The 1972 UCLA Bruins football team represented University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1972 college football season . Members of the Pacific-8 Conference , the Bruins were led by second-year head coach Pepper Rodgers and played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum .
The new quarterback this season was Mark Harmon , a junior college transfer and son of Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon .[1] [2] In his first game for the Bruins, Harmon led the wishbone offense and gained a late night upset of top-ranked Nebraska at the Coliseum. An 18-point underdog , UCLA was never behind; Nebraska had five turnovers but fought back to tie the score before halftime at ten and again early in the fourth quarter at seventeen. In their final drive, Harmon drove UCLA into field goal range and Efren Herrera made a 29-yarder in the final half minute for the 20–17 win.[1] [2] It halted the two-time defending national champion Huskers' unbeaten streak at 32 games and vaulted the previously unranked Bruins (2–7–1 in 1971 ) to eighth in the AP Poll , as Nebraska slid to tenth.[3]
Two weeks later, the Bruins lost at home to Michigan , but then won six straight and improved to 8–1 overall. An upset loss to Washington at Husky Stadium in Seattle and an expected one to top-ranked rival USC in the Coliseum ended UCLA's season at 8–3.[4] [5] The Pac-8 runner-up, they were ranked fifteenth in the final AP poll;[6] the conference did not allow a second bowl team until the 1975 season.
Schedule [ ]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance September 9 No. 1 Nebraska * W 20–1767,702
September 16 at Pittsburgh * No. 8 W 38–2824,315
September 23 No. 12 Michigan * No. 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA [8] L 9–2657,129
September 29 Oregon No. 15 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA [9] W 65–2030,309
October 7 Arizona * No. 14 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 42–3127,321
October 14 at Oregon State No. 14 W 37–723,109
October 21 at California No. 11 W 49–1333,000
October 28 Washington State No. 9 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA [12] W 35–2029,950
November 4 Stanford No. 8 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA [13] W 28–2347,276
November 11 at Washington No. 8 L 21–3059,500
November 18 vs. No. 1 USC No. 14 L 7–2459,151
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll
Prior to the 1975 season, the Pac-8 and Big Ten conferences allowed only one postseason participant each, for the Rose Bowl .
Roster [ ]
1972 UCLA Bruins football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
G
65
Goodman, Brian Brian Goodman
7.0 ! Sr
QB
7
Harmon, Mark Mark Harmon
5.0 ! Jr
WR
82
Lyman, Brad Brad Lyman
7.0 ! Sr
RB
32
McAlister, James James McAlister
5.0 ! Jr
QB
15
Sciarra, John John Sciarra
1.0 ! Fr
RB
21
Scribner, Rob Rob Scribner
7.0 ! Sr
T
74
Walton, Bruce Bruce Walton
7.0 ! Sr
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
DB
20
Allen, Jimmy Jimmy Allen
5.0 ! Jr
FS
24
Bright, Jim Jim Bright
5.0 ! Jr
DB
29
Ellis, Alan Alan Ellis
7.0 ! Sr
DB
22
Fryer, Mike Mike Fryer
5.0 ! Jr
DE
92
McNeill, Fred Fred McNeill
5.0 ! Jr
DE
90
Peterson, Cal Cal Peterson
5.0 ! Jr
DT
66
Sandifer, Bill Bill Sandifer
5.0 ! Jr
LB
8
Jorgensen, Jack Jack Jorgensen
3.0 ! So
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
P
44
Barnes, Bruce Bruce Barnes
3.0 ! So
K
1
Herrera, Efren Efren Herrera
5.0 ! Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Awards and honors [ ]
All-Conference First Team: Bruce Barnes (P), Allan Ellis (DB), Kermit Johnson (RB), Steve Klosterman (OG), James McAlister (RB), Fred McNeill (DE), Bruce Walton (OT)[15]
References [ ]
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jenkins, Dan (September 18, 1972). "Young Harmon makes his mark" . Sports Illustrated : 32. https://www.si.com/vault/1972/09/18/614369/young-harmon-makes-his-mark .
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Bruins upend Cornhuskers on Herrera's field goal, 20-17" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 3C. September 10, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qt1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6645%2C2176214 .
↑ "USC vaults into lead; UCLA 8th" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 1C. September 10, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rN1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2034%2C2859918 .
↑ 4.0 4.1 "Trojans roll past Bruins, 24-7" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 5B. November 19, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NApWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6491%2C4902755 .
↑ 2013 UCLA Football Media Guide , UCLA, 2013
↑ Nissenson, Herschel (January 3, 1973). "It's official: Trojans No. 1 grid team" . Reading Eagle . Associated Press ((Pennsylvania)): p. 48. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8gwrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4443%2C1498813 .
↑ "Bruins use strong start to down Pitt, 38-28" . Eugene Register-Guard . New York Times news service ((Oregon)): p. 1B. September 17, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sd1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6723%2C4101410 .
↑ "Michigan grinds out victory over Bruins" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 2B. September 24, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uN1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6559%2C5826731 .
↑ Cawood, Neil (September 30, 1972). "Bruins roll past defenseless Webfoots, 65-20" . Eugene Register-Guard ((Oregon)): p. 1B. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vt1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6518%2C7317171 .
↑ "It's 37-7 for Bruins" . Spokesman-Review . Associated Press ((Spokane, Washington)): p. 2, sports. October 15, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ns8RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7141%2C6710698 .
↑ "Johnson paces Bruins, 49-13" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 4C. October 22, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VmwRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5314%2C5584894 .
↑ "Bruins stay perfect in Pacific-8 chase" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 4C. October 29, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XWwRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6598%2C7424186 .
↑ "Bruins rally, trip Stanford" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 5D. November 5, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JwpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6341%2C1273533 .
↑ "Huskies surprise UCLA" . Eugene Register-Guard . Associated Press ((Oregon)): p. 2C. November 12, 1972. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LgpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6440%2C3095539 .
↑ 1975 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletic News Bureau, 1975
External links [ ]