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1973 Utah Utes football
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
1973 record7–5 (4–2 WAC)
Head coachBill Meek (6th season)
Defensive coordinatorJim LaRue (6th season)
Home stadiumRice Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 WAC football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
No. 9 Arizona State § 6 1 0     11 1 0
Arizona § 6 1 0     8 3 0
Utah 4 2 0     7 5 0
BYU 3 4 0     5 6 0
New Mexico 3 4 0     4 7 0
Wyoming 3 4 0     4 7 0
Colorado State 2 4 0     5 6 0
UTEP 0 7 0     0 11 0
§ – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Utah Utes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In his sixth and final season as head coach, Bill Meek led the Utes to a 4–2 mark in the WAC and 7–5 overall.

Five weeks after the season ended, Meek resigned in early January 1974.[1] Defensive line coach Tom Lovat, a 35-year-old alumnus from Bingham, was retained for the interim for recruiting continuation,[2] and was promoted later that month.[3][4][5]

Schedule[]

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 15at No. 20 Texas Tech*L 22–29
September 22UTEPW 82–6
September 29at Oregon*W 35–17
October 6at No. 16 UCLA*L 16–66
October 13Wyoming
  • Rice Stadium
  • Salt Lake City, Utah
W 50–16
October 20at San Jose State*W 28–21
October 27at ArizonaL 21–42
November 3No. 8 Arizona Statedagger
  • Rice Stadium
  • Salt Lake City, Utah
W 36–31
November 10at New MexicoW 36–35
November 17Utah State*
  • Rice Stadium
  • Salt Lake City, Utah (rivalry)
W 31–28
November 24BYU
  • Rice Stadium
  • Salt Lake City, Utah (rivalry)
L 22–46
December 1at Hawaii*
L 6–7
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll
Source:[6][7]

Roster[]

1973 Utah Utes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 19 Van Galder, DonDon Van Galder Sr
RB 22 Spencer, IkeIke Spencer Jr
FL 25 Odom, SteveSteve Odom Sr
TE 45 Armstead, WillieWillie Armstead Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DT 72 Keller, GaryGary Keller Sr
DT 79 Rydalch, RonRon Rydalch Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
Source:[1][8]

NFL draft[]

Four Utes were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).

Player Position Round Pick NFL Club
Steve Odom Wide receiver 5th 116 Green Bay Packers
Ron Rydalch Defensive tackle 8th 197 New York Jets
Gary Keller Defensive tackle 13th 337 Minnesota Vikings
Don Van Galder Quarterback 14th 361 Washington Redskins
Source:[9][10]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Miller, Hack (January 5, 1974). "Search on for U. coach". Deseret News ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. 6A. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qdFSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F38DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5766%2C1149946.
  2. "Ute brass braced for applications". Deseret News ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. B9. January 7, 1974. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=885SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HX8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5477%2C1437803.
  3. Ferguson, George (January 25, 1974). "Lovat, Riehlman top Ute list". Deseret News ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. D1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9FdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6765%2C5799214.
  4. "Lovat gets Utah's grid post". Deseret News ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. 6A. January 26, 1974. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9VdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5482%2C5860988.
  5. Rock, Brad (January 24, 1997). "Lovat, like U. football, moved to better days". Deseret News ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. D1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BfVLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4uwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6216%2C4317156.
  6. "Ute Record Book". University of Utah. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09-mfootbl-mg-156-183.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  7. "1973 record". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_game_by_game.php?coachid=1590&year=1973. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  8. "Oregon-Utah lineups". Eugene Register-Guard ((Oregon)): p. 4B. September 29, 1973. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=faZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7OADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5464%2C6859479.
  9. "Odom goes in 5th round". Deseret News. UPI ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. D1. January 30, 1974. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-FdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4678%2C6703232.
  10. "Several area stars taken in grid draft". Deseret News. Associated Press ((Salt Lake City, Utah)): p. 2D. January 31, 1974. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-VdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5351%2C7008730.
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