GAMBIER — This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the best football seasons in Kenyon College’s long and storied history.
The 1972 team went 7-0-1 under the tutelage of Head Coach Phil Morse. Those seven wins are tied for the best single-season total in program history, and the team’s .938 winning percentage persists as the best all-time.
The Celebration:
On Saturday, Oct. 29, Kenyon will welcome alums from the 1972 football team back to campus and onto McBride Field. The members of the undefeated squad will be recognized at halftime of Kenyon’s football game against DePauw University, a contest scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The celebration of the ’72 team will coincide with this year’s Owls squad celebrating Senior Day in Kenyon’s final home game of the 2022 season.
Buckeye Broadband will cover the game and a free, live video stream will be provided through Kenyon’s website. Members of the Buckeye crew will interview players from the 1972 team throughout the game.
1972 Football Overview
Kenyon outscored its opponents 187-69 over the eight-game schedule, boasting the best scoring defense in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) with just 8.6 points allowed per game. The stout defense was strong enough to rank 12th in the nation among college division teams. Kenyon recorded two shutouts, winning 42-0 against Case Western Reserve University and 34-0 over Centre College in the season finale.
Seniors Charlie Contrada, co-captain Jim Musbach, Pete Schneeberger, and Matt Valencic led a Kenyon defense that tallied 28 takeaways, notching 17 fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions to set up numerous scoring opportunities. Defensive back Kent McDonald, a junior, led Kenyon with three interceptions and returned one for 51 yards.
The best defensive stand of the season came in the final seconds of a 10-7 victory over Wilmington College when Kenyon clinched the game with a stop at the goal line.
Offensively, senior co-captain Dan Handel led Kenyon under center, finishing with 1,342 passing yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 99-of-183 passes. Handel finished third in the OAC in passing and total offense, and he was chosen to play in the first annual All-Ohio Shrine Bowl at Ohio State Stadium in Columbus.
Sophomore fullback Joe Szmania rushed for 787 yards on 169 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Szmania’s rushing total was fourth among OAC rushers, and his eight rushing scores for 48 points ranked third in the conference in scoring.
Tight end Mike Duffy, a senior, caught half of Handel’s touchdowns and was right behind Szmania in scoring, finishing with six scores and 36 points. Duffy caught 35 passes while finishing second in the OAC in receiving yards.
Senior wingback Tom Samstag averaged 9.5 yards on 13 punt returns, leading the conference in return average.
Special teams also played a role in Kenyon’s success as first-year Giovanni DiLalla, a soccer-style kicker, booted game-winning field goals against Otterbein (17-14) and Wilmington (10-7) while adding points in bunches along the way.
1972 Football Game-by-Game
Game 1: Kenyon 17, Otterbein 14
Kenyon’s sterling season started with a dramatic comeback win over Otterbein College. Kenyon was looking for redemption after falling 15-14 to the Cardinals in 1971, but Otterbein was ahead 14-0 in the opening game of the ’72 campaign. However, Kenyon stormed back to tie the game late, igniting what would become a special season.
Kenyon’s rally started with a touchdown reception by senior tight end Mike Duffy with six seconds left in the first half, which flipped momentum to Kenyon’s side.
After tying the game in the third quarter, Kenyon clinched a 17-14 win with a 35-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from first-year Giovanni DiLalla, kicking off a big Kenyon career for the 5’5″ 135 lb. placekicker.
Game 2: Kenyon 13, Washington and Jefferson 13
The only blemish on the 1972 slate came in week two after a 13-13 tie against Washington and Jefferson, but the game was not without some of the season’s most exciting moments. Joe Szmania provided many highlights, finishing with 118 yards on 18 carries and scoring a game-tying touchdown. Cold, wet weather made the game a grind that seemed destined for a 7-7 tie, but W&J scored on a 55-yard pass with 12 seconds left as the visitors appeared to clinch a win.
However, Kenyon’s co-captains came up big, with Jim Musbach blocking the extra point attempt and Dan Handel connecting with Tom Samstag on a 57-yard desperation heave, tying the game with six seconds left. Despite the late-game fireworks, the tie persisted after the snap on the extra point was rolled to the holder, who W&J defenders smothered to keep Kenyon from claiming a win.
