1972 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football team

The 1972 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football team was an American football team that represented Franklin & Marshall College as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), College Division Southern, during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their second season under head coach Bob Curtis, the Diplomats compiled a 9–0 record (8–0 against MAC opponents) and won the MAC College Division Southern championship.[1] It was the third perfect season in the school's history. Additional perfect seasons were 1950, 1964, and 1974.

1972 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football
MAC College Division Southern champion
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
Record9–0 (8–0 MAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumWilliamson Field
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northern
Albright x 7 0 0 8 1 0
Juniata 5 1 0 6 3 0
Wilkes 4 2 0 4 5 0
Delaware Valley 4 4 0 4 4 0
Upsala 3 4 0 3 5 0
Susquehanna 2 4 0 3 6 0
Lycoming 2 5 0 2 6 0
Wagner * 2 1 0 7 3 0
Southern
Franklin & Marshall x 8 0 0 9 0 0
Widener 6 1 0 8 1 0
Johns Hopkins 5 2 0 6 3 0
Ursinus 5 3 0 5 3 0
Dickinson 4 3 0 4 4 0
Lebanon Valley 4 5 0 4 5 0
Moravian 3 6 0 3 7 0
Muhlenberg 2 7 0 1 8 0
Swarthmore 1 7 0 0 7 0
Western Maryland 0 5 0 3 6 1
Haverford 0 7 0 0 0 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games
    † – Haverford forfeited all games on schedule; opponents received conference victory but overall record not affected.

Franklin & Marshall's Bob Olender was the leading passer in the MAC, completing 103 of 197 passes for 1,275 yards and 12 touchdowns.[2]

The team played its home games at Williamson Field in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16Carnegie Mellon*
W 22–04,200[3]
September 23at Ursinus
W 17–0
September 30at Johns HopkinsW 14–10[4]
October 7Swarthmore
  • Williamson Field
  • Lancaster, PA
W 35–03,200[5]
October 14Dickinson
  • Williamson Field
  • Lancaster, PA
W 27–75,200[6]
October 21Widener
  • Williamson Field
  • Lancaster, PA
W 24–215,000[7]
October 28at Lebanon ValleyAnnville, PAW 27–61,500[8][9]
November 4Moravian
  • Williamson Field
  • Lancaster, PA
W 24–224,800[10]
November 11at MuhlenbergAllentown, PAW 26–0[11]
  • *Non-conference game

[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Franklin & Marshall Game by Game Results" (PDF). Franklin & Marshall University. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "L.V. Gridders Rank In MAC Statistics". The Morning Call. November 17, 1972. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "F&M Flattens Tartans, 22-0". The Pittsburgh Press. September 17, 1972. p. D8 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Bill Free (October 1, 1972). "Franklin & Marshall outlasts Hopkins, 14-10". The Baltimore Sun. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Ste Summers (October 8, 1972). "F&M Wins 35-0, Stays Unbeaten". The Sunday News. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Steve Summers (October 15, 1972). "F&M Beats Dickinson For Fifth Straight". The Sunday News. p. 44 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Steve Summers (October 22, 1972). "F&M Nips Widener 24-21 For No. 6". The Sunday News. pp. 49, 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Harold Ziegler (October 29, 1972). "F&M Wins MAC Crown". The Sunday News. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Final 1972 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Harold Ziegler (November 5, 1972). "F&M Wins On Field Goal In Final Three Seconds". The Sunday News. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Perfect Season For F&M!". The Sunday News. November 12, 1972. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Final 1972 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 7, 2023.