CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1971 Toledo

12–⁠0 (5–⁠0 Mid-American Conference), coached by Jack Murphy, finished No. 14 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Toledo in 1971, game by game: won at East Carolina 45–0; won vs. Villanova 10–7; won at Texas–Arlington 23–0; won vs. Ohio 31–28; won at Bowling Green 24–7; won vs. Western Michigan 35–24; won vs. Dayton 35–7; won at Miami (OH) 45–6; won at Northern Illinois 23–8; won at Marshall 43–0; won vs. Kent State 41–6; won vs. Richmond 28–3+45Won 45–0 at East Carolina+45East CarolinaWon 10–7 vs. Villanova+3VillanovaWon 23–0 at Texas–Arlington+23Texas–ArlingtonWon 31–28 vs. Ohio+3OhioWon 24–7 at Bowling Green+17Bowling GreenWon 35–24 vs. Western Michigan+11Western MichiganWon 35–7 vs. Dayton+28DaytonWon 45–6 at Miami (OH)+39Miami (OH)Won 23–8 at Northern Illinois+15Northern Illino…Won 43–0 at Marshall+43MarshallWon 41–6 vs. Kent State+35Kent StateWon 28–3 vs. Richmond+25Richmond
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 11atEast CarolinaW 45–⁠082%
Sep 18vsVillanovaW 10–⁠775%
Sep 25atTexas–ArlingtonW 23–⁠094%
Oct 2vsOhioW 31–⁠2880%
Oct 9atBowling GreenW 24–⁠769%
Oct 16vsWestern MichiganW 35–⁠2478%
Oct 23vsDaytonW 35–⁠790%
Oct 30atMiami (OH)W 45–⁠666%
Nov 6atNorthern IllinoisW 23–⁠884%
Nov 13atMarshallW 43–⁠092%
Nov 20vsKent StateW 41–⁠694%
Dec 28Bowls & playoffvsRichmondTangerine BowlW 28–⁠389%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Richmond 28–⁠3 in the Tangerine Bowl; No. 14 in the final AP poll; Mid-American Conference champions.

In program history: The best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 75 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 3: 19
  2. Wk 5: 20
  3. Wk 6: 17
  4. Wk 7: 14
  5. Wk 8: 15
  6. Wk 9: 14
  7. Wk 10: 14
  8. Wk 11: 13
  9. Wk 12: 14
  10. Wk 13: 13
  11. Wk 14: 14
  12. Final: 14

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 1971.

Mid-American Conference champions5–⁠0 in the conference

Consensus All-AmericanMel Long, DT

Record
12–⁠0
Conference
5–⁠0 first in Mid-American Conference
AP final
No. 14 peak No. 13
Points
383–⁠96
Coach
Jack Murphy
Elo
1772 +105 this season
SP+ rating
21.2 No. 13 of 120; offense No. 16, defense No. 11
SRS
14.7 No. 22 of 128 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Dave Hardy
Defensive coordinator
Dick Strahm
Captains
Chuck Ealey, Gary Hinkson and Mel Long

Drafted in 1972

The 1972 draft
Rd 4John Saunders DBLos Angeles Rams

1971 Mid-American Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Toledo5–⁠012–⁠014
Bowling Green4–⁠16–⁠4
Western Michigan2–⁠37–⁠3
Miami (OH)2–⁠37–⁠3
Ohio2–⁠35–⁠5
Kent State0–⁠53–⁠8

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