1972 UCLA Bruins football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1972 UCLA Bruins football Pacific-8 Conference Pac-8 T–17 15 8–3 5–2 Pepper Rodgers 2nd Homer Smith 1st Wishbone Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The 1972 UCLA Bruins football team represented University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. Members of the Pacific-8 Conference, the Bruins were led by second-year head coach Pepper Rodgers and played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The new quarterback this season was Mark Harmon, a junior college transfer and son of Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon.https://www.si.com/vault/1972/09/18/614369/young-harmon-makes-his-mark Sports Illustrated Jenkins Dan Dan Jenkins Young Harmon makes his mark September 18, 1972 32https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qt1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6645%2C2176214 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Bruins upend Cornhuskers on Herrera's field goal, 20-17 September 10, 1972 3C In his first game for the Bruins, Harmon led the wishbone offense and gained a late night upset of top-ranked Nebraska at the Coliseum. An 18-point underdog, UCLA was never behind; Nebraska had five turnovers but fought back to tie the score before halftime at ten and again early in the fourth quarter at seventeen. In their final drive, Harmon drove UCLA into field goal range and Efrén Herrera made a 29-yarder in the final half minute for the 20–17 win. It halted the two-time defending national champion Huskers' unbeaten streak at 32 games and vaulted the previously unranked Bruins (2–7–1 in 1971) to eighth in the AP Poll, as Nebraska slid to tenth.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rN1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2034%2C2859918 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press USC vaults into lead; UCLA 8th September 10, 1972 1C Two weeks later, the Bruins lost at home to Michigan, but then won six straight and improved to 8–1 overall. An upset loss to Washington at Husky Stadium in Seattle and an expected one to top-ranked rival USC in the Coliseum ended UCLA's season at 8–3.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NApWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6491%2C4902755 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Trojans roll past Bruins, 24-7 November 19, 1972 5B2013 UCLA Football Media Guide https://web.archive.org/web/20140421051111/http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/pdf/FB_HistoryI_13.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 April 21, 2014 , UCLA, 2013 The Pac-8 runner-up at 5–2, they were ranked fifteenth in the final AP poll;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8gwrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4443%2C1498813 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Nissenson Herschel It's official: Trojans No. 1 grid team January 3, 1973 48 the conference did not allow a second bowl team until the 1975 season. Schedule 1972 AP Pacific September 9 w y Nebraska 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 20–17 67,702 September 16 w y y 8 Pittsburgh Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA 38–28 24,315 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sd1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6723%2C4101410 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon New York Times news service Bruins use strong start to down Pitt, 38-28 September 17, 1972 1B September 23 l y 6 Michigan 12 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 9–26 57,129 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uN1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6559%2C5826731 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Michigan grinds out victory over Bruins September 24, 1972 2B September 29, 1972 w 15 Oregon Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 65–20 30,309 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vt1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6518%2C7317171 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Cawood Neil Bruins roll past defenseless Webfoots, 65-20 September 30, 1972 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=toxfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mzAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5750%2C6908755 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press UCLA swamps Ducks September 30, 1972 14 October 7 w y 14 Arizona Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 42–31 27,321 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-ucla-explodes-for-2-lat/156789393/ The Tacoma News Tribune UCLA explodes for 2 late TDs to whip Arizona 42–31 October 8, 1972 October 8, 2024 Newspapers.com October 14 w y 14 Oregon State Parker Stadium Corvallis, OR 37–7 23,109 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ns8RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7141%2C6710698 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press It's 37-7 for Bruins October 15, 1972 2, sports October 21 1:31 p.m. w y 11 California California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA 49–13 33,000 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VmwRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5314%2C5584894 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Johnson paces Bruins, 49-13 October 22, 1972 4C October 28 w 9 Washington State Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 35–20 29,950 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XWwRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6598%2C7424186 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Bruins stay perfect in Pacific-8 chase October 29, 1972 4C November 4 1:32 p.m. w 8 Stanford Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 28–23 47,276 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JwpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6341%2C1273533 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Bruins rally, trip Stanford November 5, 1972 5D November 11 l y 8 Washington Husky Stadium Seattle, WA 21–30 59,500 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LgpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6440%2C3095539 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Huskies surprise UCLA November 12, 1972 2C November 18 l y 14 USC 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Victory Bell 7–24 59,151 Schedule/Results (1972 UCLA) https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/251435 National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Statistics September 27, 2025 Roster 1972 UCLA Bruins f 65 Sr Brian Goodman G n 7 Jr Mark Harmon QB y 82 Sr Brad Lyman WR 32 Jr James McAlister RB y 15 Fr John Sciarra QB y 21 Sr Rob Scribner RB 74 Sr Bruce Walton Bruce Walton (American football) T y 20 Jr Jimmy Allen Jimmy Allen (American football) DB y 24 Jr Jim Bright Jim Bright (American football) FS y 29 Sr Alan Ellis DB n 22 Jr Mike Fryer DB 92 Jr Fred McNeill DE y 90 Jr Cal Peterson DE y 66 Jr Bill Sandifer DT y 8 So Jack Jorgensen LB 56 Fr Terry Tautolo LB y 44 So Bruce Barnes P 1 Jr Efrén Herrera K y *Pepper Rodgers Awards and honors All-Conference First Team: Bruce Barnes (P), Allan Ellis (DB), Kermit Johnson (RB), Steve Klosterman (OG), James McAlister (RB), Fred McNeill (DE), Bruce Walton (OT)1975 UCLA Media Guide, UCLA Athletic News Bureau, 1975 References 2 External links Sports Reference - 1972 UCLA football season UCLA Category:UCLA Bruins football seasons UCLA Bruins football UCLA Bruins football Category:Long stubs with short prose