1977 Lafayette Leopards football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1977
| team = Lafayette Leopards
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = independent
| record = 5–6
| head_coach = Neil Putnam
| hc_year = 7th
| captain = John Orrico
| captain2 = Thomas Padilla
| stadium = Fisher Field
}}
{{1977 NCAA Division II independents football records}}
The 1977 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1977 NCAA Division II football season. In their seventh year under head coach Neil Putnam, the Leopards compiled a 5–6 record.{{cite book |title=2019 Lafayette Football Record Book |chapter=Lafayette Football 1963-1986 |publisher=Lafayette College |location=Easton, Pa. |page=104 |accessdate=June 20, 2020 |url=https://goleopards.com/documents/2019/8/26/2019LafayetteFootballRecordBook.pdf}} John Orrico and Thomas Padilla were the team captains.{{cite book |title=2019 Lafayette Football Record Book |chapter=Team Captains 1882-2019 |publisher=Lafayette College |location=Easton, Pa. |page=97 |accessdate=June 20, 2020 |url=https://goleopards.com/documents/2019/8/26/2019LafayetteFootballRecordBook.pdf}} Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1977
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = AP
| attend = y
| source = y
| September 10 | | Maine
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | L 10 12
| 4,200–4,328 | {{cite news |title=Maine 12-10: Tough Loss for Lafayette |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=September 11, 1977 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71911687/1977-lafayette-maine/ }} Attendance in {{cite news |title=Maine Slips by Lafayette, 12-10 |date=September 11, 1977 |page=95 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass. }}
| September 17 | @ | Colgate
| Andy Kerr Stadium | Hamilton, NY | L 12 38
| 4,200 | {{cite news |title=Dunlap's Raiders Too Much for Leopards |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=September 18, 1977 |page=C2 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71912909/1977-colgate-lafayette/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Colgate 38, Lafayette 12 |date=September 18, 1977 |page=5D |newspaper=Sunday Telegram |location=Elmira, N.Y. }}
| September 24 | @ | Columbia
| Baker Field | New York, NY | L 10 21
| 1,500 | {{cite news |title=Columbia Sets Back Lafayette by 21-10 |first=Thomas |last=Rogers |date=September 25, 1977 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 1 | @ | {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Merchant Marine Mariners|title=Merchant Marine}}
| Tomb Field | Kings Point, NY | W 33 6
| 4,000 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette, Lehigh Impressive Winners |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=October 2, 1977 |page=C2 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71915113/1977-lafayette-marine/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Lafayette 33, Kings Point 7 |date=October 2, 1977 |page=7C |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |location=St. Petersburg, Fla.}}
| October 8 | | Bucknell
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 34 7
| 7,500–8,000 | {{cite web |author= |title=Final 1977 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Bucknell) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/83/stats/12867 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 14, 2024 }}
| October 14 | @ | Penn
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 7 42
| 3,353 | {{cite news |title=Penn Power Overcomes Lafayette |first=Chuck |last=Newman |date=October 15, 1977 |page=1D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56255210/1977-lafayette-penn}}
| October 22 | @ | Army
| Michie Stadium | West Point, NY | L 6 42
| 28,277–28,322 | {{cite news |title=Hall Directs Army over Lafayette 42-6 |agency=Associated Press |date=October 23, 1977 |page=D12 |newspaper=Daily Press |location=Newport News, Va.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71920888/1977-lafayette-army/ }}
| October 29 | | {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Gettysburg Bullets|title=Gettysburg}}
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 22 3
| 6,000–6,500 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Turns Breaks into Two Touchdowns to Down Stubborn Bullets |date=October 31, 1977 |page=13 |newspaper=The Gettysburg Times |location=Gettysburg, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71921935/1977-lafayette-gettysburg/ }}
| November 5 | | {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Fordham Rams|title=Fordham}}
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 41 23
| November 12 | | Davidson
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | W 20 18
| 2,500 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette Holds Off Davidson 20-18 in Wild Finish |first=Paul |last=Reinhard |date=November 13, 1977 |page=C2 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71923597/1977-lafayette-davidson/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Davidson Rally Falls Short in 20-18 Loss |date=November 13, 1977 |page=4B |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |location=Charlotte, N.C. }}
| November 19 | @ | #8 Lehigh
| Taylor Stadium | Bethlehem, PA (The Rivalry) | L 17 35
| 18,000 | {{cite news |title=A Bowl for Lehigh? Rieker's Passes Bomb Lafayette |first=Allen |last=Lewis |date=November 20, 1977 |page=11D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71924154/1977-lafayette-lehigh/ }}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1977 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Lafayette) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/342/stats/12867 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}