73' highlights

[denguegopher]

I too am excited about the two new recruits. But this was fun to watch this over on Gophersports. Some observations 1) those old artificial turf fields looked like painted parking lots, probably felt like playing on them too, 2) I wish that Larry Powell had remained healthy, he was talented, 3) the offensive numbers were miniscule in the early '70's, 4) I remember watching the Illinois game on TV - I would have sworn that Fasch threw that TD to Mike Jones, nope it was Dale Hendrickson. I would have also bet the house that that play was what my high school called 52 Dump (straight down the line, set back and then dump it to the TE), but the film clearly shows counter action in the backfield. My memory was wrong on the play, but the '73 season was a great memory anyway. Let's have a great 2013! http://www.gophersports.com/allaccess/?media=391002

 

[husker70]

Thank you for bringing the 1973 team back to life. Ollie Bakken was a great athlete who died too young. They named the field at Harding for him. I have always liked Gil Fash. A seldom if ever used 5th year senior, he took a beating in the Illinois game. And couldn't hit anyone, all game long. But the defense gave him one last shot, and he delivered. My memory of that play that day when he threw it, was can he hit anyone? But it was perfect, in stride a beautiful pass.

Something I have never understood is why the Alumni Association, Athletic Department, et al do no bring back a Gil Fash for the Illinois Game. Or bring back Kent Kitzman. Same could be said of other players who have owned an opponent. Heck make it a point to bring Rickey Foggie back for Wisconsin.

 

[BleedGopher]

STrib: Forgotten anniversaries: 1973 Gophers football

Plenty of Minnesota sports anniversaries and years are embedded in our collective sports minds. Merely mention 1987, 1991 or 1998, for example, and the Twins’ two World Series titles plus the Vikings’ 15-1 season spring immediately to mind. But what about some lesser-known anniversaries? We’re here to take a look back at some of those, in increments of five years, dating backward from 2013.

Today: The 1973 Gophers football team and five things you might have forgotten about that season.

• The Gophers in 1973 finished 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. Minnesota has not equaled that conference mark in any season since then. They have gone 5-3 numerous times, most recently 2003 under Glen Mason, but they have not gone 6-2 since that season 40 years ago.

• The Gophers were most certainly a running team. Their leading rusher that season, according to Gophersports.com, was Rick Upchurch, who averaged nearly 6 yards per carry (141 rushes for 841 yards). He was one of four players to top at least 400 yards on the ground. Conversely, their leading receiver was tight end Keith Fahnhorst, who had a rather unspectacular 10 catches for 102 yards.

• The head coach? Cal Stoll, who was in his second season after taking over for Murry Warmath. Stoll departed after seven seasons with what at the time looked like a pedestrian 39-39 career record. Joe Salem, Lou Holtz, John Gutekunst, Jim Wacker, Glen Mason, Tim Brewster and Jerry Kill have followed. Only one of them — Mason — has a career record above .500 at Minnesota.

• The Gophers’ losses were to Kansas and Nebraska (nonconference) as well as Ohio State and Michigan, who tied atop the Big Ten at 7-0-1. Minnesota also won six of its final seven games. Despite that robust record, the Gophers did NOT go to a bowl game. Lest we forget, that was the era before there were approximately 92.3 billion bowl games. In fact, there were only 11 of them.

• In a bit of serendipity, a highlight video of the 1973 season recently was posted on the school’s athletics website, Gophersports.com. There is footage that should make you nostalgic for the football played 40 years ago.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/212083741.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

STrib: Forgotten anniversaries: 1973 Gophers football

Plenty of Minnesota sports anniversaries and years are embedded in our collective sports minds. Merely mention 1987, 1991 or 1998, for example, and the Twins’ two World Series titles plus the Vikings’ 15-1 season spring immediately to mind. But what about some lesser-known anniversaries? We’re here to take a look back at some of those, in increments of five years, dating backward from 2013.

Today: The 1973 Gophers football team and five things you might have forgotten about that season.

