1972 Wisconsin Badgers football team

1972 Wisconsin Badgers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record4–7 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorLarry Van Dusen (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorLew Stueck (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
MVPRufus Ferguson
Captains
Home stadiumCamp Randall Stadium
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Michigan + 7 1 0 10 1 0
No. 9 Ohio State + 7 1 0 9 2 0
Purdue 6 2 0 6 5 0
Michigan State 5 2 1 5 5 1
Minnesota 4 4 0 4 7 0
Indiana 3 5 0 5 6 0
Illinois 3 5 0 3 8 0
Iowa 2 6 1 3 7 1
Wisconsin 2 6 0 4 7 0
Northwestern 1 8 0 2 9 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll
UW Band forms an elephant at halftime of the Northwestern game

The 1972 Wisconsin Badgers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third year under head coach John Jardine, the Badgers compiled a 4–7 record (2–6 against conference opponents) and finished in ninth place in the Big Ten Conference.[1]

Rufus Ferguson led the team with 1,004 rushing yards, was selected as the team's most valuable player, and was chosen by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team running back, and by the United Press International (UPI) as a second-team running back, on the 1972 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[2] Three other Wisconsin players received All-Big Ten honors: center Mike Webster (UPI-2); offensive guard Keith Nosbusch (AP-2, UPI-2); linebacker Dave Lokanc (AP-1, UPI-2).[2][3]

  1. ^ "1972 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Wells named to All-Big Ten team". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois). November 28, 1972.
  3. ^ "UM, State, Buckeyes Dominate UPI's All Big Ten Team". Ludington Daily News (UPI story). November 28, 1972. p. 5.