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1973 Wittenberg Tigers football team

The 1973 Wittenberg Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Wittenberg University in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1973 NCAA Division III football season. In their fifth year under head coach Dave Maurer, the Tigers compiled a perfect 12–0 record and won the OAC championship, defeating Marietta (35–7) in the OAC championship game.[1]

1973 Wittenberg Tigers football
NCAA Division III champion
OAC champion
OAC Red Division champion
OAC championship game, W 35–7 at Marietta
ConferenceOhio Athletic Conference
DivisionRed Division
Record12–0 (5–0 OAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumWittenberg Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Blue Division
Marietta xy 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Muskingum 2 – 1 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Ohio Wesleyan 2 – 1 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Otterbein 1 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Denison 0 – 3 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Red Division
No. 4 Wittenberg xy$^ 5 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0
Baldwin–Wallace 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wooster 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Heidelberg 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Capital 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Mount Union 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Not competing for championship
Kenyon   –   5 – 4 – 0
Oberlin   –   4 – 5 – 0
Championship: Wittenberg 35, Marietta 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AP small college poll

The Tigers qualified for the first-ever NCAA Division III playoffs where they defeated San Diego (21–14) in the semifinals,[2] then shutting out Juniata (41–0) in the fifth annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.[3] The Stagg Bowl had previously been a western region championship game and in 1973 became the official Division III national championship game.[4]

At the end of the season, coach Maurer was honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) with its Kodak College Division Coach of the Year award.[5] He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.[6]

Senior offensive tackle Steve Drongowski received first-team honors on the Associated Press Little All-America team.[7] He was also named a first-team player on the Kodak College Division All-America team.[8] Drongowski also received the Mike Gregory Award as the most valuable offensive player in the OAC. Defensive back Randy DeMont received the Hank Critchfield Award as the OAC's most valuable defensive player.[9]

Wittenberg played its home games at Wittenberg Stadium in Springfield, Ohio.

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15Central State (OH)*
W 42–133,400[10]
September 22at Valparaiso*Valparaiso, INW 37–7[11]
September 29 No. 7 Ashland*
  • Wittenberg Stadium
  • Springfield, OH
W 24–7[12]
October 6Ohio Wesleyan*
  • Wittenberg Stadium
  • Springfield, OH
W 41–7[13]
October 13Baldwin–Wallace*dagger No. 13
  • Wittenberg Stadium
  • Springfield, OH
W 14–0[14]
October 20at WoosterNo. 9Wooster, OHW 38–0[15]
October 27at Mount UnionNo. 7Alliance, OHW 35–175,500[16]
November 3HeidelbergNo. 7
  • Wittenberg Stadium
  • Springfield, OH
W 31–147,000[17]
November 10at CapitalNo. 6Columbus, OHW 35–7[18]
November 17at Marietta*No. 6Marietta, OH (OAC championship game)W 35–71,500[1]
December 1San Diego*No. 4
W 21–146,200[19][2]
December 8vs. Juniata*No. 4
  • Phenix Municipal Stadium
  • Phenix City, AL (NCAA Division III Championship Game)
W 41–0[4][3]
  • *Non-conference game
  • dagger Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wittenberg Drumms Loud". Dayton Daily News. November 18, 1973. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "San Diego Falls: Defense Sends Wittenberg Into National Title Game". Dayton Daily News. December 2, 1973. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Wittenberg Overwhelms Juniata, 41-0". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 9, 1973. p. 14C.
  4. ^ a b "Phenix City Hosts 3rd Title Game". The Montgomery Advertiser. December 7, 1973. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Kodak Awards". The Spokesman-Review. December 22, 1973 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Dave Maurer". National Football Foundation. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "AP honors Drongowski". The Journal Herald. December 7, 1973. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Two More Honors for Drongowski". Dayton Daily News. December 21, 1973. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Wittenberg Football 2009 Online Media Guide" (PDF). Wittenberg University. 2009. p. 20. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  10. ^ "Wittenberg's Back Hendrix Helps Tigers Rip Marauders". Dayton Daily News. September 16, 1973. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Reid Sparks Wittenberg". Dayton Daily News. September 23, 1973. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Wittenberg Halts Ashland Win Streak". Dayton Daily News. September 30, 1973. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Hendrix Sparks Wittenberg Romp". Dayton Daily News. October 7, 1973. p. 8D – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Tigers Control 14-0 Shutout". Dayton Daily News. October 14, 1973. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Tigers Rip Wooster For Sixth Straight". Dayton Daily News. October 21, 1973. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Error-Prone Wittenberg Romps". Dayton Daily News. October 28, 1973. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Tigers Handle Heidelberg, 31-14". Dayton Daily News. November 4, 1973. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Tigers Finish 9-0 By Rapping Capital". Dayton Daily News. November 11, 1973. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Blocked Punts Costly as USD Loses, 21-14". Los Angeles Times. December 2, 1973. p. III-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
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