1972 UMass Minutemen football team

The 1972 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1972 college football season as a member of the Yankee Conference in the NCAA's College Division. The team was coached by Dick MacPherson and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Amherst, Massachusetts. The 1972 season was the first in which Massachusetts was named the "Minutemen," as the university had changed their nickname from the "Redmen" due to changing attitudes regarding the use of Native American-themed mascots in sports. It was also the last season of the NCAA's University and College Division setup, as they would split athletics into three numbered divisions in 1973, with UMass moving into Division II. Massachusetts performed strongly enough in the regular season to earn a spot in the 1972 Boardwalk Bowl, which at the time served as the NCAA College Division East championship game. The team defeated UC Davis by a score of 35-14, and finished the season with a record of 9–2 overall and 5–0 in conference play.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 23		Maine		Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA		W 37–0
September 30		at Harvard*		Harvard Stadium • Boston, MA		W 28–19
October 7		at Vermont		Centennial Field • Burlington, VT		W 33–14
October 14		Boston University*		Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA		W 44–15
October 21		at Rhode Island		Meade Stadium • Kingston, RI		W 42–7
October 28		Connecticut		Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA		W 49–16
November 4		at Bucknell*		Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium • Lewisburg, PA		L 15–28
November 11		at Holy Cross*		Fitton Field • Worcester, MA		L 16–28
November 18		New Hampshire		Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA		W 42–7
November 25		Boston College*		Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA		W 28–7
December 9		vs. UC Davis*		Boardwalk Hall • Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Bowl)		W 35–14
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game.

References

UMass Athletics Archive (Archived 2012-03-03)