1976 Montana State Bobcats football team

1976 Montana State Bobcats football
NCAA Division II national champion
Big Sky champion
Conference Big Sky Conference
1976 record 12–1 (6–0 Big Sky)
Head coach Sonny Holland (6th year)
Offensive coordinator Don Christensen (6th year)
Defensive coordinator Sonny Lubick (6th year)
Home stadium Reno H. Sales Stadium
1976 Big Sky football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
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     0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – Division II playoff participant
  • Montana State won Div. II championship.

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

Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
September 11 at North Dakota* Memorial Stadium • Grand Forks, ND W 18–14    
September 18 North Dakota State* Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT W 34–7    
September 25 at Fresno State* Ratcliffe Stadium • Fresno, CA L 10–24   11,500
October 2 Boise State Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT W 24–20    
October 9 at Weber State Wildcat Stadium • Ogden, UT W 44–0    
October 16 Idaho State Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT W 28–7    
October 23 Idaho Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT W 29–14   5,400
October 30 at Montana Dornblaser Field • Missoula, MT (Brawl of the Wild) W 21–12   12,500
November 6 Northern Arizona Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT W 33–0    
November 13 at Hawaii* Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI W 28–7    
November 27 New Hampshire* Reno H. Sales Stadium • Bozeman, MT - (Div. II Quarterfinals) W 17–16   6,900
December 4 at North Dakota State* Dacotah Field • Fargo, ND (Div. II Semifinals - Grantland Rice Bowl) W 10–3   6,100
December 11 vs. Akron* Memorial Stadium • Wichita Falls, TX (Div. II Championship - Pioneer Bowl) W 24–13   13,200
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming.

Source:[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ "Dennehy leads Montana State's bowl win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. D1.
  2. ↑ Payne, Bob (October 24, 1976). "Dennehy inspires Bobcats". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. D1.
  3. ↑ Clemens, Dave (November 15, 1976). "Montana State looks for postseason berth". Prescott Courier. (Arizona). Associated Press. p. 7.
  4. ↑ "Bobcats survive UNH aerials". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 28, 1976. p. D1.
  5. ↑ "Bobcat defense keys victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 5, 1976. p. 4B.
  6. ↑ "Montana St., 10-3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. December 5, 1976. p. 9E.
  7. ↑ "Montana State wins title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. 4B.
  8. ↑ "Montana State yearly results". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  9. ↑ "2015 football media guide" (PDF). Montana State University Athletics. 2015.
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