1977 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1977

| team = North Carolina Tar Heels

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Atlantic Coast Conference

| short_conf = ACC

| CoachRank = 14

| APRank = 17

| record = 8–3–1

| conf_record = 5–0–1

| head_coach = Bill Dooley

| hc_year = 11th

| off_coach =

| oc_year =

| off_scheme =

| def_coach = Jim Dickey

| dc_year = 3rd

| def_scheme =

| captain = Alan Caldwell

| captain2 = Dee Hardison

| stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| champion = ACC champion

| bowl = Liberty Bowl

| bowl_result = L 17–21 vs. Nebraska

}}

{{1977 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings}}

The 1977 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the North Carolina Tar Heels of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/north-carolina/1977-schedule.html|title=1977 North Carolina Tar Heels|work=College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1977

| poll = AP

| timezone = Eastern

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 10

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Kentucky

| site_stadium = Commonwealth Stadium

| site_cityst = Lexington, KY

| score = 7–10

| attend = 57,796

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rocky-mount-telegram-kentucky-wildcats-c/134285251/|work=Rocky Mount Telegram|title=Kentucky Wildcats claw Carolina 10–7|date=September 11, 1977|accessdate=October 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 17

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Richmond

| site_stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Chapel Hill, NC

| score = 31–0

| attend = 47,100

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112183184/heels-bury-spiders-310/|work=Rocky Mount Telegram|title=Heels bury Spiders, 31–0|date=September 18, 1977|accessdate=October 28, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 24

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = Northwestern

| site_stadium = Dyche Stadium

| site_cityst = Evanston, IL

| score = 41–7

| attend = 19,597

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-north-carolina-rip/139644540/|work=The Rock Island Argus|title=North Carolina rips Northwestern, 41–7|date=September 25, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 1

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Texas Tech

| opprank = 13

| site_stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Chapel Hill, NC

| score = 7–10

| attend = 48,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/abilene-reporter-news-johnson-directs-ra/139644663/|work=The Abilene Reporter-News|title=Johnson directs Raiders to victory|date=October 2, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 8

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| opponent = Wake Forest

| site_stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Chapel Hill, NC

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 24–3

| attend = 48,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-and-democrat-unc-buries-wake-f/139644832/|work=The Times and Democrat|title=UNC buries Wake Forest|date=October 9, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 15

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = NC State

| site_stadium = Carter Stadium

| site_cityst = Raleigh, NC

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 27–14

| attend = 51,300

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-freshman-lawrence-powers-tar-h/139644951/|work=The State|title=Freshman Lawrence powers Tar Heels|date=October 16, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 22

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = South Carolina

| site_stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Chapel Hill, NC

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 17–0

| attend = 48,250

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-news-tar-heels-blank-gamecocks/139643944/|work=The Sun-News|title=Tar Heels blank Gamecocks|date=October 23, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 29

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Maryland

| site_stadium = Byrd Stadium

| site_cityst = College Park, MD

| score = 16–7

| attend = 42,683

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-advance-unc-stuns-terps/139645083/|work=The Lynchburg News|title=UNC stuns Terps|date=October 30, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 5

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = t

| opponent = Clemson

| opprank = 13

| site_stadium = Kenan Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Chapel Hill, NC

| score = 13–13

| attend = 50,500

| source = {{cite web |author= |title=Clemson Football Media Guide - 1978 |url=https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/fball_media/57/ |publisher=Clemson University |date=1978 |page=1 |access-date=November 9, 2023 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-tar-heels-play-for-tie/139645218/|work=The Roanoke Times|title=Tar Heels play for tie and get it, 13–13|date=November 6, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 12

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 19

| opponent = Virginia

| site_stadium = Scott Stadium

| site_cityst = Charlottesville, VA

| gamename = South's Oldest Rivalry

| score = 35–14

| attend = 21,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-lawrence-clobber/139645351/|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|title=Lawrence clobbers records, Cavaliers|date=November 13, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 19

| time = 1:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 18

| opponent = Duke

| site_stadium = Wallace Wade Stadium

| site_cityst = Durham, NC

| gamename = Victory Bell

| score = 16–3

| attend = 40,078

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-carolina-tops-duke/139645464/|work=The Memphis Press-Scimitar|title=Carolina tops Duke for ACC title|date=November 20, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|December 19|Monday}}

| time = 9:00 p.m.

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| neutral = y

| rank = 14

| opponent = Nebraska

| opprank = 12

| site_stadium = Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Memphis, TN

| gamename = Liberty Bowl

| score = 17–21

| attend = 49,456

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-memphis-press-scimitar-nebraskas-pa/139645555/|work=The News and Observer|title=Nebraska's pass-master brings Carolina to Heel|date=December 20, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

}}

Roster

Game summaries

=At Virginia=

References

{{Reflist}}

{{North Carolina Tar Heels football navbox}}

{{Atlantic Coast Conference football champions}}

North Carolina

Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football seasons

Category:Atlantic Coast Conference football champion seasons

North Carolina Tar Heels football

{{collegefootball-1977-season-stub}}