1973 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

1973 Cal Poly Mustangs football
1973 Cal Poly Mustangs football
CCAA champion
Conference	California Collegiate Athletic Association
Ranking
Coaches	No. 9 (UPI small college)
AP	No. 8 (small college)
Record	9–1 (4–0 CCAA)
Head coach	Joe Harper (6th season);
Home stadium	Mustang Stadium
	Seasons ← 1972 1974 →

The 1973 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Joe Harper, Cal Poly compiled an overall record of 9–1 with a mark of 4–0 in conference play, winning the CCAA title for the fifth consecutive season. The Mustangs were ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press and No. 9 by the United Press International in the final small college rankings. Cal Poly played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.

1973 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 8/9 Cal Poly $	4	–	0	–	0	9	–	1	–	0
UC Riverside	3	–	1	–	0	8	–	2	–	0
Cal State Fullerton	1	–	3	–	0	7	–	4	–	0
Cal Poly Pomona	1	–	3	–	0	4	–	6	–	1
Cal State Northridge	1	–	3	–	0	2	–	9	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP/UPI small college polls

Schedule edit

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 15	at Cal State Northridge		Devonshire Downs Northridge, CA	W 65–20	3,300	^[1]
September 22	Idaho State*	No. 8	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 20–10	6,929
September 29	at UC Riverside	No. 7	Highlander Stadium Riverside, CA	W 26–17	3,500	^[2]
October 13	Cal Poly Pomona	No. 5	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 41–0	6,780	^[3]
October 20	Cal State Fullerton	No. 4	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 21–7	6,749	^[4]
October 27	Fresno State*	No. 3	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 28–14	7,459
November 3	at Cal State Hayward*	No. 3	Pioneer Stadium Hayward, CA	W 58–0	3,200
November 10	at Cal Lutheran*	No. 4	Mt. Clef Field Thousand Oaks, CA	W 63–14	5,000	^[5]
November 17	at No. 11 Boise State*	No. 4	Bronco Stadium Boise, ID	L 10–42	13,885	^[6]
November 24	Long Beach State*	No. 10	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 31–7	3,086	^[7]
*Non-conference game Rankings from UPI Poll released prior to the game

^ "Coulson Leads Cal Poly SLO to Runaway Victory, 65-20". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 16, 1973. p. III-14. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Long Beach State Still Without Win -- Ties North Texas St., 0-0". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 30, 1973. p. III-14. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "49ers Remain Winless, Lose to Pacific, 10-6". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 14, 1973. p. III-14. Retrieved February 20, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Earl Gustkey (October 21, 1973). "Cal Poly Tops Titans to Win CCAA Crown". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. III-17. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Aztecs Beat 49ers, 17-2, on Freitas Passes". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 11, 1973. p. III-15. Retrieved February 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "2015 Boise State Football Media Guide". Boise State University Athletics. 2015. p. 157. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
^ "49ers' Dismal Season Ended by 31-7 Loss". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 25, 1973. p. III-15. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
^ "Cal Poly Football; 2016 Media Guide". Retrieved January 12, 2017.