1977 Widener Pioneers football team

1977 Widener Pioneers football
NCAA Division III champion
MAC champion
Stagg Bowl, W 39–36 vs. Wabash
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
Record11–1 (6–0 MAC)
Head coach
Seasons
← 1976
1978 →
1977 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northern Division
Albright x 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Upsala 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Lycoming 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Juniata 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wilkes 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Susquehanna 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Delaware Valley 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Southern Division
Widener x^ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
Franklin & Marshall 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Dickinson 5 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Muhlenberg 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Swarthmore 4 – 4 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Lebanon Valley 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Western Maryland 2 – 4 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Moravian 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Ursinus 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Johns Hopkins 0 – 8 – 1 1 – 8 – 1
Gettysburg * 1 – 1 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games

The 1977 Widener Pioneers football team represented Widener University as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) during the 1977 NCAA Division III football season. The team won the 1977 NCAA Division III national championship.

Season overview

In their ninth season under head coach Bill Manlove, the Pride compiled an 11–1 record and won the NCAA Division III championship.[1][2][3][4]

The team lost to Fordham in the second game of the season – Widener's first home defeat since 1970.[5] The Fordham loss was followed by a 10-game winning streak. In the NCAA Division III playoffs, the Pioneers shut out Central (Iowa) (17–0) on the road. In the semifinals, the Pioneers defeated Albany as Chip Zawoiski carried a record 31 times for 171 rushing yards.[6]

In the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, Widener faced Wabash. The Pioneers won, 39–36, in a game that featured five lead changes. Widener ultimately pulled ahead with two fourth-quarter touchdowns on passes of 25 and 70 yards from Mark Walter to Walker Carter.[2][7]

The team played its home games in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Statistical leaders and awards

The team's statistical leaders included senior tailback Chip Zawoiski with 1,576 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns and quarterback Mark Walter with 1,312 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.[2]

Zawoiski was named the MAC most valuable player (tying with John Green of Franklin Y Marshall), and coach Manlove received MAC Coach of the Year honors for the fourth consecutive year. A total of ten Widener players received first-team All-MAC honors: Zawoiski; split end Walker Carter; offensive tackle Bob Brewster; offensive guard Andy Martin; kicker John Ferko; defensive end Tim Erlacher; defensive tackle Jim "Bubba" Carter; linebackers Eddie Fulmer and Wayne Pierce; and defensive back Ted Kukawaski.[8]

The 1977 team was inducted as a group into the Widener Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.[2]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 17Lebanon ValleyChester, PAW 28–0[9]
September 24Fordham*Chester, PAL 14–19[5]
October 1at MoravianBethlehem, PAW 13–9[10]
October 8at New York Tech*Old Westbury, NYW 35–6[11][12]
October 15Johns HopkinsChester, PAW 17–63,000[13]
October 22Franklin & MarshallChester, PAW 42–12[14]
October 29at UrsinusCollegeville, PAW 56–6362[15]
November 5at Delaware ValleyDoylestown, PAW 50–27[16]
November 12at SwarthmoreSwarthmore, PAW 32–31,000[17]
November 19at Central (IA)*Pella, IA (NCAA Division III quarterfinal)W 19–0[6][18]
November 26Albany*Chester, PA (NCAA Division III semifinal)W 33–153,000[19]
December 3vs. Wabash*Phenix City, AL (Stagg Bowl)W 39–367,852[7]
  • *Non-conference game

References

  1. ^ "1977 Football Schedule - NCAA Division III Champions". Widener Athletics. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "1977 Widener Football Team". Widener Athletics. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Phil Jasner (November 25, 1977). "Widener Close To Title Shot". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 132 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Joe Juliano (December 1, 1977). "A tale of two schools -- small powers seek national titles: Widener after Division III crown". The Danville News. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Fordham topples Widener". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 25, 1977. p. 10E – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Don Kruse (November 20, 1977). "Widener blanks Dutchmen 19-0". The Waterloo Courier. pp. 57–58 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Pa. Teams Win: Widener Outlasts Wabash 39-36 To Capture Division III Title". Sunday News Journal. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. December 4, 1977. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Widener puts 10 on MAC team; Manlove shares loop's Coach-of-Year honors". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. December 1, 1977. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Widener Zips Lebanon Valley 28-0". Sunday News. ancaster, Pennsylvania. September 18, 1977. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Ted Meixell (October 2, 1977). "Widener 13 Moravian 9". Sunday Call-Chronicle. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Widener 35, N.Y. Tech 6". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). October 9, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Quarterback Walter leads Widener, 35-6". The Des Moines Register. October 9, 1976. p. 10D – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Widener runs past Hopkins". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 16, 1977. p. 10E – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Widener defeats Diplomats 42-12". The Morning News. October 23, 1977. p. Sports 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Widener wallops Ursinus 56-6". Sunday News Journal. October 30, 1977. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Widener 50 DVC 27". Sunday Call-Chronicle. November 6, 1977. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Widener stops Swarthmore 32-3". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. November 13, 1977. p. Sports 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bob Dyer (November 20, 1977). "Widener's tough defense douses Central bid, 19-0". The Des Moines Register. p. 8D – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Widener smashes Albany 33-15, enters NCAA Division III finals". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. November 27, 1977. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.