1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record3–8 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPs
Captains
  • Larry McCarren
  • John Wiza
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1972 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Michigan + 7 1 0 10 1 0
No. 9 Ohio State + 7 1 0 9 2 0
Purdue 6 2 0 6 5 0
Michigan State 5 2 1 5 5 1
Minnesota 4 4 0 4 7 0
Indiana 3 5 0 5 6 0
Illinois 3 5 0 3 8 0
Iowa 2 6 1 3 7 1
Wisconsin 2 6 0 4 7 0
Northwestern 1 8 0 2 9 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1972 Big Ten season. In their second year under head coach Bob Blackman, the Illini compiled a 3–8 record (3–5 in conference games), finished in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 277 to 197.

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Mike Wells with 837 passing yards, running back George Uremovich with 611 rushing yards, and wide receiver Garvin Roberson with 569 receiving yards. Center Larry McCarren and defensive end Larry Allen were selected as the team's most valuable players. Wells and center Larry McCarren received first-team honors on the 1972 All-Big Ten Conference football team.

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.