1968 Tampa Spartans football team

The 1968 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. It was the Spartans' 32nd season. The team was led by head coach Fran Curci, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3). Curci was officially hired as the replacement for Sam Bailey as head coach on January 25, 1968, from the Miami Hurricanes, and he won his first game as head coach on the road against UC Santa Barbara.[1][2] Other games of note during the season included upsets at Tulane and over Mississippi State, both of the NCAA University Division.[3][4]

1968 Tampa Spartans football
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–3
Head coach
Home stadiumTampa Stadium
1968 NCAA College Division independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 San Diego State   –  9 –0 –1
No. 3 Chattanooga   –  9 –1 –0
Indiana State   –  9 –1 –0
Indiana (PA)   –  9 –1 –0
Nevada Southern   –  8 –1 –0
UC Riverside   –  7 –1 –1
No. 7 Eastern Michigan   –  8 –2 –0
Lincoln (MO)   –  8 –2 –0
Tennessee State   –  6 –2 –1
Hawaii   –  7 –3 –0
No. 14 Tampa   –  7 –3 –0
No. 17 Akron   –  7 –3 –1
Northeastern   –  6 –3 –0
Southern Illinois   –  6 –3 –0
Cortland   –  5 –3 –0
Boston University   –  5 –3 –1
Northern Arizona   –  6 –4 –0
Pacific (CA)   –  6 –4 –0
Samford   –  6 –4 –0
Northern Michigan   –  5 –4 –0
Parsons   –  5 –4 –0
Wheaton (IL)   –  5 –4 –0
Drake   –  5 –5 –0
UC Santa Barbara   –  4 –4 –1
Santa Clara   –  4 –5 –0
Portland State   –  4 –6 –0
Wayne State (MI)   –  3 –6 –0
Wabash   –  3 –6 –0
Colorado College   –  2 –6 –0
Milwaukee   –  2 –7 –0
Lake Forest   –  2 –8 –0
Northern Illinois   –  2 –8 –0
Mississippi Valley State   –  1 –7 –0
UC San Diego   –  0 –7 –0
Rose Poly   –  0 –8 –0
Cal Poly Pomona   –  0 –10 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21at UC Santa Barbara
W 18–78,000[5]
September 28Akron
W 24–915,212[6][7]
October 5at Tulane
W 17–1417,000[8]
October 12at Cincinnati
L 28–31
October 19Eastern Michigan
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 21–018,860
October 26Mississippi State
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 24–1723,340[9]
November 2Northern Michigan
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
W 22–19
November 9at East Carolina
W 28–2115,000[10]
November 16Southern Illinois
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
L 20–2323,260[11]
November 23Southern Miss
  • Tampa Stadium
  • Tampa, FL
L 7–2120,890[12]

References
  1. Bamford, Hal (January 26, 1968). "Tampa reins to Curci". The Evening Independent. p. 16A. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  2. "Del Gaizo keys Spartan upset". The Evening Independent. September 23, 1968. p. 2C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  3. Nobles, Charlie (October 7, 1968). "McQuay fires Spartans toward national status". The Miami News. p. 5C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  4. Bennett, Piet (October 28, 1968). "Woes just starting for Hapless Bulldogs". TimesDaily. Associated Press. p. 11. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  5. "Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  6. Smith, Bob (September 29, 1968). "McQuay Has the 'Zip' As Spartans Win". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 1D. Retrieved December 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  7. Smith, Bob (September 29, 1968). "Spartans Throttle Akron 24-9 as McQuad Sparkles (continued)". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 8D. Retrieved December 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  8. "Tampa makes it big, 17–14". The Tampa Tribune. October 6, 1968. Retrieved October 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Tampa upends Mississippi State". The Bradenton Herald. October 27, 1968. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Bounce-back Spartans nip Pirates 28–21". Tampa Bay Times. November 10, 1968. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  12. "Tampa bows to Southern Miss 21–7". The Tampa Tribune. November 24, 1968. Retrieved March 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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