1972 Tangerine Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 Tangerine Bowl December 29 1972 1972 Tangerine Bowl Orlando, Florida Kent State University Kent State Golden Flashes 6–4–1 Don James MAC 0 0 6 12 University of Tampa Tampa Spartans 9–2 Earle Bruce Independent 14 7 0 0 Freddie Solomon, Tampa (back)Jack Lambert, Kent State (lineman) Tampa by 14Tampa is favored in Tangerine Bowl https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zyc0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eAIAAAAIBAJ&pg=4495%2C4546804 UPI Google News Archives Bangor Daily News December 29, 1972 14 October 6, 2012 20,062 Citrus Bowl (game) The 1972 Tangerine Bowl, part of the 1972 bowl game season, took place on December 29, 1972, at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. The competing teams were the Tampa Spartans, that competed as a College Division Independent, and the Kent State Golden Flashes, that competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In the game, Tampa took a 21–0 halftime lead, and then held off a Golden Flashes comeback to win 21–18. The game featured two eventual College Football Hall of Fame coaches, Earle Bruce at Tampa and Don James at Kent State.2070 Earle Bruce October 6, 2012 2036 Don James October 6, 2012 June 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes Other players of note that played in the game included eventual Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert for Kent State and eventual number one NFL Draft pick John Matuszak for Tampa.Saban played in the Tangerine Bowl 38 years ago today Don Kausler Jr. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/12/tide_notes_saban_played_in_the.html AL.com December 29, 2010 October 6, 2012 Tampa's Paul Orndorff would go on to have a successful professional wrestling career. Teams Tampa 1972 Tampa Spartans football team The Spartans entered their game against Bowling Green with an overall record of seven wins and two losses (7–2), and it was speculated the winner of the game would be invited to compete in the Tangerine Bowl.Spartans may get Tangerine birth https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=67wqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oGYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5895%2C958523 Associated Press Google News Archives Sarasota Herald-Tribune November 18, 1972 1C October 6, 2012 This was the case as a Falcons victory would give them the MAC championship and an automatic bid to the game thus making a rematch against the Spartans unlikely. Tampa did win the game 29–22, and on November 20, they accepted a bid to play in the Tangerine Bowl.Tampa: A taste of Kent in Tangerine https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rxsuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TWADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7330%2C333280 Google News Archives St. Petersburg Times November 21, 1972 1C October 6, 2012 The appearance marked the first for the Spartans in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned bowl game and their first postseason appearance since their victory in the 1954 Cigar Bowl. Kent State 1972 Kent State Golden Flashes football team The Golden Flashes entered their game against Toledo with an overall record of five wins, four losses and one tie (5–4–1).TU attempts to arrest James' Golden Flashes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0uhOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9gEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7367%2C6008821 Jim Taylor Google News Archives The Blade Toledo November 18, 1972 23 October 6, 2012 With a victory over the Rockets, Kent State won their first all-time MAC Championship and secured the league's automatic bid to the Tangerine Bowl.Kent State fools experts with first MAC crown https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pb1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fdAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5138%2C2248183 Associated Press Google News Archives The Portsmouth Times November 20, 1972 25 October 6, 2012 Game summary The 1972 edition of the Tangerine Bowl kicked off at 8:00 p.m. before what was the largest crowd to date for the game. The Spartans took a 14–0 first quarter lead on a pair of Buddy Carter touchdown passes to Paul Orndorff. The first was set up after Gerald Tinker fumbled a punt at the Flashes' 15-yard line that was recovered by Terry Grantham.Kent's James had premonition of bad hands https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u3FOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dvoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4638%2C8905007 Associated Press Google News Archives Lakeland Ledger December 31, 1972 1B October 6, 2012 On the next play, Tampa led 7–0 with Orndorff's 15-yard touchdown reception.Tampa holds on to nip Kent State https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y8MsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ygkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3112%2C7133222 UPI Google News Archives Star-News December 31, 1972 4C October 6, 2012 Later in the quarter, the second Spartans touchdown was set up by a Tommy Thomas interception return of a Greg Kokal pass to the Kent 38-yard line. Two plays later, Tampa led 14–0 with Orndorff's 35-yard touchdown reception. Tampa's final touchdown drive of the night was again set up by a Kent turnover. For the second time, Kokal threw an interception, and on the drive that followed Freddie Solomon gained 60 yards on five carries that included the final two for a touchdown and a 21–0 halftime lead. Kent responded in the third quarter with their first touchdown on a 76-yard Kokal pass to Tinker, and after a missed extra point the score was 21–6. A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns on a ten-yard Kokal pass to Dooner and on a 78-yard Renard Harmon punt return made the final score 21–18. For his performance of 103 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, Freddie Solomon was named outstanding back of the game, along with Kent State's Jack Lambert who was named outstanding lineman. Scoring summary Kent State Tampa expand 1 12:47 Tampa 1 15 RecTD Paul Orndorff Buddy Carter 15 good Bob Cooper 0 7 1 7:31 Tampa 2 38 RecTD Paul Orndorff Buddy Carter 35 good Bob Cooper 0 14 2 6:55 Tampa 7 89 RushTD Freddie Solomon 3 good Bob Cooper 0 21 3 Kent State RecTD Gerald Tinker Greg Kokal 76 wide Herb Page 6 21 4 8:03 Kent State RecTD Kenneth Dooner Greg Kokal 10 run failed 12 21 4 1:41 Kent State Other Bernard Harmon 78-yard punt return, Herb Page kick no good 18 21 18 21 https://www.newspapers.com/image/223050454/?terms=tangerine Kent Like Clark Kent, But Tampa Wins Bill Clark subscription Orlando Sentinel newspapers.com December 30, 1972 March 12, 2017 References Tangerine Bowl Category:Citrus Bowl (game) Category:Kent State Golden Flashes football bowl games Category:Tampa Spartans football bowl games Tangerine Bowl Tangerine Bowl