1976 Montana State Bobcats football team
| 1976 Montana State Bobcats football | |
|---|---|
NCAA Division II national champion Big Sky champion | |
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Record | 12–1 (6–0 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Don Christensen (6th season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Sonny Lubick (6th season) |
| Home stadium | Reno H. Sales Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Montana State $^ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boise State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1976 Montana State Bobcats football team represented the Montana State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Sonny Holland and won the Division II national championship.[1] The Bobcats played their home games on campus in Bozeman at Reno H. Sales Stadium.
Led on the field by southpaw sophomore quarterback Paul Dennehy,[2] Montana State went undefeated in the Big Sky and against all Division II opponents, falling only to Fresno State of Division I. Montana State finished their schedule with a 28–7 victory at Hawaii to end the regular season at 9–1.[3]
In the Division II playoffs, the Bobcats hosted New Hampshire in Bozeman in the quarterfinals and won by a point, 17–16.[4] In the semifinals at Fargo, MSU defeated North Dakota State for a second time in 1976, by a much closer 10–3 score in the Grantland Rice Bowl.[5][6] In the Pioneer Bowl for the Division II title in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Bobcats defeated Akron 24–13 and became the first Big Sky team to win a national title in football.[7]
Schedule
September 11at North Dakota*
W 18–14 September 18North Dakota State*
W 34–7 September 25at Fresno State*
L 10–2411,500 October 2Boise State
- Reno H. Sales Stadium
- Bozeman, MT
W 24–20 October 9at Weber State
W 44–0 October 16Idaho State
- Reno H. Sales Stadium
- Bozeman, MT
W 28–7 October 23Idaho
- Reno H. Sales Stadium
- Bozeman, MT
W 29–145,400 October 30at Montana
W 21–1212,500 November 6Northern Arizona
- Reno H. Sales Stadium
- Bozeman, MT
W 33–0 November 13at Hawaii*
W 28–7 November 27New Hampshire*
- Reno H. Sales Stadium
- Bozeman, MT - (Div. II Quarterfinals)
W 17–166,900 December 4at North Dakota State*
W 10–36,100 December 11vs. Akron*
W 24–1313,200
Template:CFB Schedule End Source:[8][9]
References
- ^ "Dennehy leads Montana State's bowl win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. D1.
- ^ Payne, Bob (October 24, 1976). "Dennehy inspires Bobcats". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D1.
- ^ Clemens, Dave (November 15, 1976). "Montana State looks for postseason berth". Prescott Courier. (Arizona). Associated Press. p. 7.
- ^ "Bobcats survive UNH aerials". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 28, 1976. p. D1.
- ^ "Bobcat defense keys victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 5, 1976. p. 4B.
- ^ "Montana St., 10-3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. December 5, 1976. p. 9E.
- ^ "Montana State wins title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. 4B.
- ^ "Montana State yearly results". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ "2015 football media guide" (PDF). Montana State University Athletics. 2015.