1968 Tampa Spartans football team

1968 Tampa Spartans football
Conference	Independent
1968 record	7–3
Head coach	Fran Curci
Home stadium	Tampa Stadium

The 1968 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1968 college football season. It was the Spartans' 32nd season and competed as a member of the NAIA. The team was led by head coach Fran Curci, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3). Curci was officially hired as the replacement for Sam Bailey as head coach on January 25, 1968, from the Miami Hurricanes, and he won his first game as head coach on the road against UC Santa Barbara.^[1][2] Other games of note during the season included upsets at Tulane and over Mississippi State, both of the NCAA University Division.^[3][4]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 21	at UC Santa Barbara*	Harder Stadium • Santa Barbara, CA	W 18–7
September 28	Akron*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	W 24–9	15,212
October 5	at Tulane*	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA	W 17–14	17,000
October 12	at Cincinnati*	Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH	L 28–31
October 19	Eastern Michigan*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	W 21–0	18,860
October 26	Mississippi State*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	W 24–17	23,340
November 2	Northern Michigan*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	W 22–19
November 9	at East Carolina*	Ficklen Memorial Stadium • Greenville, NC	W 28–21
November 16	Southern Illinois*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	L 20–23	23,280
November 23	Southern Miss*	Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL	L 7–21
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

References

1. Bamford, Hal (January 26, 1968). "Tampa reins to Curci". The Evening Independent (Google News Archives). p. 16A. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
2. "Del Gaizo keys Spartan upset". The Evening Independent (Google News Archives). September 23, 1968. p. 2C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
3. Nobles, Charlie (October 7, 1968). "McQuay fires Spartans toward national status". The Miami News (Google News Archives). p. 5C. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
4. Bennett, Piet (October 28, 1968). "Woes just starting for Hapless Bulldogs". TimesDaily (Google News Archives). Associated Press. p. 11. Retrieved October 21, 2012.