1977 Lehigh Engineers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA team season
|year=1977
| team=Lehigh Engineers
|sport=football
| image=
|conference= Independent
|short_conf=
|CoachRank=
|AFCARank=
|record=12–2
|conf_record=
|head_coach= John Whitehead
|hc_year=2nd
|off_coach=
|def_coach=
|off_scheme=
|def_scheme=
|stadium= Taylor Stadium
|champion= NCAA Division II champion
Lambert Cup
|bowl=NCAA Division II Championship Game—Pioneer Bowl
|bowl_result= W 33–0 vs. Jacksonville State
}}
{{1977 NCAA Division II independents football records}}
The 1977 Lehigh Engineers football team represented Lehigh University during the 1977 NCAA Division II football season, and completed the 94th season of Engineers football. The Engineers played their home games at Taylor Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The 1977 team came off a 6–5 record from the previous season.{{cite web|url=http://college-football-results.com/f/lehigh.htm|title=Lehigh Mountain Hawks -- College Football (NCAA)|access-date=October 8, 2016}} The team was led by coach John Whitehead. The team finished the regular season with a 9–2 record and made the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Engineers defeated the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 33–0 in the National Championship Game en route to the program's first NCAA Division II Football Championship.{{cite web |last=DeLassus |first=David |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/l/lehigh/1975-1979_yearly_results.php |title=Lehigh Yearly Results |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |year=2016 |access-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-date=July 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723100915/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/l/lehigh/1975-1979_yearly_results.php |url-status=dead }}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1977
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = Associated Press
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 10
| w/l = w
| opponent = Connecticut
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| score = 49–0
| attend = 9,500
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Routs UConn, Spoils Nadzak Debut |first=Woody |last=Anderson |date=September 11, 1977 |page=1C |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71911896/1977-lehigh-uconn/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 17
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets|title=Baldwin–Wallace}}
| site_stadium = George Finnie Stadium
| site_cityst = Berea, OH
| score = 21–14
| attend = 5,184
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Dealt Defeat |date=September 18, 1977 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71913239/1977-lehigh-bw/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 24
| w/l = w
| opponent = Penn
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| score = 19–7
| attend = 6,000–10,000
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Defeats Penn on Passes |date=September 25, 1977 |page=9E |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56250938/1977-lehigh-penn}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 1
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Davidson
| site_stadium = Richardson Stadium
| site_cityst = Davidson, NC
| score = 43–7
| attend = 4,600
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Explodes for 43-7 Victory over Davidson |first=Mark |last=Wolf |date=October 2, 1977 |page=4B |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |location=Charlotte, N.C.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71915624/1977-lehigh-davidson/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Lehigh 43, Davidson 7 |date=October 2, 1977 |page=4C |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |location=St. Petersburg, Fla.}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 8
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Rhode Island
| site_stadium = Meade Stadium
| site_cityst = Kingston, RI
| score = 42–16
| attend = 4,115
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Strikes Early to Crush URI, 42-16 |first=Amby |last=Smith |date=October 9, 1977 |page=80 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71918383/1977-lehigh-uri/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 15
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Rutgers
| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium
| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ
| score = 0–20
| attend = 21,000
| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers Blitzes Past Lehigh, 20-0 |first=Ken |last=O'Brien |date=October 16, 1977 |page=B1 |newspaper=The Home News Sunday |location=New Brunswick, N.J.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71919213/1977-lehigh-rutgers/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 22
| w/l = w
| opponent = VMI
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| score = 30–20
| attend = 13,000
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Turns Tables on VMI |first=Terry |last=Larimer |date=October 23, 1977 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71921075/1977-lehigh-vmi/ }} Attendance figure in {{cite news |title=Lehigh Sinks VMI 30-20, Reiker Passes for 229 Yards, Two TDs |date=October 23, 1977 |page=D1 |newspaper=Daily Press |location=Newport News, Va. }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 29
| w/l = w
| opponent = Bucknell
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| score = 47–13
| attend = 11,000–11,500
| source = {{cite news |title=Engineers Swamp Bisons |first=Jeff |last=Ranck |date=October 31, 1977 |page=18 |newspaper=The Daily Item |location=Sunbury, Pa. |via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71921833/1977-bucknell-lehigh/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 5
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Gettysburg Bullets|title=Gettysburg}}
| site_stadium = Musselman Stadium
| site_cityst = Gettysburg, PA
| score = 47–0
| attend = 3,460
| source = {{cite news |title=Engineers Demolish Bullets in Easy Romp |date=November 7, 1977 |page=4 |newspaper=The Gettysburg Times |location=Gettysburg, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71923022/1977-lehigh-gettysburg/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 12
| w/l = w
| rank = T–10
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1977|team=C.W. Post Pioneers|title=C.W. Post}}
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| score = 36–10
| attend = 9,500
| source = {{cite news |title=Defense Stands Out as Lehigh Routs C.W. Post 36-10 |first=Terry |last=Larimer |date=November 13, 1977 |page=C1 |newspaper=Sunday Call-Chronicle |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71923430/1977-lehigh-post/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 19
| w/l = w
| rank = 8
| opponent = Lafayette
| site_stadium = Taylor Stadium
| site_cityst = Bethlehem, PA
| gamename = The Rivalry
| score = 35–17
| attend = 18,000
| source = {{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/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 26
| w/l = w
| rank = 8
| away = y
| opponent = UMass
| opprank = 2
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| gamename = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| score = 30–23
| attend = 5,700
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Flies High – UMass Shot Down, 30-23 |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 27, 1977 |page=64 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71924271/1977-lehigh-umass/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 3
| w/l = w
| rank = 8
| away = y
| opponent = UC Davis
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Toomey Field
| site_cityst = Davis, CA
| gamename = NCAA Division II Semifinal—Knute Rockne Bowl
| score = 39–30
| attend = 10,500
| source = {{cite news |title=End of Road for Aggies |first=Ray |last=Ratto |date=December 4, 1977 |page=1C |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |location=San Francisco, Calif.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71924415/1977-lehigh-davis/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 10
| w/l = w
| rank = 8
| neutral= y
| opponent = Jacksonville State
| opprank = 9
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Wichita Falls, TX
| gamename = NCAA Division II Championship Game—Pioneer Bowl
| score = 33–0
| attend = 14,114
| source = {{cite news |title=Lehigh Wins Division II Title |first=Greg |last=Thompson |date=December 11, 1977 |page=5D |newspaper=The Tampa Tribune-Times |location=Tampa, Fla.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71924828/1977-lehigh-jacksonville/ }}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1977 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Lehigh) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/352/stats/12867 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 16, 2024 }}{{cite web|url=https://static.lehighsports.com/custompages/Record%20Books/Football/Football%20Record%20Book%20060419.pdf?_ga=2.95992732.163325573.1590860425-1879991938.1590860425|title=Lehigh Football Record Book|publisher=Lehigh Athletics|access-date=May 29, 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1977 Lehigh Engineers football navbox}}
{{Lehigh Mountain Hawks football navbox}}
{{NCAA Division II football national champion navbox}}
Category:Lehigh Mountain Hawks football seasons
Category:NCAA Division II Football Champions
{{collegefootball-1977-season-stub}}