1976 Morgan State Bears football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1976
| team = Morgan State Bears
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
| short_conf = MEAC
| record = 6–4
| conf_record = 5–1
| head_coach = Henry Lattimore
| hc_year = 1st
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Thomas Morris
| dc_year = 4th
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Hughes Stadium
| champion = MEAC co-champion
}}
{{1976 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}}
The 1976 Morgan State Bears football team represented Morgan State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. Led by first-year head coach Henry Lattimore, the Bears compiled an overall record of 6–4 and a mark of 5–1 in conference play, and finished as MEAC co-champion.
The game played in September in Tokyo against Morgan State was the first regular-season NCAA game played in Japan.{{efn|Despite incorrect reporting otherwise,{{cite news |title=Coaches see football in Japan |page=16 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_YkkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T_UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6166%2C2196629 |newspaper=The Baltimore Afro-American |date=October 5, 1976 |access-date=October 24, 2013}} this was not the first college football game played outside the Western Hemisphere by any stretch. Japan universities began forming their own college football teams since 1934.[https://americanfootball.jp/english History of American Football in Japan], Japan American Football Association, accessed May 28, 2024. In 1971, the Utah State Aggies became the first American college football team to play in Japan, in a series of games against teams of Japan's college all-stars.Kaz Nagastuka, [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/01/20/more-sports/football/coaches-recall-trail-blazing-71-utah-state-visit/ Coaches recall trail-blazing '71 Utah State visit], The Japan Times, January 20, 2016.Bobak Ha'Eri, [https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1cjap87/rcfb_reporting_mills_bowl_iv_is_this_saturday/ /r/CFB Reporting: Mills Bowl IV is this Saturday: What to know about the team from Japan and notes from the ground at Southern Oregon], /r/CFB, May 3, 2024. January 1976 saw the beginning of the Japan Bowl, a post-season college football all-star game played in Japan each January from 1976 to 1993. However, this was the first time two NCAA football teams played each other in Japan, presaging the Mirage Bowl which began in 1977.}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1976
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 11
| w/l = w
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1976|team=Virginia State Trojans|title=Virginia State}}
| site_stadium = Rogers Stadium
| site_cityst = Ettrick, VA
| score = 28–23
| attend = 8,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-vsc-errors-give/143719063/|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|title=VSC errors give Morgan comeback win|date=September 12, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| w/l = l
| neutral = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Grambling State
| site_stadium = {{flag icon|Japan}} Korakuen Stadium
| site_cityst = Tokyo, Japan
| gamename = Pioneer Bowl
| score = 16–42
| attend = 50,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121168548/grambling-crunches-morgan/|work=The Baltimore Sun|title=Grambling crunches Morgan|date=September 24, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 2
| w/l = w
| opponent = North Carolina Central
| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 12–10
| attend = 4,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-morgan-state-edges/143719681/|work=Winston-Salem Journal|title=Morgan State edges Central|date=October 3, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 17
| w/l = l
| opponent = South Carolina State
| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 0–17
| attend = 6,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40332541/aerial_duel_bombs_s_c_state_blanks/|title=Aerial duel bombs, S. C. State blanks Morgan|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=October 17, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 23
| w/l = w
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Delaware State
| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 36–13
| attend = 10,500
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86310318/the-baltimore-sun/|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|title=Morgan strikes for 29 points in second half to overcome Delaware State, 36 to 13|date=October 24, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 30
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = North Carolina A&T
| site_stadium = World War Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Greensboro, NC
| score = 45–16
| attend = 21,500–25,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-morgan-state-blitzes-at/143720323/|work=Greensboro Daily News|title=Morgan State blitzes A&T|date=October 31, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (North Carolina A&T) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/488/stats/13330 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 21, 2024 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 6
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1976|team=Virginia Union Panthers|title=Virginia Union}}
| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 13–20
| attend = 4,000
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-vuu-wins-2013/143720550/|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|title=VUU wins, 20–13, on late scores|date=November 7, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 13
| w/l = l
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1976|team=East Stroudsburg Warriors|title=East Stroudsburg}}
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = East Stroudsburg, PA
| score = 0–23
| attend = 6,500
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-essc-buoys-playoff-hope/143721034/|newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle|title=ESSC buoys playoff hopes with 23–0 win|date=November 14, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 20
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Howard
| site_stadium = RFK Stadium
| site_cityst = Washington, DC
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 34–15
| attend = 2,812–3,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-terrors-rip-jays-297/143721392/|work=The Baltimore Sun|title=Terrors rip Jays, 29–7; Morgan wins, UMES falls|date=November 21, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Howard) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/290/stats/13330 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 22, 2024 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 27
| w/l = w
| opponent = Maryland Eastern Shore
| site_stadium = Hughes Stadium
| site_cityst = Baltimore, MD
| score = 56–10
| attend = 2,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-morgan-rips-umes-561/143721619/|work=The Baltimore Sun|title=Morgan rips UMES, 56–10, ties for MEAC title|date=November 28, 1976|accessdate=March 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Morgan State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/446/stats/13330 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=March 19, 2024 }}
References
= Notes =
{{notelist}}
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
{{Morgan State Bears football navbox}}
{{Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champions}}
Category:Morgan State Bears football seasons
Category:Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champion seasons
{{collegefootball-1976-season-stub}}