1972 Louisville Cardinals football team

1972 Louisville Cardinals football
MVC co-champion
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 16
APNo. 18
Record9–1 (4–1 MVC)
Head coach
Home stadiumFairgrounds Stadium
1972 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 18 Louisville + 4 1 0 9 1 0
Drake + 4 1 0 7 5 0
West Texas State + 4 1 0 5 5 0
Memphis State 3 2 0 5 5 1
Tulsa 3 2 0 4 7 0
Wichita State 2 4 0 6 5 0
New Mexico State 1 4 0 2 9 0
North Texas State 0 7 0 1 10 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • West Texas State's game against Colorado State, Tulsa's game against TCU, and New Mexico State's game against New Mexico counted in the conference standings.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. In their fourth season and final season under head coach Lee Corso, the Cardinals compiled a 9–1 record (4–1 MVC, tied first), and were ranked eighteenth in the final AP Poll.[1] The season ended with some controversy when Louisville was not extended a bowl invitation despite a 9–1 record, a sixteen UPI ranking, and a 34–0 victory over Tangerine Bowl bound Kent State (6–3–1) earlier that year.

Corso's overall record in four seasons was 28–11–3 (.702). After the season in early January, he left for Indiana in the Big Ten Conference,[2] and assistant T. W. Alley, age 30, was promoted to head coach.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 168:00 p.m.Kent State*W 34–020,122[3]
September 307:30 p.m.at Dayton*W 28–1111,214[4]
October 78:00 p.m.at Tampa*W 17–1419,437[5]
October 142:02 p.m.North Texas State
  • Fairgrounds Stadium
  • Louisville, KY
W 56–618,041[6]
October 218:30 p.m.at Wichita StateW 46–322,521[7]
October 282:00 p.m.at Cincinnati*W 38–1311,261[8]
November 48:01 p.m.TulsaNo. 17
  • Fairgrounds Stadium
  • Louisville, KY
L 26–2824,000[9]
November 11at Southern Illinois*W 20–165,800[10]
November 188:01 p.m.Memphis State
  • Fairgrounds Stadium
  • Louisville, KY (rivalry)
W 17–018,218[11]
November 258:02 p.m.Drake
  • Fairgrounds Stadium
  • Louisville, KY
W 27–014,012[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[13]

References

  1. ^ "2017 Louisville football media guide" (PDF). University of Louisville. 2017. p. 206. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  2. ^ "Hoosiers select Corso". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. January 8, 1973. p. 15.
  3. ^ "Madeya passes for 3, U of L rips Kent 34–0". The Courier-Journal. September 17, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Louisville routs Dayton, 28 to 11". The Plain Dealer. October 1, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Louisville miniback Howard Stevens propels unbeaten Cards to 17–14 win". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. October 8, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "U of L pays back North Texas – good – in 56–6 rout". The Courier-Journal. October 15, 1972. Retrieved October 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Madeya tops Unitas' mark". The Des Moines Register. October 22, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Stevens shatters 2 records as UL coasts 38–13". Messenger-Inquirer. October 29, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Louisville is upset by Tulsa". The Spokesman-Review. November 5, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Louisville edges Salukis". Evansville Courier & Press. November 12, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Memphis State shut out 17–0 by Louisville". The Tennessean. November 19, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Stevens express gives Cards share of crown". The Journal News. November 26, 1972. Retrieved September 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Schedule/Results (1972 Louisville)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 7, 2025.