| Game Name: | Camellia Bowl |
| Game Link: | Camellia Bowl (1961–80) |
| Subheader: | NCAA Division II Football Championship |
| Date Game Played: | December 15 |
| Year Game Played: | 1973 |
| Football Season: | 1973 |
| Stadium: | Hughes Stadium |
| City: | Sacramento, California |
| Attendance: | 12,016 |
| Visitor School: | Louisiana Tech University |
| Visitor Name Short: | Louisiana Tech |
| Visitor Nickname: | Bulldogs |
| Visitor Conference: | Southland Conference |
| Visitor Coach: | Maxie Lambright |
| Visitor Record: | 11–1 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 10 |
| Home School: | Western Kentucky University |
| Home Name Short: | Western Kentucky |
| Home Nickname: | Hilltoppers |
| Home Conference: | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Home Coach: | Jimmy Feix |
| Home Record: | 12–0 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Referee: | Bill Love |
| Us Network: | ABC |
The 1973 Camellia Bowl was the NCAA Division II Football Championship game following the 1973 season, between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.[1]
Notable participants for Louisiana Tech include Fred Dean, Roger Carr, Pat Tilley, Roland Harper, Mike Barber, John Henry White, Billy Ryckman, Maxie Lambright, Mickey Slaughter, Pat Patterson, and Pat Collins.
| Statistics | La. Tech | WKU |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 17 | 7 |
| Total offense, yards | 336 | 76 |
| Rushes-yards (net) | 58–186 | 27–(−12) |
| Passing yards (net) | 150 | 88 |
| Passes, Comp-Att-Int | 10–27–0 | 12–37–4 |
| Time of Possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| La. Tech | Passing | Denny Duron | 4/14, 78 yds, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Charles McDaniel | 21 car, 116 yds, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | 7 rec, 106 yds, 1 TD | ||
| WKU | Passing | Dennis Tomek | 10/32, 91 yds, 3 INT |
| Rushing | John Embree | 9 car, 38 yds | |
| Receiving | Porter Williams | 7 rec, 66 yds |