1972 Stanford Cardinals football team

1972 Stanford Cardinals football
1972 Stanford Cardinals football
Conference	Pacific-8 Conference
Record	6–5 (4–4 Pac-8)
Head coach	Jack Christiansen (1st season);
Offensive coordinator	Robert A. Jones (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Norb Hecker (1st season)
Home stadium	Stanford Stadium
	Seasons ← 1971 1973 →

1972 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 1 USC $	7	–	0	–	0	12	–	0	–	0
No. 15 UCLA	5	–	2	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
No. 19 Washington State	4	–	3	–	0	7	–	4	–	0
Washington	4	–	3	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
California	3	–	4	–	0	3	–	8	–	0
Oregon	2	–	5	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Stanford	2	–	5	–	0	6	–	5	–	0
Oregon State	1	–	6	–	0	2	–	9	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. Following the departure of head coach John Ralston for the Denver Broncos in early January,^[1]^[2]^[3] defensive backs coach Jack Christiansen was promoted to head coach.^[4]^[5]^[6] Stanford finished at 6–5, but were 2–5 in Pacific-8 Conference play, tied for sixth.

The school changed its nickname from "Indians" to "Cardinals" in March after objections from Native American students and a vote by the student senate.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	San Jose State*		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	W 44–0
September 23	at Duke*	No. 19	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	W 10–6	24,600	^[11]
September 30	No. 20 West Virginia*	No. 19	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	W 41–35	56,000	^[12]
October 7	No. 1 USC	No. 15	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	L 21–30	84,000
October 14	No. 12 Washington	No. 17	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	W 24–0	56,000
October 21	at Oregon	No. 13	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	L 13–15	27,500	^[13]^[14]^[15]
October 28	Oregon State		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	W 17–11	44,000
November 4	at No. 8 UCLA		Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	L 23–28	47,276
November 11	at Washington State	No. 20	Martin Stadium Pullman, WA	L 13–27	20,500
November 18	at California		California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA (Big Game)	L 21–24	68,000
December 2	at Hawaii*		Honolulu Stadium Honolulu, HI	W 39–7	18,397
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Washington

Washington Huskies at Stanford Cardinals

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	7	14	3	0	24

at Stanford Stadium • Stanford, California

Date: October 14, 1972
Game attendance: 56,000

Game information

First quarter

STAN – Cross 23 yard pass from Boryla (Garcia kick). Stanford 7–0. Drive:

Second quarter

STAN – Alvarado 30 yard pass from Boryla (Garcia kick). Stanford 14-0. Drive:
STAN – M. Moore 13 yard pass from Murray (Garcia kick). Stanford 21-0. Drive:

Third quarter

STAN – Garcia 32 yard field goal. Stanford 24-0. Drive:

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Source^[16]^[17]

California

Stanford Cardinals at California Golden Bears

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	7	0	7	21
Golden Bears	0	3	8	13	24

at Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, California

Date: November 18, 1972
Game attendance: 68,000
Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Nov 19.

Game information

First quarter

STAN – Eric Cross 24-yard pass from Mike Boryla (Steve Murray kick). Stanford 7–0. Drive:

Second quarter

CAL – Ray Wersching 29-yard field goal. Stanford 7–3. Drive:
STAN – Gordon Riegel 71-yard interception return (Steve Murray kick). Stanford 14–3.

Third quarter

CAL – Syl Youngblood 4-yard run (pass good). Stanford 14–11. Drive:

Fourth quarter

CAL – Syl Youngblood 6-yard run (Ray Wersching kick). Cal 18–14. Drive:
STAN – Reggie Sanderson 3-yard run (Rod Garcia kick), 3:42. Stanford 21–18. Drive:
CAL – Steve Sweeney 7-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo, 0:00. Cal 24–21. Drive: 64 yards.

