Led by fifth-year head coach Jerry Frei, the Ducks were 5–6 overall and 2–4 in the Pacific-8 Conference.
They did not play UCLA and lost the Civil War to Oregon State for an eighth consecutive year.
[1] Oregon was led by junior quarterback Dan Fouts and senior All-American halfback Bobby Moore (Ahmad Rashad), the fourth overall pick of the 1972 NFL draft, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Rashad played ten seasons in the NFL, primarily as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings.
[4][5] [15][16][17] [18][19][20][21] Four Oregon seniors were named to the All-Pacific-8 team: halfback Bobby Moore, tackle Tom Drougas, guard John McKean, and defensive back Bill Drake.