The 1977 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In its seventh season under head coach Dave McClain, the team compiled a 9–2 record (5–1 against conference opponents) and finished third in the MAC.[1][2] The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.
| 1977 Ball State Cardinals football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Record | 9–2 (5–1 MAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Ball State Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (OH) $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Michigan | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ball State | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Michigan | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included Dave Wilson with 1,589 passing yards, George Jenkins with 1,070 rushing yards, Rick Morrison with 908 receiving yards and 60 points scored.[3]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 10 | at Toledo | W 43–3 | [4] | ||||
| September 17 | at Villanova* | L 16–38 | 9,500 | [5] | |||
| September 24 | at Kent State | L 12–13 | [6] | ||||
| October 1 | Central Michigan | W 28–12 | [7] | ||||
| October 8 | Illinois State* |
| W 27–16 | 17,477 | [8] | ||
| October 15 | Northern Illinois |
| W 31–6 | [9] | |||
| October 22 | Cal Poly Pomona* |
| W 66–10 | 13,176 | [10][11] | ||
| October 29 | at Appalachian State* | W 38–7 | 12,813 | [12] | |||
| November 5 | at Indiana State* | W 42–18 | 6,120 | [13] | |||
| November 12 | at Western Michigan | W 29–25 | 10,500 | [14] | |||
| November 19 | Eastern Michigan |
| W 45–21 | 7,051 | [15] | ||
| |||||||
References
edit- ↑ "2007 Ball State Football Media Guide". Ball State University. 2007. p. 98. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ↑ "1977 Ball State Cardinals Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ↑ "1977 Ball State Cardinals Statistics". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Ball State smashes Toledo". The South Bend Tribune. September 11, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Villanova takes advantage of Cardinal errors to win 'Turnover Bowl,' 38–16". The Muncie Star. September 18, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Flashes edge Ball State". Troy Daily News. September 25, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State rolls over Chippewas, 28–12". The Muskegon Chronicle. October 2, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State rallies for 27–16 win". Chronicle Tribune. October 9, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State raps No. Illinois". Anderson Herald. October 16, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Final 1977 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ↑ "Records fall like Cal Poly backs in Cards' 66–10 blitz of Broncos". The Muncie Star. October 23, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State triumphs easily, 38–7". The Indianapolis Star. October 30, 1977. Retrieved December 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State explodes past Sycamores". The Terre Haute Tribune-Star. November 6, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State battery strikes out Broncos". The Kalamazoo Gazette. November 13, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ball State thumps Eastern Michigan". The Terre Haute Tribune. November 20, 1977. Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.