1971 Tangerine Bowl

1971 Tangerine Bowl
Richmond Spiders Toledo Rockets (5–5) (11–0) Southern Conference MAC 3 28 Head coach:  Frank Jones Head coach:  Jack Murphy AP Coaches 14 13
1 2 3 4 Total Richmond 3 0 0 0 3 Toledo 0 14 0 14 28
Date	December 28, 1971
Season	1971
Stadium	Tangerine Bowl
Location	Orlando, Florida
MVP	Chuck Ealey, Toledo (back)[1] Mel Long, Toledo (lineman)[1]
Favorite	Toledo
Attendance	16,750[1]
Tangerine Bowl  ← 1970  1972 →

The 1971 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 28, 1971, at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference defeated the Richmond Spiders of the Southern Conference by a score of 28–3. The Tangerine Bowl is a former name of what is now called the Citrus Bowl.

Heading into the game, Toledo had an unblemished 11–0 record. They were MAC champions and were ranked #14 in the AP Poll. The Toledo Rockets were heavy favorites; they were riding a 34-game winning streak and attempting to finish their third consecutive undefeated and untied season. Their nationally ranked defense, led by All-American Mel Long, helped the Rockets outgain the Spiders 395–138 in total yards.^[2] Toledo finished #14 in the season's final AP Poll.

Richmond entered with a 5–5 record. They were Southern Conference champions after they defeated William & Mary, 21–19, in the regular season finale to clinch the conference title. The Spiders were appearing in their second-ever postseason bowl game; their first had been the 1968 Tangerine Bowl.

Scoring summary

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Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UR TOL 1 6:50 UR 27-yard field goal by Keith Clark 3 0 2 TOL Fumble recovery in the end zone by Mel Long, George Keim kick good 3 7 2 9:07 7 80 TOL Joe Schwartz 1-yard touchdown run, George Keim kick good 3 14 4 TOL Chuck Ealey 1-yard touchdown run, George Keim kick good 3 21 4 TOL Joe Schwartz 3-yard touchdown run, George Keim kick good 3 28 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 28

^[1]

References

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1. Clark, Bill (December 29, 1971). "Tangerine King Toledo: 35 And Counting". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
2. "History & Records" (PDF). University of Richmond. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2009.