1973 Colgate Red Raiders football team

The 1973 Colgate Red Raiders football team was an American football team that represented Colgate University as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In its sixth season under head coach Neil Wheelwright, the team compiled a 5–5 record. Rick Horton and Tom Parr were the team captains.[1]

1973 Colgate Red Raiders football
Conference	Independent
1973 record	5–5
Head coach	Neil Wheelwright (6th season)
Captains	Rick Horton Tom Parr
Home stadium	Andy Kerr Stadium

1973 NCAA Division I independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Notre Dame			–					11	–	0	–	0
No. 5 Penn State			–					12	–	0	–	0
No. 9 Houston			–					11	–	1	–	0
Temple			–					9	–	1	–	0
No. 20 Tulane			–					9	–	3	–	0
Memphis State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Tampa			–					8	–	3	–	0
Boston College			–					7	–	4	–	0
South Carolina			–						–	7	–	4
Utah State			–					7	–	4	–	0
Air Force			–					6	–	4	–	0
Southern Miss			–					6	–	4	–	1
Northern Illinois			–					6	–	5	–	0
Rutgers			–					6	–	5	–	0
West Virginia			–					6	–	5	–	0
Pittsburgh			–					6	–	5	–	1
Colgate			–					5	–	5	–	0
Dayton			–					5	–	5	–	1
Xavier			–					5	–	5	–	1
Georgia Tech			–					5	–	6	–	0
Holy Cross			–					5	–	6	–	0
Miami (FL)			–					5	–	6	–	0
Cincinnati			–					4	–	7	–	0
Navy			–					4	–	7	–	0
Southern Illinois			–					3	–	7	–	1
Villanova			–					3	–	8	–	0
Syracuse			–					2	–	9	–	0
Virginia Tech			–					2	–	9	–	0
Army			–					0	–	10	–	0
Florida State			–					0	–	11	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The team played its home games at Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, New York.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	at Lafayette	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 55–21		[2][3]
September 29	Cornell	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY (rivalry)	L 21–35	10,500	[4]
October 6	at Yale	Yale Bowl New Haven, CT	L 18–24	14,000	[5]
October 13	at Holy Cross	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 22–21		[2][3]
October 20	at Princeton	Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 21–37	15,500	[6]
October 27	Bucknell	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	W 41–23		[2][3]
November 3	at Lehigh	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	L 26–58	12,000	[7]
November 10	at William & Mary	Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA	W 49–42		[2][3]
November 17	Boston University	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 0–3		[2][3]
November 24	at Rutgers	Rutgers Stadium Piscataway, NJ	W 42–0	12,000	[8]

Leading players

Two trophies were awarded to the Red Raiders' most valuable players in 1973:[9]

• Tom Parr, quarterback, received the Andy Kerr Trophy, awarded to the most valuable offensive player.
• Rick Horton, defensive back, received the Hal W. Lahar Trophy, awarded to the most valuable defensive player.

Statistical leaders for the 1973 Red Raiders included:[10]

• Rushing: Mark van Eeghen, 1,089 yards and 14 touchdowns on 238 attempts
• Passing: Tom Parr, 1,127 yards, 83 completions and 9 touchdowns on 165 attempts
• Receiving: Dave Lake, 433 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 receptions
• Total offense: Tom Parr, 1,960 yards (1,127 passing, 833 rushing)
• Scoring: Mark van Eeghen, 90 points from 15 touchdowns
• All-purpose yards: Mark van Eeghen, 1,588 yards (1,089 rushing, 322 kickoff returning, 177 receiving)

References

1. "Colgate Athletic History: Football" (PDF). Hamilton, N.Y.: Colgate University. p. 13. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
2. "Schedules of College and Professional Football Teams for the 1973 Season". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. September 2, 1973. p. S8.
3. "Colgate Athletic History: Football" (PDF). Hamilton, N.Y.: Colgate University. p. 25. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
4. "Cornell Runs Sink Colgate by 35 to 21". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. Associated Press. September 30, 1973. p. S9.
5. Price, Terry (October 7, 1973). "Yale Edges Red Raiders by 24 to 18". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Princeton Wins First by 37-21". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. October 21, 1973. p. S4.
7. "Lehigh Aerials Topple Colgate". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. November 4, 1973. p. S26.
8. Harvin, Al (November 25, 1973). "Raiders 42-0 Victors". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S4.
9. "Colgate Athletic History: Football" (PDF). Hamilton, N.Y.: Colgate University. p. 19. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
10. "Colgate Athletic History: Football" (PDF). Hamilton, N.Y.: Colgate University. pp. 43–55. Retrieved June 15, 2020.