1970 Memphis State Tigers football team

1970 Memphis State Tigers football
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
Record	6–4 (2–2 MVC)
Head coach	Billy J. Murphy (13th season)
Home stadium	Memphis Memorial Stadium

1970 Missouri Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Louisville $	4	–	0	–	0			8	–	3	–	1
Tulsa	3	–	1	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Memphis State	2	–	2	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
North Texas State	1	–	3	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Wichita State	0	–	4	–	0			0	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1970 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In its 13th season under head coach Billy J. Murphy, the team compiled a 6–4 record (2–2 against conference opponents), finished in third place out of five teams in the MVC, and outscored opponents by a total of 227 to 184.^[1][2] The team played its home games at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

The team's statistical leaders included Rick Strawbridge with 557 passing yards, Paul Gowen with 868 rushing yards, Bill Wright with 206 receiving yards, and Jay McCoy with 54 points scored.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	No. 5 Ole Miss*	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	L 13–47	50,164	[4]
September 26	at Virginia Tech*	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	W 21–20	18,000	[5]
October 3	at Tulsa	Skelly Stadium Tulsa, OK	L 12–27	17,500
October 17	Florida State*	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	W 16–12	29,047
October 24	at North Texas State*	Fouts Field Denton, TX	W 28–8	10,000	[6]
October 31	Southern Miss*	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (Black and Blue Bowl)	W 33–0	24,468	[7]
November 7	at Louisville	Fairgrounds Stadium Louisville, KY (rivalry)	L 27–40
November 14	Wichita State	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	W 51–6	5,181	[8]
November 21	Utah State*	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	L 12–15	13,136
November 28	Cincinnati	Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	W 14–10
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "1970 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
2. "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
3. "1970 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
4. "Anxious moments did not linger". The Commercial Appeal. September 20, 1970. Retrieved October 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "McCoy's borrowed toe saves Memphis State". The Commercial Appeal. September 27, 1970. Retrieved December 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "NT falls to Tigers". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 25, 1970. Retrieved October 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Tigers spook unsuspecting Southerners". The Jackson Sun. November 1, 1970. Retrieved March 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "McCoy, Shelly Unite for 6 TDs as Memphis State Routs Wichita". The Courier-Journal. November 15, 1970. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com.