1973 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl Explained
| Game Name: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 29 |
| Year Game Played: | 1973 |
| Football Season: | 1973 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Tulane |
| Visitor Nickname: | Green Wave |
| Visitor Record: | 9–2 |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 17 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 15 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Visitor Total: | 7 |
| Home Name Short: | Houston |
| Home Nickname: | Cougars |
| Home Record: | 10–1 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 14 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 13 |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 14 |
| Home 4Q: | 12 |
| Home Total: | 47 |
| Type: | bg |
| Attendance: | 44,358 |
The 1973 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, part of the 1973 bowl game season, took place on December 29, 1973, at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The competing teams were the Tulane Green Wave and Houston Cougars, with each competing as a football independent. Houston won the game 47–7.
Teams
Houston
See also: 1973 Houston Cougars football team. The 1973 Houston squad finished the regular season with a 10–1 record with its lone loss coming against Auburn.[1] The 10–1 record was the best recorded in the school's history to that point.[2] The appearance marked the third for Houston in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, and their fifth overall bowl game.[3]
Tulane
See also: 1973 Tulane Green Wave football team. The 1973 Tulane squad finished the regular season with a 9–2 record with losses coming against Kentucky and Maryland.[4] Prior to victory over Vanderbilt, the Green Wave accepted an invitation to play in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.[5] The appearance marked the first for Tulane in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, and their fifth overall bowl game.[6]
Game summary
- Houston - Marshall Johnson 75 run (Ricky Terrell kick), 12:13 remaining in the 1st quarter
- Houston – Leonard Parker 1-yard touchdown run (Ricky Terrell kick), 8:41 remaining in the 2nd quarter
- Houston – Leonard Parker 3-yard touchdown run (Ricky Terrell kick), 1:24 remaining in the 2nd quarter
- Tulane – Tom Fortner 32-yard touchdown pass from Buddy Gilbert (David Falgoust kick), 1:06 remaining in the 2nd quarter
- Houston – Nobles 2-yard touchdown run (Ricky Terrell kick), 6:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter
- Houston – Donnie McGraw 1-yard touchdown run (Ricky Terrell kick), 5:28 remaining in the 3rd quarter
- Houston – Donnie McGraw 32-yard touchdown run (kick failed), 13:41 remaining in the 4th quarter
- Houston – David Husmann 7-yard touchdown run (kick failed), 6:53 remaining in the 4th quarter
Statistics
| Statistics | Houston | Tulane |
|---|
| First Downs | 26 | 10 |
| Yards Rushing | 402 | 102 |
| Yards Passing | 253 | 71 |
| Total Yards | 655 | 153 |
| Punts-Average | 3-43.3 | 9-39.2 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 6-4 | 2-1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 1 | 4 |
| Penalties-Yards | 5-55 | 4-26 |
|
Aftermath
Beginning in 1996, the Green Wave and Cougars became conference rivals when Conference USA began play in football (the conference began play in basketball and other sports during the 1995–96 school year). Both schools moved to the American Athletic Conference in 2014, with the Cougars eventually moving to the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
Notes and References
- Book: 2010 Houston Football Media Guide . Year-By-Year Results: 1973 . 2010 . University of Houston Department of Athletics . Houston, TX . 189 . February 3, 2011 . PDF . November 12, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121112164401/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hou/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/yby-results.pdf . dead .
- News: Astro-Bluebonnet game emotional predict coaches . Associated Press . Herald-Journal . D4 . December 27, 1973 . February 3, 2011.
- Web site: College Football Data Warehouse: Houston bowl games . English . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20021129113140/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/houston/bowl_history.php . November 29, 2002 . dead .
- Web site: Year-By-Year Summaries (1970s) . TulaneGreenWave.com . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101229123431/http://www.tulanegreenwave.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/081910aan.html . December 29, 2010 . dead .
- News: Tulane wows Vandy, 24–3 . Associated Press . Lewiston Morning Tribune . 20 . November 18, 1973 . January 25, 2011.
- Web site: College Football Data Warehouse: Tulane bowl games . English . February 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100522063552/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/tulane/bowl_history.php . May 22, 2010 . dead .
