- San Diego County Credit Union Stadium (SDCCU Stadium) was known as San Diego Stadium from its opening in 1967 through 1980.
