1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record9–2 (4–1 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDick Scesniak (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorDennis Fitzgerald (3rd season)
Home stadiumDix Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Miami (OH) $ 5 0 0 11 0 0
Kent State 4 1 0 9 2 0
Bowling Green 2 3 0 7 3 0
Ohio 2 3 0 5 5 0
Western Michigan 1 4 0 6 5 0
Toledo 1 4 0 3 8 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In their third season under head coach Don James, the Golden Flashes compiled a 9–2 record (4–1 against MAC opponents), finished in second place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 300 to 131.[1][2] Nick Saban, a defensive back for the Golden Flashes the previous three seasons, was a graduate assistant on James' staff during the 1973 season.

The team included brothers Larry Poole, a tailback, and Tommie Poole, a defensive tackle.[3]

Don James was credited with turning a "mediocre" Kent State program into a MAC power in his four years as head coach.[4] The team's 9–2 record in 1973 was the best in program history.[5]

  1. ^ "2016 Kent State Football Record Book" (PDF). Kent State University. p. D7. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  2. ^ "1973 Kent State Golden Flashes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "James: Challenge excites me". Akron Beacon Journal. (Ohio). December 24, 1974. p. B4.
  5. ^ "Rose Bowl in James' plans at UW". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 24, 1974. p. 13.