Game 3: Kenyon 16, Wooster 9
Kenyon bounced back after the draw, but it took some fourth-quarter heroics from Dan Handel. The College of Wooster controlled the game statistically, recording 178 rushing yards on 57 attempts while holding Kenyon to 65 yards on 34 tries, but the Kenyon defense held the Fighting Scots to three field goals. Kenyon’s scoring came by way of a Mike Duffy receiving touchdown and a field goal from Giovanni DiLalla, but a missed extra point left the contest knotted at 9-9 in the final period.
Not looking to play to a draw for the second consecutive week, the Kenyon offense orchestrated a 14-play drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Handel, giving the team the lead with 6:05 left to play. Wooster pushed to tie, but a defensive stop in Kenyon territory clinched the 16-9 victory and a 2-0-1 record.
Game 4: Kenyon 21, Mount Union 12
One of Kenyon’s most impressive wins came midway through its season. Kenyon upset a highly-favored Mount Union team 21-12 thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Kenyon controlled the game with a then-season-high 143 rushing yards.
Despite allowing 305 yards on the ground to Mount Union, the Kenyon defense kept putting the ball back in Kenyon’s possession, forcing and recovering five Mount Union fumbles and stopping the Purple Raiders inside the Kenyon 10-yard line twice.
Joe Szmania led the offense and finished with 102 rushing yards, and two of the three fumbles that the Kenyon defense recovered in the fourth quarter were converted into touchdowns that sealed the victory.
Game 5: Kenyon 42, Case Western Reserve 0
Kenyon followed up arguably their best win in a tough test with arguably their most dominant victory in their homecoming game. Kenyon scored a touchdown on six of its first eight possessions, and a 28-point second quarter paved the way to a 42-0 win over Case Western Reserve.
The team racked up 490 yards while holding CWRU to 117, an impressive feat considering CWRU had the nation’s seventh-leading rusher in the backfield. Joe Szmania rumbled for 150 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters before Kenyon emptied the bench in the fourth and cruised to a fourth victory, improving to 4-0-1.
Game 6: Kenyon 34, Oberlin 14
Kenyon set the tone early against Oberlin with a 56-yard touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession. After Oberlin tied the game at 7-7, Kenyon’s offense caught fire with two scores in the final three minutes of the half. Joe Szmania sparked another touchdown drive with an 83-yard run, finishing the game with 176 yards on 20 carries.
Dan Handel connected with Mike Duffy on two aerial touchdowns, including a 43-yard score after halftime. Kenyon led 34-7 through three quarters, winning 34-14 to head into a bye week with a 5-0-1 record.
Game 7: Kenyon 10, Wilmington 7
After a pair of commanding wins, Kenyon needed more late-game heroics to pull out a victory on the road against Wilmington. Kenyon’s only touchdown came on a 42-yard pass from Dan Handel to Jim Myers, but kicker Giovanni DiLalla continued his season-long contributions to Kenyon’s success as a 22-yard field goal from the first-year provided the margin for victory.
Kenyon leaned on its lockdown defense to make a game-saving stop after the Kenyon offense fumbled deep in its own territory. Kenyon’s Dave Utlak made a game-saving tackle at the one-foot line, and the defense held firm with an incredible goal-line stand to preserve the 10-7 lead and secure a win in Kenyon’s penultimate game.
Game 8: Kenyon 34, Centre 0
No thrills were needed in Kenyon’s season finale as the team capped its undefeated season with a 34-0 shutout against Centre College. Tom Samstag caught a touchdown from Dan Handel in the opening quarter, but Kenyon’s lead was just 6-0 at halftime. Things changed as Kenyon’s offense exploded for three third-quarter touchdowns; a Joe Szmania run and passes from Handel to George Letts and Jim Myers. Szmania added a second score in the fourth frame, finishing with 80 yards on the ground.
