1973 Michigan State Spartans football team

1973 Michigan State Spartans football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorAndy MacDonald (1st season)
MVPRay Nester
Captains
  • Michael Holt
  • John Shinsky
Home stadiumSpartan Stadium
1973 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
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 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1973 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first season under head coach Denny Stolz, the Spartans compiled a 5–6 overall record (4–4 against Big Ten opponents) and finished in a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten Conference.[1][2]

Defensive Bill Simpson was the only Spartan to be selected by either the Associated Press (AP) or the United Press International (UPI) as a first-team player on the 1973 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Simpson received first-team honors from the UPI and second-team honors from the AP. Other Spartans received second-team honors, including defensive tackle John Shinsky, linebackers Ray Nester and Terence McClowry, and defensive back Mark Niesen.[3][4]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15at Northwestern
L 10–1427,305[5]
September 22at Syracuse*
W 14–821,821[6]
September 29No. 17 UCLA*
L 21–3460,850[7]
October 6at No. 8 Notre Dame*
L 10–1459,075[8]
October 13No. 5 Michigan
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
L 0–3178,263[9]
October 20Illinois
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
L 3–663,303[10]
October 27at Purdue
W 10–755,291[11]
November 3Wisconsin
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI
W 21–054,010[12]
November 10at No. 1 Ohio State
L 0–3587,600[13]
November 17Indiana
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (rivalry)
W 10–950,116[14]
November 24at Iowa
W 15–631,119[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[16]

Roster

1973 Michigan State Spartans football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB Charlie Baggett So
TE Mike Cobb Fr
WR 21 Dane Fortney So
RB Mike Holt
QB Tyrone Willingham
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Season summary

At Ohio State

See also: 1973 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Michigan St 0 0 000
Ohio St 7 14 7735

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: November 10
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 87,600
  • Box Score
Game information

References

  1. ^ "Michigan State Yearly Results (1970-1974)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. ^ "2015 Michigan State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Michigan State University. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "1973 AP All Big Ten Football Team". Piqua Daily Call. November 27, 1973. p. 11.
  4. ^ "Bucks, Wolves Dominate: Buckeyes Place 10 On All-Big Ten Team". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). November 28, 1973. p. 11B.
  5. ^ "Turnovers hurt Michigan State". The Saginaw News. September 16, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Last minute rally gives Spartans win". Evansville Courier & Press. September 23, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Johnson's 3 TDs lift UCLA past Spartans". Oakland Tribune. September 30, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Irish hold off MSU, 14–10". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 7, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Charlie Vincent (October 14, 1973). "No Contest! M 31, MSU 0: No. 4 Wolverines Frolic in the Rain". Detroit Free Press. p. 1E, 4E. Retrieved June 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Beavers kicks by Spartans, 6–3". Evansville Courier & Press. October 21, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Spartans thrive on 'grass' – and rain is deterrent". The Flint Journal. October 28, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Spartans whip Badgers, 21–0". The Grand Rapids Press. November 4, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Ohio State shuts out MSU". The Decatur Daily Review. November 11, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Defense keeps MSU's Big 10 .500 bid alive". Jackson Citizen Patriot. November 18, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Defense sparkles in MSU's 15–6 victory". The Saginaw News. November 25, 1973. Retrieved September 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Schedule/Results (1973 Michigan State)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
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