1972 Washington Huskies football team

1972 Washington Huskies football
ConferencePacific-8
Record8–3 (4–3 Pac-8)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
MVPCalvin Jones (DB)
Captains
Home stadiumHusky Stadium
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 USC $ 7 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0
No. 15 UCLA 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
No. 19 Washington State 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Washington 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
California 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Oregon 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Stanford 2 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Oregon State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Washington Huskies football team was an American football team that represented the University of Washington during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. In its 16th season under head coach Jim Owens, the team compiled an 8–3 record, finished in a tie for third place in the Pacific-8 Conference, and outscored its opponents by a combined total of 208 to 204.[1]

Defensive back Bill Cahill and quarterback Sonny Sixkiller were the team captains, and defensive back Calvin Jones was selected as the team's most valuable player.

A top ten pick in the preseason, the Huskies were undefeated after five games and ranked twelfth in the AP Poll,[2] but Sixkiller suffered ankle and knee injuries early in the Stanford game in mid-October.[3] Quarterbacks Greg Collins, Dennis Fitzpatrick, and Mark Backman then led the offense, with losses at Stanford and #1 USC,[4] followed by consecutive wins over California and Oregon State.[5][6]

Sixkiller returned to the lineup for senior day at Husky Stadium on November 11 and Washington beat #8 UCLA,[7][8] but dropped the Apple Cup to #20 Washington State at Spokane.[9][10][11][12] The Pac-8 did not allow a second bowl team until the 1975 season.

  1. ^ "Washington Yearly Results (1970-1974)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  2. ^ "Top 2 stay firm in AP grid vote". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. October 10, 1972. p. 17.
  3. ^ "Cards dump Huskies, 24-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 15, 1972. p. 6C.
  4. ^ "Trojans overpower Washington by 34-7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 22, 1972. p. 4C.
  5. ^ "Huskies turn Cal goofs into 35-21 triumph". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. October 29, 1972. p. 4C.
  6. ^ Withers, Bud (November 5, 1972). "Huskies prevail as OSU tumbles again". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1D.
  7. ^ "Huskies surprise UCLA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 12, 1972. p. 2C.
  8. ^ "Huskies eye goal of best since '60". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 13, 1972. p. 17.
  9. ^ Emerson, Paul (November 19, 1972). "Inspired Cougars upset Washington 27-10". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 15.
  10. ^ "Cougars bounce Huskies". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 19, 1972. p. 5B.
  11. ^ Missildine, Harry (November 19, 1972). "Cougar defense unyielding in 27-10 win over Huskies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  12. ^ Brown, Bruce (November 20, 1972). "Cougar title hopes run high". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 14.