The 1972 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1972 college football season . The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler . The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium .
Schedule [ ]
Date
Time
Opponent#
Rank #
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
September 16, 1972
Northwestern
#11/10
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 7–0 71,757
September 23, 1972*
at #6/7 UCLA
#12/11
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA
W 26–9 57,129
September 30, 1972*
#18/NR Tulane
#8/8
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 41–7 84,162
October 7, 1972*
Navy
#5/6
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 35–7 81,131
October 14, 1972
Michigan State
#5/6
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 10–0 103,735
October 21, 1972
at Illinois
#6/6
Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Il
W 31–7 64,290
October 28, 1972†
Minnesota
#5/5
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 42–0 84,190
November 4, 1972
at Indiana
#4/5
Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
W 21–7 41,336
November 11, 1972
at Iowa
#4/5
Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA
W 31–0 43,176
November 18, 1972
Purdue
#3/3
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
W 9–6 88,423
November 25, 1972
at #9/8 Ohio State
#3/3
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH
L 14–11 87,040
*Non-Conference Game. † Homecoming. # Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Preseason [ ] Michigan was ranked 18th by Sports Illustrated heading into the 1972 season but there was little doubt in Ann Arbor that their recent success under Bo Schembechler would continue even with the loss of 13 starters to graduation.[1]
At quarterback , Schembechler was expected to alternate three quarterbacks but favorite to win the job was Dennis Franklin and the position would be secure by the time the Wolverines had to play Purdue and Ohio State at year's end.
Gil Chapman had wowed coaches and alumni by scoring on a 60-yard pass play in the spring game as Schembechler was quoted as saying "He's the fastest player I've ever had at Michigan."[1]
Ed Shuttlesworth , one of the few to return from the 1971 team , was predicted to build off what he had done the previous year with more playing time. [1]
With Chapman, Shuttlesworth and others, Michigan would have more speed but the success would once again fall on two linemen, Fred Grambau on defense and Paul Seymour on offense. Schembechler was shifting Seymour from tight end but his replacement, Paul Seal , would ensure there would be no drop off in physicality at the position.[1]
Players [ ] Offense [ ] Harry Banks, tailback, junior, Cleveland, Ohio - started 4 games at tailback
Kevin Casey, quarterback, junior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Gil Chapman , wing back, sophomore, Elizabeth, New Jersey - started 5 games at split endLarry Cipa , quarterback, senior, Cincinnati, Ohio Gary R. Coakley, split end, senior, Detroit , Michigan
Jim Coode , offensive tackle, junior, Mayfield Heights, Ohio - started all 12 games at left tackleThomas J. Coyle, offensive guard, senior, Chicago , Illinois - started all 12 games at right guard
John W. Daniels, split end, senior, Newark, Ohio - started 1 game at split end
Greg DenBoer, tight end, sophomore, Kentwood, Michigan
Dennis Franklin , quarterback, sophomore, Massillon, Ohio - started all 12 games at quarterbackDennis Franks , center, sophomore, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Larry Gustafson, wing back, junior, Mays Landing, New Jersey
Gary Hainrihar, center, junior, Cicero, Illinois
William J. "Bill" Hart, center, senior, Rockford, Michigan - started all 12 games at center
Clint Haslerig , wing back, junior, Cincinnati, Ohio - started all 12 games at wing backChuck Heater , tailback, sophomore, Tiffin, Ohio - started 8 games at tailbackMike Hoban , offensive guard, junior, Chicago, Illinois - started 11 games at left guardCharles J. Kupec, tight end, sophomore, Oak Lawn, Illinois
Mike Lantry , place-kicker, sophomore, Oxford, Michigan David F. Metz, offensive guard, sophomore, Harrison, Ohio
Thomas Poplawski, offensive tackle, senior, Warren, Michigan
Bo Rather , split end, senior, Sandusky, Ohio - started 6 games at split endGerald F. "Jerry" Schumacher, offensive guard, senior, Chicago, Illinois - started 1 game at left guard
