1977 William & Mary Indians football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1977

| team = William & Mary Indians

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Independent

| record = 7–4

| head_coach = Jim Root

| hc_year = 6th

| off_coach =

| oc_year =

| off_scheme =

| def_coach =

| dc_year =

| def_scheme =

| captain = Joe Agee

| captain2 = Keith Fimian

| stadium = Cary Field

| next = 1978

}}

The 1977 William & Mary Indians football team represented the College of William & Mary as an independent during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Led by Jim Root in his sixth year as head coach, William & Mary finished the season with a record of 6–5.{{cite web |author= |title=William & Mary Football Record Book |url=https://static.tribeathletics.com/custompages/files/fb/2020/2021_record_book.pdf |publisher=William & Mary Athletics |date=June 1, 2021 |page=27 |access-date=June 15, 2021 }}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1977

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 3

| w/l = w

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1977|team=Norfolk State Spartans|title=Norfolk State}}

| site_stadium = Cary Field

| site_cityst = Williamsburg, VA

| score = 27–13

| attend = 16,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-william-and-mary-d/171109806/|newspaper=The News and Observer|title=William and Mary darts, bulls past Norfolk St.|date=September 4, 1977|accessdate=April 25, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 10

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = VMI

| site_stadium = Alumni Memorial Field

| site_cityst = Lexington, VA

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 13–23

| attend = 8,100

| source = {{cite news|title=Jones booms 5 field goals, VMI surprises W&M 23–13|newspaper=Daily Press|date=September 11, 1977|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94076730/jones-booms-5-field-goals-vmi-surprises/|accessdate=February 2, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 17

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Pittsburgh

| opprank = 16

| site_stadium = Pitt Stadium

| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA

| score = 6–28

| attend = 39,646

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-pitt-whips-wm-286/171109976/|newspaper=The Roanoke Times & World-News|title=Pitt whips W&M 28–6|date=September 18, 1977|accessdate=April 25, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 24

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Louisville

| site_stadium = Cardinal Stadium

| site_cityst = Louisville, KY

| score = 21–7

| attend = 20,571

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-paducah-sun-rozantz-sparks-william/171110165/|newspaper=The Paducah Sun-Democrat|title=Rozantz sparks William & Mary to 21–7 victory over Louisville|date=September 25, 1977|accessdate=April 25, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 1

| w/l = w

| opponent = Villanova

| site_stadium = Cary Field

| site_cityst = Williamsburg, VA

| score = 28–8

| attend = 12,500

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-patriot-news-william-mary-romps-2/171110348/|newspaper=The Patriot-News|title=William & Mary romps, 28–8|date=October 2, 1977|accessdate=April 25, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 8

| w/l = l

| neutral = y

| opponent = Virginia Tech

| site_stadium = City Stadium

| site_cityst = Richmond, VA

| gamename = Tobacco Bowl

| score = 8–17

| attend = 18,698

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90594106/virginia-tech-wins-178/|work=Daily Press|title=Virginia Tech wins 17–8|date=October 9, 1977|accessdate=December 14, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 22

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Navy

| site_stadium = Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Annapolis, MD

| score = 17–42

| attend = 22,026

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-advance-gattuso-leads-navy/171110607/|newspaper=The Lynchburg News|title=Gattuso leads Navy over W&M|date=October 23, 1977|accessdate=April 25, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 29

| w/l = l

| opponent = Rutgers

| site_stadium = Cary Field

| site_cityst = Williamsburg, VA

| score = 21–22

| attend = 14,800

| source = {{cite news |title=Rutgers' Late Score Scuttles W&M 22-21 |first=Ed |last=Richards |date=October 30, 1977 |page=D1 |newspaper=Daily Press |location=Newport News, Va.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71922067/1977-rutgers-wm/ }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 5

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = The Citadel

| site_stadium = Johnson Hagood Stadium

| site_cityst = Charleston, SC

| score = 14–13

| attend = 13,420

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/danville-register-and-bee-rozantz-propel/139631602/|work=The Danville Register|title=Rozantz propels W&M|date=November 6, 1977|accessdate=January 26, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 12

| w/l = w

| neutral = y

| opponent = East Carolina

| site_stadium = Foreman Field

| site_cityst = Norfolk, VA

| gamename = Oyster Bowl

| score = 21–17

| attend = 20,863

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72658134/rozantz-leads-wms-upset-of-pirates/|work=The Danville Register|title=Rozantz leads W&M's upset of Pirates|date=November 13, 1977|accessdate=March 4, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 19

| w/l = w

| opponent = Richmond

| site_stadium = Cary Field

| site_cityst = Williamsburg, VA

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 29–13

| attend = 14,000

| source = {{cite news |title=W&M blasts Richmond |date=November 20, 1977 |newspaper=The Danville Register |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112184264/wm-blasts-richmond/ |accessdate=October 28, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

Game summaries

=East Carolina / "12th Man Tackle"=

On November 12, William & Mary met heavily favored East Carolina in the Oyster Bowl. In the third quarter East Carolina led by three points. With 3:15 left in the third quarter, William & Mary quarterback Tom Rozantz broke loose and ran for the end zone. Jim Johnson, a former head coach for the East Carolina football team, who was described by The Virginian Pilot as "a portly 65-year-old gentleman in a raincoat", ran from the sidelines and threw a block tackle on Rozantz before he could score the winning touchdown. The unusual turn of events silenced the screaming William & Mary fans, and the officials gathered to discuss their course of action. After deliberation, the play was ruled a touchdown and William & Mary went on to win, 21–17.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121023032700/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-125637161.html Coach Jim tackled a lot in life, but one was most memorable], The Virginian Pilot, December 1, 2004, retrieved February 3, 2009.[http://www.piratealumni.com/s/722/images/editor_documents/pdf/080623TidewaterGolfTournament.pdf Pirate Alumni newsletter] June 23, 2008, retrieved March 13, 2011.{{Cite news|last=Richards|first=Ed|date=November 13, 1977|title=Rozantz, W&M, Find Pearls In Oyster Bowl; Despite '12th Man', Pirates Shocked 21-17|work=The Daily Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/233867183/|access-date=May 25, 2021}}

References

William and Mary

Category:William & Mary Tribe football seasons

William and Mary Indians football