The 1971 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season.
Texas' hopes for a third consecutive national championship were squashed with back-to-back one-sided losses in October to its two biggest rivals, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Longhorns recovered to win their fourth consecutive Southwest Conference championship and returned to the Cotton Bowl, where they were routed 30-6 by Penn State.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 18 | 3:30 p.m. | at UCLA* | No. 3 | | ABC | W 28–10 | 36,504 | [1] |
September 25 | 4:00 p.m. | Texas Tech | No. 3 | | | W 28–0 | 76,639 | [2] |
October 2 | 4:00 p.m. | Oregon* | No. 3 | - Memorial Stadium
- Austin, TX
| | W 35–7 | 66,500 | [3] |
October 9 | 2:00 p.m. | vs. No. 9 Oklahoma* | No. 3 | | CBS | L 27–48 | 73,580 | [4] |
October 16 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Arkansas | No. 10 | | ABC | L 7–31 | 54,446 | [5] |
October 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Rice | No. 16 | - Memorial Stadium
- Austin, TX (rivalry)
| | W 39–10 | 61,000 | [6] |
October 30 | 2:00 p.m. | at SMU | No. 14 | | | W 22–18 | 40,551 | [7] |
November 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Baylor | No. 15 | - Memorial Stadium
- Austin, TX (rivalry)
| | W 24–0 | 54,500 | [8] |
November 13 | 2:00 p.m. | TCU | No. 13 | - Memorial Stadium
- Austin, TX (rivalry)
| | W 31–0 | 63,500 | [9] |
November 25 | 1:30 p.m. | at Texas A&M | No. 12 | | | W 34–14 | 52,090 | [10] |
January 1, 1972 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 10 Penn State* | No. 12 | | CBS | L 6–30 | 72,000 | [11] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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[12]
Game summaries
Oregon
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Oregon |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
• Texas |
7 |
7 | 7 | 14 |
35 |
Scoring summary |
1 | 11:04 | TEX | Callison 1-yard run (Valek kick) | TEX 7-0 |
|
2 | 2:17 | TEX | Wigginton 3-yard run (Valek kick) | TEX 14-0 |
|
3 | 6:59 | TEX | Wigginton 5-yard run (Valek kick) | TEX 21-0 |
|
4 | 12:45 | TEX | Ladd 1-yard run (Valek kick) | TEX 28-0 |
|
4 | 6:32 | TEX | Ladd 2-yard run (Valek kick) | TEX 35-0 |
|
4 | 5:30 | ORE | Glass 45-yard pass from Winn (Battle kick) | TEX 35-7 |
[13]
TCU
Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- TEX – Dennis Ladd 3-yard run (Glen Gaspard kick), 5:55. Texas 7–0. Drive: 17 plays, 80 yards, 7:48.
Third quarter
- TEX – Donnie Wigginton 5-yard run (Glen Gaspard kick), 11:52. Texas 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:08.
Fourth quarter
- TEX – Dennis Ladd 1-yard run (Glen Gaspard kick), 11:20. Texas 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 5:02.
- TEX – Steve Valek 47-yard field goal, 8:12. Texas 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:36.
- TEX – Donnie Wigginton 1-yard run (Glen Gaspard kick), 5:42. Texas 31–0. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:45.
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- Top passers
- TCU
- TEX – Donnie Wigginton – 1/2, 21 yards
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- TCU
- TEX – Rick Davis – 1 reception, 21 yards
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Roster
1971 Texas Longhorns football team roster
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Players
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Coaches
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Offense
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Defense
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
LB, K
|
38
|
Glenn Gaspard
|
So
|
DT
|
31
|
Greg Ploetz
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Sr
|
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Special teams
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
K
|
7
|
Steve Valek
|
So
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster
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NFL draft
Two seniors from the 1971 Longhorns were selected in the 1972 NFL draft:
[14]
References
- ^ "Longhorns stampede late". The San Francisco Examiner. September 19, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Texas slams Red Raiders, 28–0". The Odessa American. September 26, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Longhorns stampede Oregon, 35–7". The Orange Leader. October 3, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sooners vanquish Longhorns, 48–27". The Arizona Republic. October 10, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ooooo,,Piggg..Sooie! Porkers 31, Steers 7". The Shreveport Times. October 17, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Crippled Longhorns blast Rice to 'regain tradition'". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph. October 24, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Steers overtake Mustangs 22–18". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 31, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Phillips guides Steers over Baylor Bears, 24–0". The Galveston Daily News. November 7, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UT nearer Cotton". The Kilgore News Herald. November 14, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Longhorns stop Aggies, 34–14". The Waco Times-Herald. November 26, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Penn State whips Texas". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 2, 1972. Retrieved March 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1971–72 NCAA Statistics (Texas)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^ Cawood, Neil (October 3, 1971). "Oregon overpowered by Longhorns, 35-7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
- ^ Pro Football Reference.com Archived 2007-12-21 at the Wayback Machine - 1972 NFL Draft
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