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1977 Widener Pioneers football team

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  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.