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1977 Northwestern Wildcats football team

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1977 Northwestern Wildcats football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record1–10 (1–8 Big Ten)
Head coach
CaptainPaul Maly[1]
Home stadiumDyche Stadium
Seasons
← 1976
1978 →
1977 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 9 Michigan +7–1–010–2–0
No. 11 Ohio State +7–1–09–3–0
Michigan State6–1–17–3–1
Indiana4–3–15–5–1
Minnesota4–4–07–5–0
Purdue3–5–05–6–0
Iowa3–5–05–6–0
Wisconsin3–6–05–6–0
Illinois2–6–03–8–0
Northwestern1–8–01–10–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1977 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fifth year under head coach John Pont, the Wildcats compiled a 1–10 record (1–8 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in last place in the Big Ten Conference.[2]

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Scott Stranski with 541 passing yards, Dave Mishler with 520 rushing yards, and Mark Bailey with 347 receiving yards.[3]

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10at Iowa
L 0–2453,725[4]
September 17at Arizona State*
L 3–3557,149[5]
September 24North Carolina*
L 7–4119,597[6]
October 1at Wisconsin
L 7–1968,709[7]
October 8Indiana
  • Dyche Stadium
  • Evanston, IL
L 3–2816,378[8]
October 15at Minnesota
L 7–1339,021[9]
October 22No. 4 Ohio State
  • Dyche Stadium
  • Evanston, IL
L 15–3529,563[10]
October 29Purdue
  • Dyche Stadium
  • Evanston, IL
L 16–2817,525[11]
November 5at No. 6 Michigan
L 20–63103,211[12]
November 12at Michigan State
L 3–4461,238[13]
November 19Illinois
  • Dyche Stadium
  • Evanston, IL (rivalry)
W 21–717,255[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

[edit]
1977 Northwestern Wildcats football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
OT 68 Tony Ardizzone Sr
WR 83 Mark Bailey
QB 15 Steve Breitbell Jr
TE 87 Dan Cleary
QB 17 Bill Dierberger Fr
C 57 Mike Fielder So
FB Harold Gilmore
OL 63 Dan Henderson Sr
OT 72 Don Herzog
RB Donald Johnson
G 67 Frank Malec
RB 29 Dave Mishler
TE, K Sam Poulos
C 55 Phil Reitz So
RB 34 Matt Reitzug
RB 28 Sam Rushing
WR 26 Todd Sheets So
C 54 Greg Soderberg
QB 11 Scott Stranski Jr
G 66 Rudi Tanck
WR Mike Taylor
WR 88 Mike Wagner
QB Bill Weir
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DE 98 Kevin Berg
CB 18 Steve Bobowski Jr
LB 38 Scott Duncan
S 45 Pat Geegan
DE 99 Curt Grelle
FS 2 Dana Hemphill
S 48 Malcolm Hunter
DE 92 Mike Kendzicky
DB 6 Guy Knafelc Jr
LB 52 Paul Maly (C)
MG 46 Jim Miller
LB 47 Blane Ogilive
DE Dean Payne
S 7 Stephen Scardina Sr
LB Greg Stanley
DL Marty Szostak
DL Lodi Vercelli
DT 74 Norm Wells So
DT 56 Mike Weitzman Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Game summaries

[edit]

Ohio State

[edit]
#4 Ohio State Buckeyes at Northwestern Wildcats
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ohio St 14 7 7735
Northwestern 3 6 0615

at Dyche Stadium, Evanston, Illinois

  • Date: October 22
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Light rain, 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 29,563
  • Box Score
Game information

First quarter

  • NW – Sam Poulos 44-yard field goal, 9:33. Northwestern 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:00.
  • OSU – Joel Payton 4-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 4:58. Ohio St 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:54.
  • OSU – Jeff Logan 5-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 1:15. Ohio St 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 2:17.

Second quarter

  • NW – Mike Taylor 33-yard pass from Dana Hemphill (pass failed), 10:10. Ohio St 14–9. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:57
  • OSU – Joel Payton 1-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 1:57. Ohio St 21–9. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:34.

Third quarter

  • OSU – Rod Gerald 24-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 10:41. Ohio St 28–9. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:18.

Fourth quarter

  • OSU – Paul Campbell 1-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 7:40. Ohio St 35–9. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:01.
  • NW – Harold Gilmore 14-yard run (run failed), 4:40. Ohio St 35–15. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
  • OSU – Rod Gerald – 7/14, 148 yards, 2 INT
  • NW – Dana Hemphill – 6/10, 51 yards, TD
Top rushers
  • OSU – Ron Springs – 14 rushes, 130 yards
  • NW – Harold Gilmore – 23 rushes, 121 yards, TD
Top receivers
  • OSU – James Harrell – 2 receptions, 62 yards
  • NW – Mike Taylor – 3 receptions, 41 yards, TD

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2007. p. 148. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  2. ↑ "1977 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ "1977 Northwestern Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Iowa father-son duo is killer for Wildcats". Wisconsin State Journal. September 11, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Arizona State toys with outmatched NU". Chicago Tribune. September 18, 1977. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "North Carolina rips Northwestern, 41–7". The Rock Island Argus. September 25, 1977. Retrieved January 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Wildcats tamed by Badgers' defense". The Post-Crescent. October 2, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Hoosiers hand Wildcats fifth season loss, 28–3". The Cincinnati Enquirer. October 9, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Gophers win 13–7 on field goals". The Forum. October 16, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Big plays pace Buckeyes past Northwestern, 35–15". The Pantagraph. October 23, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Herrmann sub-par, but it's enough". The Times-Mail. October 30, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Curt Sylvester (November 6, 1977). "U-M Finally Has Laugher! Skins Tame Cats, 63–20". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D, 8D.
  13. ↑ "Northwestern stays in rut". Chicago Tribune. November 13, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Wildcats beat Illini for first victory". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 20, 1977. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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