# 1972 LSU Tigers football team

The 1972 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University (LSU) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Charles McClendon, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 9–2–1, with a mark of 4–1–1 in conference play, and finished third in the SEC.
LSU and SEC rivals Georgia and Ole Miss became the last major universities to desegregate their varsity football squads this season.
The September 30 game against Wisconsin marked the first appearance of a Big Ten Conference team at Tiger Stadium. Only two other Big Ten teams have played at Baton Rouge since: Indiana in 1978 and Ohio State in 1987 (Maryland and Nebraska each played in Baton Rouge before joining the Big Ten, as did future Big Ten member USC). UCLA will become the third in 2024, less than two months after leaving the Pac-12.
LSU introduced a new helmet logo, a tiger head above the letters "LSU" inside a purple circle, a logo which was used through 1976. Also, player names were placed on jerseys for the first time.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 16 | Pacific (CA)* | No. 9 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | W 31–13 | 66,574 |
| September 23 | Texas A&M* | No. 8 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | W 42–17 | 68,538 |
| September 30 | Wisconsin* | No. 9 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | W 27–7 | 69,142 |
| October 7 | at Rice* | No. 8 | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | W 12–6 | 60,000 |
| October 14 | No. 9 Auburn | No. 8 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | W 35–7 | 70,132 |
| October 21 | Kentucky | No. 7 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | W 10–0 | 64,601 |
| November 4 | Ole Miss | No. 6 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | W 17–16 | 70,502 |
| November 11 | at No. 2 Alabama | No. 6 | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL (rivalry) | L 21–35 | 72,039 |
| November 18 | Mississippi State | No. 8 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (rivalry) | W 28–14 | 60,589 |
| November 25 | at Florida | No. 8 | Florida FieldGainesville, FL (rivalry) | T 3–3 | 46,391 |
| December 2 | at Tulane* | No. 11 | Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, LA (Battle for the Rag) | W 9–3 | 85,372 |
| December 30 | vs. No. 11 Tennessee | No. 10 | Houston AstrodomeHouston, TX (Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl) | L 17–24 | 52,961 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
| AP | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| Coaches | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 10 | Not released |

## Season summary
### Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Auburn | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| LSU | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: October 14, 1972
* Game time: night
* Game attendance: 70,132
Game information :
First quarter
LSU – Jones 7-yard run (Jackson kick). LSU 7–0. Drive: 67 yards.
LSU – Keigley 19-yard pass from Jones (Jackson kick). LSU 14–0. Drive: 69 yards.
Second quarter
AUB – Henley 1-yard run (Jett kick). LSU 14–7.
LSU – Boyd 19-yard pass from Fakier (Jackson kick). LSU 21–7.
Third quarter
LSU – Keigley 19-yard pass from Jones (Jackson kick). LSU 28–7.
Fourth quarter
LSU – Keigley 27-yard pass from Jones (Jackson kick). LSU 35–7.
Top passers
LSU – Bert Jones – 10/14, 183 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
LSU – Bert Jones – 8 rushes, 60 yards, TD :

### Ole Miss

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ole Miss | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| LSU | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: November 4, 1972
* Game attendance: 70,502
* Ocala Star-Banner, 1972 Nov 05.
Game information :
First quarter
MISS – Steve Lavinghouze 42-yard field goal. Ole Miss 3–0. Drive:
LSU – Bert Jones 6-yard run (Rusty Jackson kick). LSU 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards.
Second quarter
LSU – Rusty Jackson 29-yard field goal. LSU 10–3. Drive:
MISS – Steve Lavinghouze 38-yard field goal, 0:00. LSU 10–6. Drive:
Third quarter
MISS – Norris Weese 1-yard run (Steve Ladinghouze kick). Ole Miss 13–10. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards.
Fourth quarter
MISS – Steve Lavinghouze 40-yard field goal. Ole Miss 16–10. Drive:
LSU – Brad Davis 10-yard pass from Bert Jones (Rusty Jackson kick), 0:00. LSU 17–16. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
MISS
LSU
Top rushers
MISS
LSU
Top receivers
MISS
LSU :
Bert Jones set school career records for completions, touchdowns and total offense.

## Team players drafted into the NFL

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
| Bert Jones | Quarterback | 1 | 2 | Baltimore Colts |
| John Wood | Defensive tackle | 3 | 70 | Denver Broncos |