1973 North Carolina Central Eagles football team

The 1973 North Carolina Central Eagles football team represented North Carolina Central University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. Led by first-year head coach Willie Smith, the Eagles compiled an overall record of 7–4, with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, and finished as MEAC champion.

1973 North Carolina Central Eagles football
MEAC champion
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record	7–4 (5–1 MEAC)
Head coach	Willie Smith (1st season)
Home stadium	Durham County Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1972 1974 →

1973 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
North Carolina Central $	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
South Carolina State	4	–	1	–	1			7	–	3	–	1
Howard	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Morgan State	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Maryland Eastern Shore	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
North Carolina A&T	1	–	4	–	1			4	–	6	–	1
Delaware State	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	11	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8	at Winston-Salem State*	Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	W 21–13		[1]
September 15	vs. Florida A&M*	Atlanta Stadium Atlanta, GA	W 9–3		[2]
September 21	Alcorn A&M*	Durham County Memorial Stadium Durham, NC	L 8–10	8,500–8,600	[3][4]
September 29	Morgan State	Durham County Memorial Stadium Durham, NC	W 11–8	9,000	[5]
October 6	at Virginia State*	Rogers Stadium Ettrick, VA	L 2–23		[6]
October 13	Delaware State	Durham County Memorial Stadium Durham, NC	W 32–7		[7][8]
October 20	at Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, MD	W 21–20		[9]
October 27	South Carolina State	Durham County Memorial Stadium Durham, NC	L 3–24	10,000–14,000	[10]
November 3	at Johnson C. Smith*	American Legion Memorial Stadium Charlotte, NC	L 7–15	15,000	[11]
November 10	Howard	Durham County Memorial Stadium Durham, NC	W 10–7	7,165–9,800	[12]
November 17	at North Carolina A&T	World War Memorial Stadium Greensboro, NC (rivalry)	W 16–6	15,730	[13][14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[15]

References

1. "Central rally beats WSS 21–13". Winston-Salem Journal. September 9, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Finally, N. Carolina Central whips Rattlers". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. September 16, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Alcorn edges Central, 10–8". Durham Morning Herald. September 23, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Alcorn A&M)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
5. "N.C. Central staves off Morgan State, 11–8". The Daily Times. September 30, 1972. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Defense leads to VSC victory". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 7, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Eagles at Stadium tonight". The Durham Sun. October 13, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "N.C. Central's new punch stops DSC". The Morning News. October 15, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Late score ruins UMES homecoming by 21–20". The Daily Times. October 21, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Upstart Bulldogs maul Central". Durham Sunday Herald. October 28, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Gibson turns Smith homecoming into 15–7 party". The Charlotte Observer. November 4, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Central FG nips Howard, 10–7". Durham Sunday Herald. November 11, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Eagles top A&T for title". Greensboro Daily News. November 18, 1973. Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (North Carolina A&T)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
15. "Final 1973 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (North Carolina Central)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 18, 2024.