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1972 Liberty Bowl

norcalcy

norcalcy

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2010
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After watching the highlight video and feature on the 1972 game on cyclones.com, I wondered about a few things

How did we get to a bowl back then with a 5-5 record?

Why did Majors leave after that year? Wasn't the new stadium already on the drawing board?

If I am plowing old ground, I apologize in advance.

Also very interesting there were three All Americans on that '72 team. Although Ike Harris wasn't one of them, he had a pretty decent NFL career. I also had no idea Ike was so successful in the corporate world with some pretty impressive executive positions after his playing days were over.
 
ISU got its bowl invite with three games left in the season, then proceeded to lose out.
 
theshadow said:
ISU got its bowl invite with three games left in the season, then proceeded to lose out.
Click to expand...

At the time ISU had a lot of cred. In '71 the Big 8 teams that beat them (OU,NU & CU) finished #1-3 in the final AP poll and (correct me if wrong) they got the Liberty Bowl invite after tying NU...
 
The invitation actually came after the 6-5 loss to Missouri, when ISU's record was 5-3-1. That week, reports in the media were that the winner of ISU-MU would get the nod.

The Liberty Bowl's executive director extended the invitation to ISU as early as was allowed, despite some disagreement from others within the organization who wanted to wait another week.
 
norcalcy said:
After watching the highlight video and feature on the 1972 game on cyclones.com, I wondered about a few things

How did we get to a bowl back then with a 5-5 record?

Why did Majors leave after that year? Wasn't the new stadium already on the drawing board?

If I am plowing old ground, I apologize in advance.

Also very interesting there were three All Americans on that '72 team. Although Ike Harris wasn't one of them, he had a pretty decent NFL career. I also had no idea Ike was so successful in the corporate world with some pretty impressive executive positions after his playing days were over.
Click to expand...

That was the only year when bowl committees were allowed to extend bowl invitations anytime during the season and ISU accepted the Liberty Bowl invite when we were 5-2. Also, the NCAA had no restrictions on the number of scholarship offers and Coach Majors gave 45 scholarships his first year at Pittsburgh
 
Last edited:
danwbarrett said:
That was the only year when bowl committees were allowed to extend bowl invitations anytime during the season
Click to expand...

According to the AP, the rule was 3rd Saturday of November or one week before the end of the team's regular season -- whichever was earlier. That meshes with ISU getting its invite on Nov. 18 (3rd Saturday), after the Missouri game.
 
For fun, the ENTIRE 1972 bowl lineup:

Dec. 18 - Liberty
Dec. 23 - Fiesta
Dec. 29 - Peach, Tangerine
Dec. 30 - Sun, Gator, Bluebonnet
Dec. 31 - Sugar
Jan. 1 - Cotton, Rose, Orange

That's it. 11 games.
 
theshadow said:
For fun, the ENTIRE 1972 bowl lineup:

Dec. 18 - Liberty
Dec. 23 - Fiesta
Dec. 29 - Peach, Tangerine
Dec. 30 - Sun, Gator, Bluebonnet
Dec. 31 - Sugar
Jan. 1 - Cotton, Rose, Orange

That's it. 11 games.
Click to expand...


Wow! I can just barely remember this game. Seemed like a big deal at the time. Now I know why. Part of the video on cyclones.com has narration by Chris Schenkel from ABC. He was one of the lead pxp announcers on NCAA football back in the day. It was a big deal to play on TV back in those days, only the "haves" like NU and OU got to do it on a regular basis. I like today's environment much better. Living here in California, I see the Cyclones at least five times a year, sometimes more.
 
norcalcy said:
Wow! I can just barely remember this game. Seemed like a big deal at the time. Now I know why. Part of the video on cyclones.com has narration by Chris Schenkel from ABC. He was one of the lead pxp announcers on NCAA football back in the day. It was a big deal to play on TV back in those days, only the "haves" like NU and OU got to do it on a regular basis. I like today's environment much better. Living here in California, I see the Cyclones at least five times a year, sometimes more.
Click to expand...

I was a student manager back then. I was in the press box the day of the game getting our coaches phones ready for the game when I ran into Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson who was going to do the broadcast that night. I asked them if they needed anything and Bud W. said just give us a 31-30 game. This was a big game to them and Bud you got your wish, just the wrong team won.
 
Clonemetbear said:
I was a student manager back then. I was in the press box the day of the game getting our coaches phones ready for the game when I ran into Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson who was going to do the broadcast that night. I asked them if they needed anything and Bud W. said just give us a 31-30 game. This was a big game to them and Bud you got your wish, just the wrong team won.
Click to expand...


Cool story.......you know, growing up in Iowa City, even though I was a kid I still followed sports, but can't recall even a mention of this game. It's like if you weren't in the Rose Bowl, Iowa City didn't care.
 
Clonemetbear said:
I was a student manager back then. I was in the press box the day of the game getting our coaches phones ready for the game when I ran into Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson who was going to do the broadcast that night. I asked them if they needed anything and Bud W. said just give us a 31-30 game. This was a big game to them and Bud you got your wish, just the wrong team won.
Click to expand...

Great story. I forgot about Bud doing those TV games.

Besides Majors and some of the better known players, how many players/coaches/managers from that era will make it to Memphis this year?
 
danwbarrett said:
That was the only year when bowl committees were allowed to extend bowl invitations anytime during the season and ISU accepted the Liberty Bowl invite when we were 5-2. Also, the NCAA had no restrictions on the number of scholarship offers and Coach Majors gave 45 scholarships his first year at Pittsburgh
Click to expand...

that is not true. Bowl bids were awarded before the season was over up until the early 80s.
 
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