1971 Tangerine Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1971 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 28, 1971 at the Citrus Bowl
in Orlando, Florida
. The Toledo Rockets
of the Mid-American Conference
defeated the Richmond Spiders
of the Southern Conference
by a score of 28–3. The Tangerine Bowl is a former name of what is now called the Capital One Bowl
.
Heading into the game, the University of Toledo
had an unblemished 11–0–0 record. They were MAC Conference
champions and were ranked #14 in the AP Poll
. The Toledo Rockets were heavy favorites; they were riding a 34-game winning streak and attempting to finish their third straight undefeated and untied season in a row. Their nationally ranked defense, led by All-American Mel Long
, helped the Rockets out-gain the Spiders 395–138 in total yards.
The University of Richmond
entered with a 5–6–0 record. They were Southern Conference champions after they defeated William & Mary, 21–19, in the regular season finale to clinch the conference title. The Spiders were appearing in their second-ever postseason bowl game (their first, ironically, was the 1968 Tangerine Bowl
three years prior to that). It would ultimately be the school's final bowl game as well.
The Toledo Rockets would finish #14 in the season's final AP Poll.
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The Toledo Rockets
Toledo Rockets football
The Toledo Rockets football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo began playing football in 1917, although it did not field teams in 1931, and 1943-1945. Since the inception of the AP...
of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
defeated the Richmond Spiders
Richmond Spiders football
The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I...
of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
by a score of 28–3. The Tangerine Bowl is a former name of what is now called the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
.
Heading into the game, the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
had an unblemished 11–0–0 record. They were MAC Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
champions and were ranked #14 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. The Toledo Rockets were heavy favorites; they were riding a 34-game winning streak and attempting to finish their third straight undefeated and untied season in a row. Their nationally ranked defense, led by All-American Mel Long
Mel Long
Mel Long is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Toledo and high school football for Macomber. In 1998 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 6-1, 230-pound Long played defensive tackle and was a two-time All-America, a First-team in 1970...
, helped the Rockets out-gain the Spiders 395–138 in total yards.
The University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
entered with a 5–6–0 record. They were Southern Conference champions after they defeated William & Mary, 21–19, in the regular season finale to clinch the conference title. The Spiders were appearing in their second-ever postseason bowl game (their first, ironically, was the 1968 Tangerine Bowl
1968 Tangerine Bowl
The 1968 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 27, 1968 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Richmond Spiders of the Southern Conference defeated the Ohio Bobcats of the Mid-American Conference by a score of 49–42...
three years prior to that). It would ultimately be the school's final bowl game as well.
The Toledo Rockets would finish #14 in the season's final AP Poll.