1979 Maine Black Bears football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1979
| team = Maine Black Bears
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Yankee Conference
| short_conf = Yankee
| record = 2–9
| conf_record = 0–5
| head_coach = Jack Bicknell
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = Joseph Lipinski
| captain2 = Thomas Sullivan
| captain3 = Jonathan Weed
| stadium = Alumni Field
}}
{{1979 Yankee Conference football standings}}
The 1979 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In its fourth season under head coach Jack Bicknell, the team compiled a 2–9 record (0–5 against conference opponents) and finished fifth out of six teams in the Yankee Conference. Joseph Lipinski, Thomas Sullivan, and Jonathan Weed were the team captains.{{cite web |title=2019 Maine Football Media Guide |publisher=University of Maine |year=2019 |page=87 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/umaine.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/17/2019_Maine_Football_Media_Guide.pdf |accessdate=September 22, 2021 |archive-date=September 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923194140/https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/umaine.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/17/2019_Maine_Football_Media_Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1979
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA
| poll = AP
| opprank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 8||{{cfb link|year=1979|team=Towson State Tigers|title=Towson State}}
|September 15||Boston University
|September 22|at|UMass|Alumni Stadium|Hadley, MA|L 14–38|3,990|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-umass-rips-maine-pears/155211432/|work=The Hartford Courant|title=UMass rips Maine; Pearson scores|date=September 23, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 29||{{cfb link|year=1979|team=Central Connecticut Blue Devils|title=Central Connecticut}}|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|W 40–3|6,700|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-maine-bombs-central-40/155222394/|work=The Hartford Courant|title=Maine bombs Central, 40–3|date=September 30, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 6|at|Rhode Island|Meade Stadium|Kingston, RI|L 0–10|8,158|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news-rhode-island-10-maine/155221631/|work=Sunday News Journal|title=Rhode Island 10, Maine 0|date=October 7, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 13||New Hampshire|Alumni Field|Orono, ME (rivalry)|L 0–23|7,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-new-hampshire-11-b/155212837/|work=The Bangor Daily News|title=New Hampshire 11 blanks disappointing Bears, 23–0|date=October 15, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 20||Connecticut|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|L 7–19||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-uconn-tips-maine/155212358/|work=Boston Sunday Globe|title=UConn tips Maine|date=October 21, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 27|at|No. 7 Lafayette|Fisher Field|Easton, PA|W 34–21|6,000|{{cite news |title=Bouier, Maine Rip Lafayette |agency=Associated Press |date=October 28, 1979 |page=85 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56462882/1979-lafayette-maine}}
|November 3|at|No. 1
|November 10|at|Lehigh|Taylor Stadium|Bethlehem, PA|L 6–12|5,000|{{cite news |title=Maine Gridders Nudged by Touted Lehigh, 12–6 |newspaper=Bangor Daily News |location=Bangor, Maine |date=November 12, 1979 |page=26 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56466327/1979-lehigh-maine |via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 17||Northeastern|Alumni Field|Orono, ME|L 16–27||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/morning-sentinel-maine-suffers-bad-grid/155222632/|work=Morning Sentinel|title=Maine suffers bad grid season|date=November 18, 1979|accessdate=September 13, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
After the season
The following Black Bear was selected in the 1980 NFL draft after the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1980/draft.htm|title=1980 NFL Draft Listing|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=January 1, 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Maine Black Bears|border=2|Round|Pick|Player|Position|NFL club}} | ||||
| 21 | 316 | Roger Lapham | Tight end | Buffalo Bills |