• The Gophers in 1973 finished 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. Minnesota has not equaled that conference mark in any season since then. They have gone 5-3 numerous times, most recently 2003 under Glen Mason, but they have not gone 6-2 since that season 40 years ago.

• The Gophers were most certainly a running team. Their leading rusher that season, according to Gophersports.com, was Rick Upchurch, who averaged nearly 6 yards per carry (141 rushes for 841 yards). He was one of four players to top at least 400 yards on the ground. Conversely, their leading receiver was tight end Keith Fahnhorst, who had a rather unspectacular 10 catches for 102 yards.

• The head coach? Cal Stoll, who was in his second season after taking over for Murry Warmath. Stoll departed after seven seasons with what at the time looked like a pedestrian 39-39 career record. Joe Salem, Lou Holtz, John Gutekunst, Jim Wacker, Glen Mason, Tim Brewster and Jerry Kill have followed. Only one of them — Mason — has a career record above .500 at Minnesota.

• The Gophers’ losses were to Kansas and Nebraska (nonconference) as well as Ohio State and Michigan, who tied atop the Big Ten at 7-0-1. Minnesota also won six of its final seven games. Despite that robust record, the Gophers did NOT go to a bowl game. Lest we forget, that was the era before there were approximately 92.3 billion bowl games. In fact, there were only 11 of them.

• In a bit of serendipity, a highlight video of the 1973 season recently was posted on the school’s athletics website, Gophersports.com. There is footage that should make you nostalgic for the football played 40 years ago.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/212083741.html

Go Gophers!!

The other thing not mentioned about not going to a bowl game was that the B1G did not allow any team to go to a bowl game other than the champion going to the Rose Bowl. Ohio State went to the Rose Bowl that year and Michigan stayed home (which I don't understand because tOSU had been there the year before and I thought at the time the tie breaker was longest since going, but the AD's voted and tOSU won 6-4). I believe the Gophers in 1977 were the first team to go to a bowl game other than the Rose Bowl. And at the time people were complaining about how ridiculous the Bowl games were because the new Hall of Fame Classic was the ... 12th Bowl game!! Unthinkable!

 

[husker70]

" Ohio State went to the Rose Bowl that year and Michigan stayed home (which I don't understand because tOSU had been there the year before and I thought at the time the tie breaker was longest since going, but the AD's voted and tOSU won 6-4)"

Loyalists in Ann Arbor were outraged. The undefeated Michigan team played Ohio State to a 10-10 tie. The Conference AD's said the fact that Dennis Franklin the Michigan QB had broken his arm in the game made Ohio State the best representative for the Conference This fueled The 10 Year War between Michigan and Ohio State.

 

[highwayman]

40 years later, Gil Fash is still a legend to our family. In fact, many times when we are watching a sporting event, whether on TV or in person, his name will come up. If an unheralded player makes a great play, we give him the "Gil Fash Award".

Season results:
Sat, Sep 15 Ohio State 3 at Columbus, Ohio 7 - 56 (L)
Sat, Sep 22 North Dakota - Memorial Stadium 41 - 14 (W)
Sat, Sep 29 Kansas - at Lawrence, Kan. 19 - 34 (L)
Sat, Oct 06 Nebraska 2 Memorial Stadium 7 - 48 (L)
Sat, Oct 13 Indiana - Memorial Stadium 24 - 3 (W)
Sat, Oct 20 Iowa - at Iowa City, Iowa 31 - 23 (W)
Sat, Oct 27 Michigan 4 Memorial Stadium 7 - 34 (L)
Sat, Nov 03 Northwestern - at Evanston, Ill. 52 - 43 (W)
Sat, Nov 10 Purdue - Memorial Stadium 34 - 7 (W)
Sat, Nov 17 Illinois - at Champaign, Ill. 19 - 16 (W)
Sat, Nov 24 Wisconsin - Memorial Stadium 19 - 17 (W)
.
There were only three teams in the B1G that finished over .500 that season, both overall and within conference play.

To be honest with you, I loved those all gold unis, too.

Upchurch was a man among boys. #41 Larry Powell would have likely been one of the greatest RBs in Minnesota history, but contracted polio in the off-season.