CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1972 California

3–⁠8 (3–⁠4 Pac-8), coached by Mike White.

Schedule and results

California in 1972, game by game: lost at No. 2 Colorado 10–20; won vs. Washington State 37–23; lost vs. San José State 10–17; lost at Missouri 27–34; lost vs. No. 3 Ohio State 18–35; lost at No. 1 USC 14–42; lost vs. No. 11 UCLA 13–49; lost at Washington 21–35; won vs. Oregon 31–12; lost at Oregon State 23–26; won vs. Stanford 24–21+19−36Lost 10–20 at No. 2 Colorado-10No. 2 ColoradoWon 37–23 vs. Washington State+14Washington StateLost 10–17 vs. San José State-7San José StateLost 27–34 at Missouri-7MissouriLost 18–35 vs. No. 3 Ohio State-17No. 3 Ohio StateLost 14–42 at No. 1 USC-28No. 1 USCLost 13–49 vs. No. 11 UCLA-36No. 11 UCLALost 21–35 at Washington-14WashingtonWon 31–12 vs. Oregon+19OregonLost 23–26 at Oregon State-3Oregon StateWon 24–21 vs. Stanford+3Stanford
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 9at2ColoradoL 10–⁠2024%
Sep 16vsWashington StateW 37–⁠2366%
Sep 23vsSan José StateL 10–⁠1768%
Sep 30atMissouriL 27–⁠3459%
Oct 7vs3Ohio StateL 18–⁠3537%
Oct 14at1USCL 14–⁠4213%
Oct 21vs11UCLAL 13–⁠4937%
Oct 28atWashingtonL 21–⁠3521%
Nov 4vsOregonW 31–⁠1253%
Nov 11atOregon StateL 23–⁠2647%
Nov 18vsStanfordW 24–⁠2131%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Stanford 24–⁠21; unranked in the final AP poll; 5th in the Pac-8.

In program history: The 83rd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 112 on file).

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1972.

Led the nationBarry Smith: receiving touchdowns (13 TD)

Record
3–⁠8
Conference
3–⁠4 5th in Pac-8
AP final
Unranked
Points
228–⁠314
Coach
Mike White
Elo
1434 −77 this season
SP+ rating
0.8 No. 64 of 121; offense No. 31, defense No. 94
SRS
3.3 No. 53 of 127 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—

Drafted in 1973

The 1973 draft
Rd 3Bob Kampa DTBuffalo Bills

All-Pac-8

2 first team

First team

From Wikipedia’s 1972 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1972 Pac-8 standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
USC7–⁠012–⁠01
UCLA5–⁠28–⁠315
Washington4–⁠38–⁠3
Washington State4–⁠37–⁠419
California3–⁠43–⁠8
Stanford2–⁠56–⁠5
Oregon2–⁠54–⁠7
Oregon State1–⁠62–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.