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1976 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

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1976 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 17
Record11–0
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorBob Naso (9th season)
Home stadiumRutgers Stadium
Giants Stadium
Seasons
← 1975
1977 →
1976 NCAA Division I independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Pittsburgh   –   12 – 0 – 0
No. 17 Rutgers   –   11 – 0 – 0
San Diego State   –   10 – 1 – 0
No. 12 Notre Dame   –   9 – 3 – 0
Colgate   –   8 – 2 – 0
Boston College   –   8 – 3 – 0
Cincinnati   –   8 – 3 – 0
Memphis State   –   7 – 4 – 0
North Texas State *   –   7 – 4 – 0
Southern Illinois   –   7 – 4 – 0
Penn State   –   7 – 5 – 0
Villanova   –   6 – 4 – 1
South Carolina   –   6 – 5 – 0
Virginia Tech   –   6 – 5 – 0
Army   –   5 – 6 – 0
Florida State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Illinois State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Richmond   –   5 – 6 – 0
West Virginia   –   5 – 6 – 0
Georgia Tech   –   4 – 6 – 1
Temple   –   4 – 6 – 0
Air Force   –   4 – 7 – 0
Dayton   –   4 – 7 – 0
Louisville   –   4 – 7 – 0
Marshall   –   4 – 7 – 0
Navy   –   4 – 7 – 0
Indiana State   –   3 – 7 – 0
Hawaii   –   3 – 8 – 0
Holy Cross   –   3 – 8 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   3 – 8 – 0
Syracuse   –   3 – 8 – 0
Utah State   –   3 – 8 – 0
Northeast Louisiana   –   2 – 9 – 0
Southern Miss   –   2 – 9 – 0
Tulane   –   2 – 9 – 0
  • North Texas State (originally 6–5) was awarded a forfeit win after Mississippi State was found to be using an ineligible player.[1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team was an American football team that represented Rutgers University in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In their fourth season under head coach Frank R. Burns, the Scarlet Knights compiled a perfect 11–0 record while competing as an independent, outscored their opponents 287 to 81, and were ranked No. 17 in the final AP Poll. The Rutgers players decided to decline playing in the inaugural Independence Bowl against McNeese State in Shreveport, Louisiana.[2] Including the 1975 season, Rutgers won 18 consecutive games starting on October 18, 1975.[3] In 2023, the 1976 team was inducted as a group into the Rutgers Hall of Fame.[3]

The team led the nation in both total defense (179.2 yards per game) and rushing defense (83.9 yards per game) and tied with Michigan in scoring defense (7.4 points per game).[4] The nucleus of the team was comprised of players recruited by Burns in his early years as head coach:[5]

  • Senior co-captain and defensive end Nate Toran tallied 17 quarterback sacks and received the Homer Hazel Trophy as the team's most valuable player award.[4]
  • Senior wide receiver Mark Twitty led the team with 514 receiving yardsl[6] He also set a Rutgers career record with 1,272 receiving yards.[4]
  • Senior Henry Jenkins led the nation with an average of 15 yards per punt return and set a Rutgers record with 449 punt return yards.[4]
  • Junior quarterback Bert Kosup completed 69 passes for 1,098 yards.[4]
  • Junior halfbacks Mark Lassiter and Mike Fisher led the team in scoring with 18 touchdowns (108 points) each.[4]
  • Junior linebacker Jim Hughes led the team with 113 tackles.[4]
  • Sophomore halfback Glen Kehler led the team with 764 rushing yards and an average of 5.1 yars per carry.[4]

The team played its home games at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at Navy
W 13–317,501[7]
September 18at Bucknell
W 19–78,500[8]
September 25at Princeton
W 17–029,500[9]
October 2Cornell
W 21–1416,000[10]
October 9Connecticutdagger
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 38–08,500[11]
October 16at Lehigh
W 28–2115,000[12]
October 23vs. Columbia
W 47–042,328[13]
October 30UMass
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 24–720,100–20,400[14][15]
November 6Louisville
  • Rutgers Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
W 34–016,000[16]
November 13at Tulane
W 29–2028,872[17]
November 25vs. ColgateNo. 17
  • Giants Stadium
  • East Rutherford, NJ
W 17–933,405[18]
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1976-standings.html
  2. ^ "Unbeaten Rutgers Wins, 17–9". The New York Times. November 26, 1976.
  3. ^ a b Paul Franklin (September 29, 2023). "Undefeated 1976 Rutgers football team, student manager to be honored". Home News Tribune. pp. 1A, 2A – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Toran wins Most Valuable Player, Touchdown Club Trophy awards". The Home News. December 1, 1976. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Rutgers' winningest coach was 'epitome of integrity'". Star-Ledger. July 15, 2012. pp. 1, 9 (sports).
  6. ^ "1976 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  7. ^ Jackson, James H. (September 12, 1976). "Middies Drop Opener, 13-3, to Rutgers". The Sunday Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ O'Brien, Ken (September 19, 1976). "Rutgers Beats Bucknell for Ninth Straight Victory". The Home News Sunday. New Brunswick, N.J. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ White, Gordon S. Jr. (September 26, 1976). "Rutgers Tops Princeton; Knights Triumph by 17-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. pp. S1, S7.
  10. ^ Keese, Parton (October 3, 1976). "Brown, Rutgers Remain Undefeated". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. pp. S1, S8.
  11. ^ Smith, George (October 10, 1976). "Rutgers Manhandles UConn, 38-0 Handing Huskies 5th Loss in Row". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Drogo, Ron (October 17, 1976). "Rutgers' Streak Survives a Scare by Lehigh, 28-21". The Sunday Record. Hackensack, N.J. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Lassiter's 3 Scores Propel Scarlet, 47-0". The Sunday Register. October 24, 1976. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Whiteside, Larry (October 31, 1976). "Blocked Punt Sparks Rutgers to Victory over UMass, 24-7". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 79 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Younkin, Lou (November 7, 1976). "Rutgers 'Best Ever' Is Bomb for U of L". The Courier-Journal & Times. Louisville, Ky. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ McLaughlin, Marty (November 14, 1976). "Rutgers Rallies, 29-20; Streak at 17". Sunday News. New York, N.Y. p. 128 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Lewis, Allen (November 26, 1976). "Rutgers Wins 18 in Row". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
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