1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Eastern champion
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 16–9 vs. LSU
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 5
Record12–0
Head coach
Offensive schemeI formation
Defensive coordinatorJim O'Hora (8th season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
1973 NCAA Division I independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Notre Dame   –   11 – 0 – 0
No. 5 Penn State   –   12 – 0 – 0
No. 9 Houston   –   11 – 1 – 0
Temple   –   9 – 1 – 0
No. 20 Tulane   –   9 – 3 – 0
Memphis State   –   8 – 3 – 0
Tampa   –   8 – 3 – 0
Boston College   –   7 – 4 – 0
South Carolina   –   7 – 4 – 0
Utah State   –   7 – 4 – 0
Air Force   –   6 – 4 – 0
Southern Miss   –   6 – 4 – 1
Northern Illinois   –   6 – 5 – 0
Rutgers   –   6 – 5 – 0
West Virginia   –   6 – 5 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   6 – 5 – 1
Colgate   –   5 – 5 – 0
Dayton   –   5 – 5 – 1
Xavier   –   5 – 5 – 1
Georgia Tech   –   5 – 6 – 0
Holy Cross   –   5 – 6 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   5 – 6 – 0
Cincinnati   –   4 – 7 – 0
Marshall   –   4 – 7 – 0
Navy   –   4 – 7 – 0
Southern Illinois   –   3 – 7 – 1
Villanova   –   3 – 8 – 0
Syracuse   –   2 – 9 – 0
Virginia Tech   –   2 – 9 – 0
Army   –   0 – 10 – 0
Florida State   –   0 – 11 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled a perfect record of 12–0 with a win over LSU in the Orange Bowl. The team was the third under Paterno to go undefeated, following consecutive perfect seasons in 1968 and 1969. John Cappelletti, senior running back, won the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in college football. Penn State played home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 153:50 p.m.at StanfordNo. 7
ABCW 20–657,000[1]
September 222:00 p.m.at NavyNo. 7
W 39–028,383[2]
September 29IowaNo. 6
W 27–859,980[3]
October 63:57 p.m.at Air ForceNo. 7
ABCW 19–937,077[4]
October 131:30 p.m.ArmyNo. 7
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
W 54–358,194[5]
October 20at SyracuseNo. 5
W 49–627,595[6]
October 27West VirginiaNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 62–1459,138[7]
November 3at MarylandNo. 6
W 42–2244,135[8]
November 10NC StateNo. 6
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
W 35–2959,424[9]
November 171:30 p.m.OhioNo. 6
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
W 49–1051,804[10]
November 24No. 20 PittsburghNo. 6
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 35–1356,600[11]
January 1, 1974vs. No. 13 LSUNo. 6
NBCW 16–960,477[12]

[13]

Game summaries

Quarter 1 2 34Total
#7 Penn State 7 20 10239
Navy 0 0 000

at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD

  • Date: Saturday, September 22
  • Game attendance: 28,383
  • Recap
Game information
First Quarter
  • PSU - Heyman 17-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick)
Second Quarter
  • PSU - Cappelletti 10-yard run (Bahr kick)
  • PSU - Herd 23-yard pass from Shuman (kick failed)
  • PSU - Shuman 1-yard run (Bahr kick)
Third Quarter
  • PSU - Bahr 22-yard field goal
  • PSU - Clark 1-yard run (Bahr kick)
Fourth Quarter
  • PSU - Safety, Navy center snapped ball out of end zone

Penn State capitalized on a fumble and two short punts to score three second-quarter touchdowns and break the game wide open against Navy. The Nittany Lions opened scoring with just one second left in the first as QB Tom Shuman hit SE Gary Heyman for a touchdown to cap an 88-yard drive. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, E Greg Murphy recovered a fumble by RB Bob Jackson at the Navy 41, and the Lions took two-and-a-half minutes and five plays to score again. Penn State scored on two more quick drives of 60 and 51 yards following short punts into a stiff wind by John Stufflebeem. The Lions added a field goal by Chris Bahr midway through the third and backup QB John Clark capped a 56-yard drive with a keeper to put Penn State ahead 37-0. The final points of the contest came when a snap from Navy's center sailed over Stufflebeem's head and out of the end zone for a safety.[14]

