1971 Utah State Aggies football team

The 1971 Utah State Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Utah State University as an independent during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth season under head coach Chuck Mills, the Aggies compiled an 8–3 record and outscored all opponents 243 to 183.[1][2]

1971 Utah State Aggies football
Conference	Independent
1971 record	8–3
Head coach	Chuck Mills (5th season)
Home stadium	Romney Stadium

1971 NCAA University Division independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 5 Penn State			–					11	–	1	–	0
Boston College			–					9	–	2	–	0
No. 17 Houston			–					9	–	3	–	0
No. 13 Notre Dame			–					8	–	2	–	0
Utah State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Florida State			–					8	–	4	–	0
Cincinnati			–					7	–	4	–	0
West Virginia			–					7	–	4	–	0
Temple			–					6	–	2	–	1
Air Force			–					6	–	4	–	0
Army			–					6	–	4	–	0
Colgate			–					6	–	4	–	0
Villanova			–					6	–	4	–	1
South Carolina			–					6	–	5	–	0
Southern Miss			–					6	–	5	–	0
Georgia Tech			–					6	–	6	–	0
New Mexico State			–					5	–	5	–	1
Northern Illinois			–					5	–	5	–	1
Syracuse			–					5	–	5	–	1
Dayton			–					5	–	6	–	0
Miami (FL)			–					4	–	7	–	0
Rutgers			–					4	–	7	–	0
Virginia Tech			–					4	–	7	–	0
Navy			–					3	–	8	–	0
Pittsburgh			–					3	–	8	–	0
Tulane			–					3	–	8	–	0
Xavier			–					1	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The team's statistical leaders included Tony Adams with 2,035 passing yards, Ed Giles with 510 rushing yards, Bob Wicks with 862 receiving yards, Jerry Hughes with 60 points scored (six touchdowns), and Tom Murphy with 81 total tackles.[3][4]

In December, the team traveled to Japan for two games against Japanese university students. The Aggies were the first American college football team to play a game in Japan since the sport was introduced there in the 1910s. The American players reportedly had a height advantage of twelve inches (30 cm) and a weight advantage of fifty pounds (23 kg) per player.[5]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	at Kansas State	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS	W 10–7	30,000
September 18	New Mexico State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 34–0	10,378
September 25	UNLV	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 27–7	10,640
October 2	at No. 1 Nebraska	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	L 6–42	67,421
October 9	BYU	Romney Stadium Logan, UT (rivalry)	W 29–7	17,015
October 16	Memphis State	Romney Stadium Logan, UT	W 7–6	5,041
October 23	at San Diego State	San Diego Stadium San Diego, CA	L 20–36	25,047
October 30	at Colorado State	Hughes Stadium Fort Collins, CO	W 18–17	14,284
November 6	Wyoming	Romney Stadium Logan, UT (rivalry)	L 29–31	9,130
November 13	at Utah	Ute Stadium Salt Lake City, UT (rivalry)	W 21–17	16,292
November 21	at Idaho	Idaho Stadium Moscow, ID	W 42–13	15,100
December 19	vs. Japanese University East All-Star	National Stadium Tokyo, Japan (Silk Bowl)	W 50–6	30,000	[5][6]
December 26	vs. All-Japan University West	Osaka, Japan	W 46–6	10,000	[5]
Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1971 Utah State Aggies Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
2. "2018 Utah State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Utah State University. 2018. pp. 191, 195.
3. "1967 Utah State Aggies Stats". SR/College Football. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
4. 2018 Media Guide, pp. 154-155.
5. "Japanese No Match For Utah State". Daily Northwestern (UPI story). December 27, 1971. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Aggies Gain 50-6 Victory Over Japanese All-Stars". The Daily Herald (UPI story). December 20, 1971. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.