1971 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

1971 Fresno State Bulldogs football
Mercy Bowl II, L 14–17 at Cal State Fullerton
Conference	California Collegiate Athletic Association
Record	6–5 (3–2 CCAA)
Head coach	Darryl Rogers (6th season)
Defensive coordinator	Bob Padilla (4th season)
Home stadium	Ratcliffe Stadium

1971 Pacific Coast Athletic Association football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Long Beach State $	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
San Jose State	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	6	–	1
Fresno State	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
San Diego State	2	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
UC Santa Barbara	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Pacific (CA)	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Cal State Los Angeles	0	–	3	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1971 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Darryl Rogers, the Fresno State compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, placing third in the PCAA. The Bulldogs played their home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

At the end of the season, a charity bowl game was played to benefit the children of three Cal State Fullerton coaches and a pilot who had been killed in an airplane crash a month earlier.^[1] The game was called Mercy Bowl II, and was played on December 11 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	Cal State Hayward*	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	L 14–18	8,769
September 18	San Jose State	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	W 14–7	8,526
September 25	at Montana State*	Gatton Field Bozeman, MT	L 28–37	7,500	[2]
October 2	Hawaii*	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	W 19–8	9,441	[3]
October 16	at Cal Poly*	Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 13–10	8,500	[4]
October 23	Cal State Los Angeles	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 47–7	7,723	[5]
October 30	San Diego State	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	W 17–10	11,140	[6]
November 5	at Long Beach State	Veterans Stadium Long Beach, CA	L 13–30
November 13	Valley State*	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 23–7	5,457
November 20	at Pacific (CA)	Pacific Memorial Stadium Stockton, CA	L 13–14	10,000	[7]
December 11	at Cal State Fullerton*	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (Mercy Bowl II)	L 14–17	16,854	[8]
*Non-conference game

^[9][1]

References

1. "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 12, 2016.
2. "San Diego St. in Slump, Bows to Southern Mississippi, 10-0". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 26, 1971. p. D-14. Retrieved March 14, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Bulldogs crush Islanders 19–8". The Fresno Bee. October 3, 1971. Retrieved April 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Metcalf Leads 49ers Past Diablos, 36-7". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 17, 1971. p. D-16. Retrieved March 14, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Diablos Lose to Fresno St., 47-7". Independent Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. October 24, 1971. p. S-2. Retrieved February 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "San Diego St. Suffers 17-10 Loss to Fresno". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 31, 1971. p. D-16. Retrieved March 14, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Cal Lutheran Wins, Awaits NAIA Bid". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 21, 1971. p. D-14. Retrieved March 14, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Dave Distel (December 12, 1971). "16,854 See Fullerton Win Mercy Bowl". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. D-1. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Fresno State 1971 Schedule". Retrieved December 12, 2016.