1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The 1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In their third season under head coach Don James, the Golden Flashes compiled a 9–2 record (4–1 against MAC opponents), finished in second place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 300 to 131. Nick Saban was a graduate assistant on James' staff during the 1973 season.
| 1973 Kent State Golden Flashes football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Record | 9–2 (4–1 MAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Dick Scesniak (3rd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Dennis Fitzgerald (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Dix Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Miami (OH) $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team included brothers Larry Poole, a tailback, and Tommie Poole, a defensive tackle.
Don James was credited with turning a "mediocre" Kent State program into a MAC power in his four years as head coach. The team's 9–2 record in 1973 was the best in program history.