1973 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1973
| team = Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ohio Valley Conference
| short_conf = OVC
| record = 4–7
| conf_record = 3–4
| head_coach = Bill Peck
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = J. Pelt
| captain2 = Ed Witherspoon
| stadium = Horace Jones Field
}}
{{1973 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}}
The 1973 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University—as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Bill Peck, the Blue Raiders compiled a record an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the OVC. The team's captains were J. Pelt and Ed Witherspoon.{{cite web |author= |title=Middle Tennessee Football 2021 Media Guide |url=https://goblueraiders.com/documents/2021/8/24/2021_Football_Fact_Book.pdf |publisher=Middle Tennessee State University |location=Murfreesboro, Tennessee |date=2021 |page=145 |access-date=February 6, 2022}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1973
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 8
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| opponent = Tennessee State
| site_stadium = Dudley Field
| site_cityst = Nashville, TN
| score = 0–23
| attend = 22,000–27,000
| source = {{cite news |last=Hanna |first=Jeff |title=TSU Defenders Blank Blue Raiders |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94467143/the-tennessean/ |newspaper=The Tennessean |location=Nashville, Tennessee |date=September 9, 1973 |page=1D |access-date=February 7, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Hanna |first=Jeff |title=TSU Defenders (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94467374/the-tennessean/ |newspaper=The Tennessean |location=Nashville, Tennessee |date=September 9, 1973 |page=7D |access-date=February 7, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/691/stats/13634 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 11, 2022 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 15
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Tennessee–Martin Pacers|title=Tennessee–Martin}}
| site_stadium = Pacer Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| score = 7–0
| attend = 6,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 22
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Morehead State Eagles|title=Morehead State}}
| site_stadium = Jayne Stadium
| site_cityst = Morehead, KY
| score = 22–28
| attend = 8,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 29
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Western Carolina Catamounts|title=Western Carolina}}
| site_stadium = Horace Jones Field
| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN
| score = 7–24
| attend = 6,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 6
| w/l = l
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Eastern Kentucky Colonels|title=Eastern Kentucky}}
| site_stadium = Horace Jones Field
| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN
| score = 28–29
| attend = 6,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 13
| w/l = w
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Murray State Racers|title=Murray State}}
| site_stadium = Horace Jones Field
| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN
| score = 17–14
| attend = 3,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 20
| nonconf =
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Austin Peay Governors|title=Austin Peay}}
| site_stadium = Clarksville Municipal Stadium
| site_cityst = Clarksville, TN
| score = 23–20
| attend = 6,800
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 27
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Ball State
| site_stadium = Ball State Stadium
| site_cityst = Muncie, IN
| score = 3–34
| attend = 5,350
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 3
| w/l = l
| opponent = Western Kentucky
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Horace Jones Field
| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 8–42
| attend = 10,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 10
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=East Tennessee State Buccaneers|title=East Tennessee State}}
| site_stadium = State College Stadium
| site_cityst = Johnson City, TN
| score = 16–40
| attend = 3,821
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 17
| w/l = w
| opponent = Tennessee Tech
| site_stadium = Horace Jones Field
| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN
| score = 17–10
| attend = 7,000
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/419/stats/13634 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 17, 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football navbox}}