Syracuse

Team 1 234Total
• Penn St 3 19216 49
Syracuse 0 060 6
Scoring summary
1PSUBahr 50-yard field goalPenn St 3–0
2PSUBahr 21-yard field goalPenn St 6–0
2PSUShuman 1-yard run (pass failed)Penn St 12–0
2PSUNagle 1-yard run (Bahr kick)Penn St 19–0
2PSUBahr 33-yard field goalPenn St 22–0
3SYRBrennan 16-yard pass from Milch (pass failed)Penn St 22–6
3PSUNagle 78-yard fumble recovery (Bahr kick)Penn St 29–6
3PSUTaylor 1-yard run (Bahr kick)Penn St 36–6
3PSUBoyle 4-yard run (Bahr kick)Penn St 43–6
4PSUBarvinchak 4-yard run (kick failed)Penn St 49–6

[15]


Roster

1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 16 Dick Barvinchak So
OT 74 Jeff Bleamer Jr
RB 22 John Cappelletti Sr
TE 81 Ron Coder So
RB 32 Tom Donchez Jr
OT 77 Charlie Getty Sr
C 51 Bill Johnson Jr
WR 28 Gary Hayman Sr
OT 65 Phil LaPorta Sr
C 54 Mark Markovich Sr
G 61 John Nessel Jr
G 72 Tom Rafferty So
WR 19 Jimmy Scott Sr
QB 12 Tom Shuman Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB Kurt Allerman Fr
LB 68 Doug Allen Sr
LB 67 Greg Buttle So
DT 53 Randy Crowder Sr
LB 66 Chris Devlin Jr
DE 85 Dave Graf Jr
DE 79 Mike Hartenstine Jr
LB 41 Tom Hull Sr
S 11 Jack Koniszewski Sr
S 14 Scott Mitchell Sr
LB 87 Ed O'Neil Sr
LB 33 James Rosecrans So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 99 Chris Bahr So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster


Statistics

Passing

Player Comp Att Yards TD INT
Shuman 83 161 1,375 13 5
Barvinchak 8 15 163 1 2
Cappelletti 1 2 17 0 0
Clark 1 4 −3 0 0
Petchel 0 1 0 0 0

[16]

Awards

Heisman Trophy
Maxwell Award
Walter Camp Award

NFL draft

Ten Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1974 NFL draft.

Round Pick Overall Name Position Team
1st 8 8 Ed O'Neil Linebacker Detroit Lions
1st 11 11 John Cappelletti Running back Los Angeles Rams
2nd 1 27 Doug Allen Linebacker Buffalo Bills
2nd 15 41 Charlie Getty Offensive tackle Kansas City Chiefs
2nd 17 43 Mark Markovich Center San Diego Chargers
5th 2 106 Gary Hayman Running back Buffalo Bills
6th 6 136 Randy Crowder Defensive tackle Miami Dolphins
9th 9 217 Phil LaPorta Offensive tackle New Orleans Saints
10th 22 256 Chuck Herd Wide receiver Cincinnati Bengals
12th 8 294 Tom Hull Linebacker San Francisco 49ers

References

  1. ^ "8th-ranked Nittany Lions whip Stanford". The Bradenton Herald. September 16, 1973. Retrieved September 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Nittany Lions roar past outclassed Midshipmen". The Palm Beach Post-Times. September 23, 1973. Retrieved September 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Penn St. rolls over Iowa, 27–8". Staten Island Advance. September 30, 1973. Retrieved September 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Penn State beats Air Force 19–9". The Daily Advertiser. October 7, 1973. Retrieved September 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Lions finish off military, 54–3". The Pittsburgh Press. October 14, 1973. Retrieved September 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Penn State routs Syracuse, 49–6". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 21, 1973. Retrieved September 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Penn St. blitzes West Va". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 28, 1973. Retrieved January 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Nittany Lions blast Maryland". The Tampa Tribune. November 4, 1973. Retrieved January 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Phew! Penn State squeaks by 35–29". Sunday News. November 11, 1973. Retrieved January 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Cappelletti scores 4 TDs; Penn State romps, 49–10". The Shreveport Times. November 18, 1973. Retrieved September 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Penn State rallies to punish Pitt". The Wichita Eagle & Beacon. November 25, 1973. Retrieved September 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Penn State a winner by 16 to 9". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 2, 1974. Retrieved October 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Schedule/Results (1973 Penn State)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  14. ^ "Nittany Lions Roar Past Outclassed Midshipmen." Palm Beach Post. p. 84. 1973 Sep 23.
  15. ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1973 Oct 21.
  16. ^ Nittany Anthology
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