Handel passed for 247 yards and had a stretch of 13 consecutive completions in the second half, and Mike Duffy led Kenyon receivers with 124 yards on seven catches. Defensively, Kenyon held Centre to just 36 rushing yards and 59 passing yards, including just two second-half yards on the ground.
1972 Roster
Alan Berkowitz, Donald Bernsteel, Daniel Blend, Bruce Broxterman, Patrick Clements, Charles Contrada, William Cooperrider, Alan E. Crace, Robert Cunningham, Giovanni DiLalla, Michael (Mike) Duffy, David Fugitt, Michael Gibbons, George Guzauskas, James (Jim) Gwin, Dennis Hall, Daniel (Dan) Handel, John Higgins, W. Bruce Isaacs, Mark Leonard, George Letts, Richard Levengood, Kent McDonald, Clinton Merrill Jr., James Mical, Steven Miljenovic, John Kevin Moroney, James (Jim) Musbach, James (Jim) Myers, Edward Nemer-Kaiser, David Novotny, Thomas Oakley, Mario Orlandi, Robert Pontious, Mark Rakoczy, G. Frederick (Firtz) Reinhardt, Jerome Retar, Patrick Riley, Richard Salomon, Thomas Samstag, Peter Schneeberger, Francis (Frank) Snow, Joseph (Joe) Szmania, Peter Truex, David Utlak, Matthew (Matt) Valencic, John Vrtachnik, Stanley (Stan) Vrtachnik, Patrick White, James Yackee, and Alexander (Alex) Young.
1972 Preseason Quick Facts
83rd Season
1971 Record: 3-6 (1-4 OAC)
Lettermen lost: 5
Lettermen returning: 30
1971 starters returning: 18 (8 defense, 10 offense)
1972 Senior Class
#15 – Dan Handel
#23 – Charles Contrada
#25 – Tom Samstag
#50 – Ed Nemer-Kaiser
#55 – Matt Valencic
#56 – Frank Snow
#58 – John Higgins
#66 – Pete Schneeberger
#69 – Don Bernsteel
#83 – Jim Musbach
#84 – Mike Duffy
Kenyon’s 1972 Co-Captains:
Dan Handel and Jim Musbach
1972 Coaching Staff
Phil Morse – Head Coach (and Director of Athletics)
Tom McHugh – Associate Head Football Coach
Bill Heiser – Defensive Backfield
Dick Sloan – Offensive Line
Don White – Middle Guards and Tackles
1972 Support Personnel:
Dick Traucht – Equipment Manager
Jeffery Bennett and Robert Yaekle – Student Managers
Kenyon College Hall of Fame Members on the 1972 Roster
Jim (James) Myers, class of ’75, inducted in 1997
Mark Leonard, class of ’76, inducted in 1989
Individual awards
Hoag Award – James Yackee
Defensive Lineman – Matthew Valencic
Defensive Back – Charles Contrada
Offensive Lineman – Jerome Retar
Offensive Back – Dan Handel
Most Valuable Player – Dan Handel
1972 Football Team Record-Setters
Individual Records:
Career:
Rushing Yards – Joe Szmania – 1,941 (7th)
Rushing Attempts – Joe Szmania – 464 (9th)
Rushing Touchdowns – Joe Szmania – 24 (5th)
Passing Completion % (Min 400 att./No active players) – Pat Clements – 52.3% (8th)
Receiving Yards – Jim Myers – 2,777 (6th)
Receiving Receptions – Jim Myers – 165 (t-10th)
Receiving Touchdowns – Jim Myers – 21 (t-4th)
Touchdowns scored – Joe Szmania – 24 (9th)
PAT Kicks Made/Attempted – Giovanni DiLalla – 66/76 (2nd all time in each)
Field Goals Made/Attempted – Giovanni DiLalla – 24/56 (1st all time in each)
Punt return yards – Tom Samstag – 204 (8th)
Single Season
Rushing TDs – Joe Szmania – 8 (t-10th)
PAT Kicks Made/Attempted – Giovanni DiLalla – 22-25 (7th all time in each)
Team Records
Wins – 7 – t-1st
Win Percentage (min. 8 games) – 0.938 – 1st
Unbeaten streak – 8 – 1st
