1976 Montana State Bobcats football team

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.

1976 Montana State Bobcats football
NCAA Division II champion
Big Sky champion
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record12–1 (6–0 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDon Christensen (6th season)
Defensive coordinatorSonny Lubick (6th season)
Home stadiumReno H. Sales Stadium
1976 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Montana State $^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0
Idaho 5 –1 –07 –4 –0
Northern Arizona 4 –2 –08 –3 –0
Montana 3 –3 –04 –6 –0
Boise State 2 –4 –05 –5 –1
Weber State 1 –5 –02 –9 –0
Idaho State 0 –6 –00 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II AP Poll

Entering August practices, the Bobcats were expected to finish in the middle of the conference standings.[2] Led on the field by southpaw sophomore quarterback Paul Dennehy,[3][4] 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.[5]

Division II playoffs

In the Division II playoffs, the Bobcats hosted New Hampshire in Bozeman in the quarterfinals and won by a point, 17–16.[6] 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.[7][8]

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.[9] the Bobcats went undefeated in the Big Sky and won the Division II national championship.[9]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at North Dakota*
W 18–1412,800
September 18North Dakota State*
W 34–72,300[10]
September 25at Fresno State*No. 3
L 10–2411,500
October 2Boise State
  • Reno H. Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 24–207,800[11][12]
October 9at Weber State
W 44–07,422[13][14]
October 16Idaho StateNo. 8
  • Reno H. Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 28–79,600[15]
October 23IdahoNo. 7
  • Reno H. Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 29–145,400[3][4][16]
October 30at MontanaNo. 4
W 21–1212,500[17]
November 6No. 6 Northern ArizonaNo. 3
  • Reno H. Sales Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
W 33–09,400[18]
November 13at Hawaii*No. 3
W 28–720,515[19]
November 27No. T–8 New Hampshire*No. 1
W 17–166,900[20]
December 4at No. T–8 North Dakota State*No. 1
W 10–36,100[21][22]
December 11vs. No. 3 Akron*No. 1
W 24–1313,200[9]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[23][24]

References
  1. "Dennehy leads Montana State's bowl win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. D1.
  2. Emerson, Paul (August 1, 1976). "ISU picked as Big Sky grid favorite". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  3. "Idaho, Montana (State) fight for lead". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 22, 1976. p. 16.
  4. Payne, Bob (October 24, 1976). "Dennehy inspires Bobcats". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  5. Clemens, Dave (November 15, 1976). "Montana State looks for postseason berth". Prescott Courier. (Arizona). Associated Press. p. 7.
  6. "Bobcats survive UNH aerials". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 28, 1976. p. D1.
  7. "Bobcat defense keys victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 5, 1976. p. 4B.
  8. "Montana St., 10-3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. December 5, 1976. p. 9E.
  9. "Montana State wins title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 12, 1976. p. 4B.
  10. "MSU's Dennehy no robot". The Billings Gazette. September 19, 1976. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Bobcats hold off Broncos". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 3, 1976. p. D3.
  12. English, Sue (October 4, 1976). "Big Sky race has surprise". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 17.
  13. Ewer, Bill (October 11, 1976). "No hope for Weber". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. B6.
  14. English, Sue (October 11, 1976). "Big Sky test due for Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
  15. English, Sue (October 18, 1976). "No surprises likely in next Vandal game". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 15.
  16. English, Sue (October 25, 1976). "Vandals play Bengals next". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 13.
  17. "Idaho on road again after slim triumph". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 1, 1976. p. 27.
  18. "Idaho goes up despite loss". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 8, 1976. p. 15.
  19. English, Sue (November 15, 1976). "Undisputed 2nd goal for Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
  20. "Bobcats survive UNH aerials". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 28, 1976. p. D1.
  21. "Bobcats advance to title game". The Independent-Record. December 5, 1976. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Bobcat defense keys victory". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 5, 1976. p. 4B.
  23. "Final 1976 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  24. "2015 football media guide" (PDF). Montana State University Athletics. 2015.
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