1972 Tangerine Bowl

1972 Tangerine Bowl
1234 Total
Kent State 00612 18
Tampa 14700 21
DateDecember 29, 1972
Season1972
StadiumTangerine Bowl
LocationOrlando, Florida
MVPFreddie Solomon, Tampa (back)[1]
Jack Lambert, Kent State (lineman)[1]
FavoriteTampa by 14[2]
Attendance20,062[1]
Tangerine Bowl
 < 1971  1973

The 1972 Tangerine Bowl, part of the 1972 bowl game season, took place on December 29, 1972, at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. The competing teams were the Tampa Spartans, that competed as a College Division Independent, and the Kent State Golden Flashes, that competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In the game, Tampa took a 21–0 halftime lead, and then held off a Golden Flashes comeback to win 21–18.

The game featured two eventual College Football Hall of Fame coaches, Earle Bruce at Tampa and Don James at Kent State.[3][4] Other players of note that played in the game included eventual Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert for Kent State and eventual number one NFL Draft pick John Matuszak for Tampa.[5] Tampa's Paul Orndorff would go on to have a successful professional wrestling career.

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference clark was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Tampa is favored in Tangerine Bowl". Bangor Daily News. Google News Archives. UPI. December 29, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  3. ^ "Earle Bruce". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  4. ^ "Don James". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved October 6, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Kausler Jr., Don (December 29, 2010). "Saban played in the Tangerine Bowl 38 years ago today". AL.com. Retrieved October 6, 2012.