Year to Remember: 1973 Football

The 1973 football season is the opening chapter in a trilogy of seasons that helped Miami carve a unique niche in college football history. From 1973-75, Miami amassed an amazing 32-1-1 record, capturing three Mid-American Conference and Tangerine Bowl titles along the way.

Season Begins
Miami opened the 1973 season with a 32-0 win over Dayton. In a sign of things to come, the MU defense held the Flyers to just nine rushing yards and 63 passing yards, while Miami's offense rolled up 384 total yards.

In Week two, Miami traveled to West Lafayette to take on Big Ten foe Purdue. The Boilermakers led 19-10 midway through the fourth quarter when Miami staged a furious comeback. Junior Brad Cousino blocked a Purdue punt and returned it 26 yards to the Purdue 34 yard-line. That set up a 30-yard TD pass from Steve Sanna to fullback Chuck Varner that cut the gap to 19-17.

Miami held Purdue on the following series and again forced the Boilermakers to punt. Miami's pressure on the punt resulted in just a 14-yard kick, giving Miami the ball on its own 39 yard-line. Varner ended the ensuing 61-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard plunge, his third touchdown of the game, to give Miami the win.

In a Week three tilt at South Carolina, Miami was out to prove that its 21-8 win over the Gamecocks the previous year was no fluke. After a 3-3 first half, Miami went up 10-3 in the third quarter on a 20-yard run by Varner. That score was set up when junior John Roudebush recovered a South Carolina fumble on the Gamecock 34-yard line. Miami recovered another USC fumble later in the period, and sophomore David Draudt kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Miami a 13-3 lead. Despite allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown, the Miami defense proved to be the difference in the 13-11 win, holding South Carolina to 169 total yards and nine first downs.

MAC Play Begins
Miami opened the MAC slate with an easy 31-6 victory over Marshall. Bob Hitchens opened the game with two touchdown runs in the first quarter and finished the half with 83 yards. Miami's rushing attack tallied 241 yards, while defense held the Thundering Herd to just 24 rushing yards.

Miami was without its top two players, Hitchens and Cousino, when Ohio visited Oxford for Homecoming. Subbing for the injured Hitchens, sophomore Randy Walker scored Miami's only touchdown in the first quarter. Walker finished with 160 yards on 38 carries. Draudt sealed the 10-6 victory with a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Miami's defense held the Bobcats to 67 rushing yards, 54 passing yards and six first downs.

The running attack of Varner, Hitchens and Smith helped the Red and White spoil Bowling Green's Homecoming, 31-8, in Week six. MU rolled up 380 of its 421 total yards on the ground, as all three backs topped 100 yards. Hitchens led the way with 122 yards, including a season-long 62-yarder in the first quarter.

Defense was the name of the game when Miami put its 6-0 record on the line against Toledo on Oct. 27. Playing in front of the largest home crowd of the season, Miami thwarted the high-powered Toledo offense, which was led by the nation's top offensive player, quarterback Gene Swick. The Miami defense held the Rockets to just seven rushing yards and limited Swick to 151 passing yards in a 16-0 shutout. Hitchens scored the game's only TD in the first quarter, and Draudt set a school record with three field goals.

The following week, Miami was held to just 52 rushing yards but still managed a 24-9 win at Western Michigan. Miami got off to a quick start when Walker returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score, the longest kick return in school history. Miami scored two more first-half TDs on Steve Sanna's 75- and 64-yard scoring strikes to Larry Harper and John Wiggins.

In Week nine, all that stood in the way of Miami's first MAC title in seven years and a trip to the Tangerine Bowl was defending conference champion Kent State. Miami led 17-10 after three quarters on the strength of Varner's 9-yard TD catch and 2-yard scoring run. Draudt iced the 20-10 road win with a school-record 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Miami closed out the regular season with a 6-0 victory over Cincinnati in the traditional Thanksgiving Week game. The only score came when Larry Harper returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score. The Miami defense held the Bearcats to 92 total yards and finished the season as the nation's leader in total defense and rushing defense.

Postseason Play
In the Tangerine Bowl in Gainesville, Fla., Miami was pitted against Southeastern Conference power Florida. Despite 20-degree weather, Miami amassed 239 rushing yards against the SEC's top defense en route to a 16-7 victory. Varner carried 28 times for 157 yards and a touchdown and was named the game's Outstanding Back. Miami's heralded defense limited the Gators to 189 total yards, including just 90 rushing yards.

Final Season Rankings
The victory capped Miami's first undefeated season since 1955 and gave the squad a No. 15 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

Miami Ohio University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos