1968 Tampa Spartans football team

The 1968 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 32nd season. The team was led by head coach Fran Curci, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3). Curci was officially hired as the replacement for Sam Bailey as head coach on January 25, 1968, from the Miami Hurricanes, and he won his first game as head coach on the road against UC Santa Barbara.[1][2] Other games of note during the season included upsets at Tulane and over Mississippi State, both of the NCAA University Division.[3][4]

1968 Tampa Spartans football
Conference	Independent
1968 record	7–3
Head coach	Fran Curci (1st season)
Home stadium	Tampa Stadium

1968 NCAA College Division independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 San Diego State			–					9	–	0	–	1
No. 3 Chattanooga			–					9	–	1	–	0
Indiana State			–					9	–	1	–	0
UNLV			–					8	–	1	–	0
UC Riverside			–					7	–	1	–	1
No. 7 Eastern Michigan			–					8	–	2	–	0
Lincoln (MO)			–					8	–	2	–	0
La Verne			–					7	–	2	–	0
Tennessee State			–					6	–	2	–	1
Hawaii			–					7	–	3	–	0
No. 14 Tampa			–					7	–	3	–	0
No. 17 Akron			–					7	–	3	–	1
Northeastern			–					6	–	3	–	0
Southern Illinois			–					6	–	3	–	0
Pacific (CA)			–					6	–	4	–	0
Parsons			–					5	–	4	–	0
Drake			–					5	–	5	–	0
UC Santa Barbara			–					4	–	4	–	1
Santa Clara			–					4	–	5	–	0
Portland State			–					4	–	6	–	0
Wayne State (MI)			–					3	–	6	–	0
Wabash			–					3	–	6	–	0
Milwaukee			–					2	–	7	–	0
Northern Illinois			–					2	–	8	–	0
Rose Poly			–					0	–	8	–	0
Cal Poly Pomona			–					0	–	10	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 21	at UC Santa Barbara	Harder Stadium Santa Barbara, CA	W 18–7
September 28	Akron	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	W 24–9	15,212
October 5	at Tulane	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA	W 17–14	17,000
October 12	at Cincinnati	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	L 28–31
October 19	Eastern Michigan	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	W 21–0	18,860
October 26	Mississippi State	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	W 24–17	23,340
November 2	Northern Michigan	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	W 22–19
November 9	at East Carolina	Ficklen Memorial Stadium Greenville, NC	W 28–21
November 16	Southern Illinois	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	L 20–23	23,280
November 23	Southern Miss	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	L 7–21

References

1. Bamford, Hal (January 26, 1968). "Tampa reins to Curci". The Evening Independent. Google News Archives. p. 16A. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
2. "Del Gaizo keys Spartan upset". The Evening Independent. Google News Archives. September 23, 1968. p. 2C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
3. Nobles, Charlie (October 7, 1968). "McQuay fires Spartans toward national status". The Miami News. Google News Archives. p. 5C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
4. Bennett, Piet (October 28, 1968). "Woes just starting for Hapless Bulldogs". TimesDaily. Google News Archives. Associated Press. p. 11. Retrieved October 21, 2012.