1973 Montana State Bobcats football team

The 1973 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. In their third season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled a 7–4 record (5–1 against Big Sky opponents) and finished second in the Big Sky.[1]

1973 Montana State Bobcats football
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record7–4 (5–1 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDon Christensen (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorSonny Lubick (3rd season)
Home stadiumSales Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Boise State $^ 6 0 0 10 3 0
Montana State 5 1 0 7 4 0
Idaho 3 2 0 4 7 0
Northern Arizona 2 3 0 4 6 0
Montana 2 4 0 4 6 0
Weber State 2 4 0 3 8 0
Idaho State 0 6 0 2 9 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP small college poll

The team played its home games in the newly constructed, 10,000-seat Reno H. Sales Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.[2]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 8Idaho State*W 42–78,350
September 15at North Dakota State*L 17–346,700–7,100[3]
September 22at No. 10 Boise StateL 17–2714,521[4]
September 29Fresno State*
  • Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 38–69,253
October 6at Idaho StateW 43–2111,000
October 13Weber State 
  • Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 33–09,837
October 20Montana
W 33–712,335
October 27at IdahoW 35–147,068[5]
November 3at Northern ArizonaW 45–03,100[6]
November 10North Dakota*No. 15
  • Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
L 30–415,600
November 17at Santa Clara*L 6–104,220[7]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Bobcat Record Book" (PDF). Montana State University. 2018. p. 59. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "New year, new stadium for Cats". Great Falls Tribune. September 6, 1973. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "MSU loses free-for-all". The Billings Gazette. September 16, 1973. Retrieved October 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Autele leads Boise victory". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. September 23, 1973. p. 2, sports.
  5. ^ Emerson, Paul (October 28, 1973). "Classy Montana State punishes Vandals, 35-14". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 19.
  6. ^ "'Cats Blast Axers, 45-0". Idaho State Journal. November 4, 1973. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Santa Clara clips MSU eleven, 10-6". The Montana Standard. November 18, 1973. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 21, 2022.