Paul Seal , tight end, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started all 12 games at tight endPaul Seymour , tight end, senior, Berkley, Michigan - started 11 games at right tackleEd Shuttlesworth , fullback, junior Cincinnati, Ohio - started 8 games at fullbackTom Slade , quarterback, junior, Saginaw, Michigan Bob Thornbladh , fullback, junior, Plymouth, Michigan - started 4 games at fullbackCurtis Tucker, offensive tackle, junior, Cleveland, Ohio Defense [ ] Dave Brandon , defensie end (JV), junior, Plymouth, Michigan Dave Brown , safety, sophomore, Akron, Ohio - started all 12 games at safetyRoy W. Burks, defensive back, sophomore, Midland, Michigan - started all 12 games at strong-side defensive halfback
Donald A. Coleman , defensive end, junior, Daly City, Ohio - started 10 games at right defensive endBarry Dotzauer, defensive back, junior, Cincinnati, Ohio - started 11 games at weak-side defensive halfback
Thomas E. Drake, defensive back, junior, Midland, Michigan - started 1 game at weak-side defensive halfback
Gregory A. Ellis, middle guard, senior, Connersville, Indiana
Dave Gallagher , defensive tackle, junior, Piqua, Ohio - started all 12 games at right defensive tackleFred Grambau , defensive tackle, senior, Ossineke, Michigan - started 11 games at left defensive tackleLinwood Harden, defensive back, sophomore, Detroit, Michigan
Bill Hoban, defensive end, sophomore, Chicago, Illinois
Larry L. Johnson, defensive end, junior, Munster, Indiana - started one game at right defensive end
James D. Johnston, wolf, junior, Dallas, Texas
Thomas G. Kee, linebacker, senior, Wheaton, Illinois - started all 12 games at outside linebacker
Gregory Koss, safety, junior, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Randy Logan , wolf, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started all 12 games at wolfmanCraig A. Mutch, linebacker, junior, Detroit, Michigan - started 11 games at middle linebacker
John A. Pighee, safety, senior, Cleveland Ohio
Carl Russ , linebacker, sophomore, Muskegon Heights, Michigan Walter E. Sexton, middle guard, junior, Massapequa, New York - started 1 games at right offensive tackle
Tony L. Smith, defensive tackle, senior, Detroit, Michigan - started 1 game at left defensive tackle
Clinton Spearman, defensive end, senior, Hamilton, Ohio - started 11 games at left defensive end
Geoffrey Steger, wolf, junior, Winnetka, Illinois
Steve Strinko , linebacker, sophomore, Middletown, Ohio - started 1 game at middle linebackerDouglas Troszak, defensive tackle, junior, Warren, Michigan
Walter Williamson, defensive end, junior, Detroit, Michigan started 1 game at left defensive end, 1 game at right defensive end
David Zuccarelli, wolf, senior, Chicago, Illinois Awards and honors [ ] All-Americans: Randy Logan , Paul Seymour
All-Big Ten: Paul Seymour, Tom Coyle, Clint Spearman, Fred Grambau, Randy Logan, Ed Shuttlesworth, Dave Brown
Most Valuable Player: Randy Logan
Meyer Morton Award: Randy Logan
John Maulbetsch Award: Dennis Franklin
Frederick Matthei Award: Tom Drake
Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Dave Zucarelli Depth chart [ ]
Defensive Starters
[2]
CB
Barry Dotzauer
Tom Drake
Offensive Starters
[3]
Statistical leaders [ ] Rushing [ ] Passing [ ]
Player
Attempts
Completions
Interceptions
Comp %
Yards
Yds/Comp
TD
Long
Dennis Franklin 123
59
2
48.0
818
13.9
6
52
Larry Cipa 11
4
1
36.4
51
12.8
0
Receiving [ ] Kickoff returns [ ] Punt returns [ ] Coaching staff [ ] Game summaries [ ] Game 1: Northwestern [ ] Game 2: UCLA [ ] Game 3: Tulane [ ] Game 4: Navy [ ] CB Roy Burks recovered WR Ike Owens fumble on the second half kickoff. Six plays later, Dennis Franklin found Bo Rather for a nine-yard touchdown pass.[4]
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring Information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
Navy
Michigan
2
Michigan
Dennis Franklin 6-yard touchdown run, kick good
0
7
3
Michigan
Bo Rather 9-yard touchdown reception from Dennis Franklin, kick good
0
14
3
Michigan
Dennis Brown 83-yard punt return, kick good
0
21
3
Michigan
Chuck Heater 13-yard touchdown run, kick good
0
28
3
Michigan
Paul Seal 10-yard touchdown reception from Dennis Franklin, kick good
0
35
4
2:19
Navy
Robin Ameen 3-yard touchdown reception from Allen Glenny, kick good
7
35
"TOP" = Time of Possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football .
7
35
Game 6: Michigan State [ ] Game 7: Illinois [ ] Game 8: Minnesota [ ] Game 9: Indiana [ ] Game 10: Iowa [ ] Game 11: Purdue [ ] Game 12: Ohio State [ ] References [ ] External links [ ] 