Top rushers

CAL – Steve Kemnitzer – 15 rushes, 60 yards

Personnel

1972 Stanford Cardinal football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	Name	Class
WR	Don Alvarado
OL	Mike Askea
QB	Mike Boryla
RB	Scott Boughton
OL	Chuck Cordes
WR	Eric Cross
OL	Lee Fair
WR	Reggie Ishman
RB	Doug Jena
OL	Younger Klipper
RB	Scott Laidlaw
RB	Vic Lamanuzzi
WR	Miles Moore
QB, P	Dave Ottmar
OL	Bill Reid
OL	Keith Rowen
RB	Reggie Sanderson	Sr
TE	Bill Scott
TE	Glen Stone
RB	John Winesberry

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DB		John Blanchard
DB		Dennis Bragonier
DL		Roger Cowan
DL		Jim Ferguson
DB		John Ferguson
DL		Peter Hansel
DB		Charles McCloud
LB		Jim Merlo
LB		Pat Moore
DB		Gary Murray
DB, K		Steve Murray
DL		Pierre Perreault
LB		Dennis Peterson
DB		Randy Poltl
DL		Barry Reynolds
DL		Roger Stillwell

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K		Rod Garcia

Head coach

Jack Christiansen

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Robert Jones – Offensive Coordinator & offensive line
David Currey – Offensive back
Pete Kettela – Receivers
Norb Hecker – Defensive Coordinator & defensive line
Ray Handley – Linebacker
George Seifert – Defensive back
Hudson Houck – Assistant
Bill Moultrie – Special Teams Coordinator

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

References

^ "Stanford's Ralston Broncos coach". Sarasota Herald Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 1D.
^ "Five-year pro deal to Ralston". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 23.
^ King, Errol (January 6, 1972). "Ralston's talking Super Bowl". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. p. C1.
^ "Christiansen accepts job at Stanford". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 16.
^ "White decides on Cal; Tribe gets Christiansen". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 22, 1972. p. 1B.
^ "Christiansen Stanford's coach, White goes to Cal". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 7.
^ "Indians are no more as Stanford name". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. March 4, 1972. p. 8.
^ "What is the history of Stanford's mascot and nickname?". Stanford Athletics. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
^ Wascher, Jim (March 3, 1972). "Senate abolishes mascot". The Stanford Daily. (California). p. 10.
^ "The Removal of the Indian Mascot at Stanford". Stanford Native American Cultural Center. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
^ "Stanford nips Duke". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. September 24, 1972. Retrieved January 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Stanford fights back West Virginia, 41–35". The Lincoln Star. October 1, 1972. Retrieved January 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Cawood, Neil (October 22, 1972). "Hungry Ducks pull 15-13 stunner". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
^ "Stanford upset". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. October 22, 1972. p. D-8.
^ "Ducks combine long run, tough defense for upset". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. October 23, 1972. p. 7.
^ "Cards dump Huskies, 24-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 15, 1972. p. 6C.
^ "Stanford beats UW with Sixkiller hurt". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 15, 1972. p. 2, sports.

External links

Game program: Stanford at Washington State – November 11, 1972

[ssota-1] "Stanford's Ralston Broncos coach". Sarasota Herald Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 1D.

[fypdtra-2] "Five-year pro deal to Ralston". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 23.

[rtspbl-3] King, Errol (January 6, 1972). "Ralston's talking Super Bowl". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. p. C1.

[wmmost-4] "Christiansen accepts job at Stanford". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 16.

[wdconc-5] "White decides on Cal; Tribe gets Christiansen". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 22, 1972. p. 1B.

[lnsupi-6] "Christiansen Stanford's coach, White goes to Cal". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 7.

[innomo-7] "Indians are no more as Stanford name". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. March 4, 1972. p. 8.

[mascot-8] "What is the history of Stanford's mascot and nickname?". Stanford Athletics. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[senabma-9] Wascher, Jim (March 3, 1972). "Senate abolishes mascot". The Stanford Daily. (California). p. 10.

[snacc-10] "The Removal of the Indian Mascot at Stanford". Stanford Native American Cultural Center. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009.

[11] "Stanford nips Duke". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. September 24, 1972. Retrieved January 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "Stanford fights back West Virginia, 41–35". The Lincoln Star. October 1, 1972. Retrieved January 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[hduxstnr-13] Cawood, Neil (October 22, 1972). "Hungry Ducks pull 15-13 stunner". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.

[stanuppp-14] "Stanford upset". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. October 22, 1972. p. D-8.

[dclrtdfup-15] "Ducks combine long run, tough defense for upset". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. October 23, 1972. p. 7.

[dumhus-16] "Cards dump Huskies, 24-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 15, 1972. p. 6C.

[sixhurt-17] "Stanford beats UW with Sixkiller hurt". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 15, 1972. p. 2, sports.

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