1973 Wittenberg Tigers football team

1973 Wittenberg Tigers football
NCAA Division III champion
OAC champion
OAC Red Division champion
OAC championship game, W 35–7 at Marietta
ConferenceOhio Athletic Conference
DivisionRed Division
Record12–0 (5–0 OAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumWittenberg Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Blue Division
Marietta xy 3 1 0 6 4 0
Muskingum 2 1 1 5 3 1
Ohio Wesleyan 2 1 1 3 5 1
Otterbein 1 2 1 4 4 1
Denison 0 3 1 3 5 1
Red Division
No. 4 Wittenberg xy$^ 5 0 0 12 0 0
Baldwin–Wallace 4 1 0 6 3 0
Wooster 3 2 0 5 3 0
Heidelberg 2 3 0 6 3 0
Capital 1 4 0 4 4 0
Mount Union 0 5 0 3 6 0
Not competing for championship
Kenyon     5 4 0
Oberlin     4 5 0
Championship: Wittenberg 35, Marietta 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AP small college poll

The 1973 Wittenberg Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Wittenberg University in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1973 NCAA Division III football season. In their fifth year under head coach Dave Maurer, the Tigers compiled a perfect 12–0 record and won the OAC championship, defeating Marietta (35–7) in the OAC championship game.[1]

The Tigers qualified for the first-ever NCAA Division III playoffs where they defeated San Diego (21–14) in the semifinals,[2] then shutting out Juniata (41–0) in the fifth annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.[3] The Stagg Bowl had previously been a western region championship game and in 1973 became the official Division III national championship game.[4]

At the end of the season, coach Maurer was honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) with its Kodak College Division Coach of the Year award.[5] He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.[6]

Senior offensive tackle Steve Drongowski received first-team honors on the Associated Press Little All-America team.[7] He was also named a first-team player on the Kodak College Division All-America team.[8] Drongowski also received the Mike Gregory Award as the most valuable offensive player in the OAC. Defensive back Randy DeMont received the Hank Critchfield Award as the OAC's most valuable defensive player.[9]

Wittenberg played its home games at Wittenberg Stadium in Springfield, Ohio.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference OAC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference SD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jun was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Phenix City Hosts 3rd Title Game". The Montgomery Advertiser. December 7, 1973. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Kodak Awards". The Spokesman-Review. December 22, 1973 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Dave Maurer". National Football Foundation. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "AP honors Drongowski". The Journal Herald. December 7, 1973. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Two More Honors for Drongowski". Dayton Daily News. December 21, 1973. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Wittenberg Football 2009 Online Media Guide" (PDF). Wittenberg University. 2009. p. 20. Retrieved October 25, 2021.