1973 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1973
| team = Western Illinois Leathernecks
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 7–4
| head_coach = Darrell Mudra
| hc_year = 5th
| captain =
| stadium = Hanson Field
| bowl = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| bowl_result = L 13–18 vs. Louisiana Tech
}}
{{1973 NCAA Division II independents football records}}
The 1973 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Darrell Mudra and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 7–4 record. The team received a bid to the inaugural NCAA Division II Football Championship, where they lost to Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinal.{{cite web |title=Western Illinois Football Record Book |url=https://goleathernecks.com/documents/2021/10/17/Football_Record_Book_Updated_Oct_2021_.pdf |publisher=Western Illinois University Athletics |access-date=November 13, 2021 |page=70}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1973
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 15
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Northern Iowa
| site_stadium = O. R. Latham Stadium
| site_cityst = Cedar Falls, IA
| score = 14–20
| attend = 5,850
| source = {{cite news |title=Salmon, UNI Stun Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88883617/the-des-moines-register/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Des Moines Register |date=September 16, 1973 |page=4D |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 22
| w/l = w
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Northern Michigan Wildcats|title=Northern Michigan}}
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 14–10
| attend = 15,450
| source = {{cite news |title=Late Rally Tips Northern |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88883983/green-bay-press-gazette/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |date=September 23, 1973 |page=D2 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 29
| w/l = w
| opponent = Milwaukee
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 28–3
| attend = 9,275
| source = {{cite news |title=W. Illinois Routs UW-M |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88886231/the-journal-times/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Racine Journal Times |agency=Associated Press |date=September 30, 1973 |page=3D |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 6
| w/l = w
| opponent = Eastern Michigan
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 24–21
| attend = 10,300
| source = {{cite news |last1=Conklin |first1=Mike |title=Birch boot gives W.I.U. 24-21 upset |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88886477/chicago-tribune/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 7, 1973 |page=3:7 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 13
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Mankato State Indians|title=Mankato State}}
| site_stadium = Blakeslee Stadium
| site_cityst = Mankato, MN
| score = 34–23
| attend = 4,100
| source = {{cite news |title=Weekend briefs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88887888/rapid-city-journal/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Rapid City Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=October 15, 1973 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 20
| w/l = w
| opponent = Central Michigan
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 24–18
| attend = 19,850
| source = {{cite news |title=19,850 watch W. Illinois win on homecoming |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62115614/chicago-tribune/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |agency=UPI |date=October 21, 1973 |page=3:7 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 27
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 14
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1973|team=Indiana State Sycamores|title=Indiana State}}
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Terre Haute, IN
| score = 14–22
| attend = 4,100
| source = {{cite news |last1=Orman |first1=J. Doug |title=Sycamores Upset Western Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88894704/the-terre-haute-tribune/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=The Terre Haute Tribune |date=October 28, 1973 |page=45 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 3
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Northern Illinois
| site_stadium = Huskie Stadium
| site_cityst = DeKalb, IL
| score = 30–27
| attend = 12,500–12,750
| source = {{cite news |title=Western Ill. Nips Northern On Field Goal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88895015/st-louis-post-dispatch/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |agency=Associated Press |date=November 4, 1973 |page=4L |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 10
| w/l = l
| opponent = Akron
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 7–12
| attend = 14,200
| source = {{cite news |last1=Nold |first1=Bob |title=Western Illinois Victim Of Akron's Record Field Goal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88895242/the-akron-beacon-journal/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=November 11, 1973 |page=B1 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 17
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Eastern Illinois
| site_stadium = O'Brien Field
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 56–13
| attend = 1,500
| source = {{cite news |title=Western Wallops EIU 56-13 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88895514/herald-and-review/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=Herald and Review |date=November 18, 1973 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 1
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Louisiana Tech
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Joe Aillet Stadium
| site_cityst = Ruston, LA
| gamename = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| score = 13–18
| attend = 15,200
| source = {{cite news |last1=Van Thyn |first1=Nico |title=Tech Scrapes By, 18-13 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80504408/tech-scrapes-by-1813/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=The Shreveport Times |date=December 2, 1973 |page=1D |via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Western Illinois) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/771/stats/13634 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 10, 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Western Illinois Leathernecks football navbox}}
Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football seasons
Western Illinois Leathernecks football
{{collegefootball-1973-season-stub}}