1976 Purdue Boilermakers football team

The 1976 Purdue Boilermakers football team was an American football team that represented Purdue University in the 1976 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Alex Agase, the Boilermakers compiled a 5–6 record (4–4 against conference opponents) and finished in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Ten standings.[1]

1976 Purdue Boilermakers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPScott Dierking
CaptainScott Dierking, Blane Smith
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
1976 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Michigan + 7 –1 –010 –2 –0
No. 6 Ohio State + 7 –1 –09 –2 –1
Minnesota 4 –4 –06 –5 –0
Illinois 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
Indiana 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
Purdue 4 –4 –05 –6 –0
Iowa 3 –5 –05 –6 –0
Wisconsin 3 –5 –05 –6 –0
Michigan State 3 –5 –04 –6 –1
Northwestern 1 –7 –01 –10 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

Running back Scott Dierking led the team with 1,000 rushing yards and 66 points scored.[2] He was selected by his teammates as the team's most valuable player and finished second to Rob Lytle in the voting for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, awarded to the Big Ten's most valuable player.[3] Dierking was also named by the Associated Press (AP) as a second-team All-American[4] and by the AP and United Press International (UPI) as a first-team running back on the 1976 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[5][6]

Other statistical leaders included quarterback Mark Vitali with 1,184 passing yards.[2] In addition to Dierking, three other Purdue players received honors on the 1976 All-Big Ten team: offensive guard Connie Zelencik (AP-1, UPI-2); defensive end Blane Smith (AP-1, UPI-2); and defensive back Paul Beery (AP-2, UPI-1).[5][6]

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11Northwestern
W 31–1946,311
September 18at Notre Dame*
L 0–2359,075
September 25No. 19 USC*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
L 13–3165,425
October 2Miami (OH)*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 42–2055,102
October 9at Wisconsin
W 18–1679,111
October 16Illinoisdagger
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
L 17–2166,716
October 23at No. 9 Ohio State
L 3–2487,898
October 30at Michigan State
L 13–4552,222
November 6No. 1 Michigan
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 16–1457,205[7][8]
November 13at Iowa
W 21–044,763
November 20Indiana
L 14–2063,220
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[9]

Personnel
1976 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR Reggie Arnold
QB Steve Barr
RB Scott Dierking (C) Sr
TE Tim Eubank
G Tom Gibson
OT John Lafary
OT Jim LeFeber
RB Bennie Leverett
RB Rick Moss
WR Jappy Oliver
FB John Skibinski
WR Raymond Smith
RB Ricky Smith
WR Jesse Townsend
C Jay Venzin
QB Mark Vitali
C Rich Wetendorf
TE Nigel Wirgowski
G Connie Zelencik
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 48 Fred Arrington
DT Chris Barr
S Paul Beery
DE Kim Cripe
DT Cleveland Crosby
CB Pat Harris
CB Jerome King
MG Ken Loushin
LB Bob Mannella
LB Kevin Motts
CB, RB Mike Northington
DE Blane Smith (C)
S, K Rock Supan
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P Dave Eagin
K Scott Sovereen
K John Turner
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • George Catavolos (DB)
  • Fred Conti
  • Jack Ellis
  • Bob Geiger
  • Jerry Hartman
  • Pat Naughton
  • Tom Roggeman
  • Rick Venturi
  • Mike Wynn
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Game summaries

Northwestern

At Notre Dame
Purdue Boilermakers (1–0) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Purdue 0 0 000
Notre Dame 3 7 7623

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

  • Date: September 18
  • Game attendance: 59,075
  • Recap/Box
Game information

[10]

USC

Miami (OH)
  • Scott Dierking 28 rushes, 211 yards
  • John Skibinski 15 rushes, 121 yards

At Wisconsin

Paul Beery's fourth interception and Rock Supan's 20-yard field goal with a little over two minutes remaining lifted Purdue to victory.[11]

Michigan
#1 Michigan at Purdue
1 234Total
Michigan 7 070 14
• Purdue 7 603 16
Scoring summary
1MICHLeach 8-yard run (Wood kick)MICH 7-0
1PURDierking 4-yard run (Supan kick)Tied 7-7
2PURDierking 25-yard run (kick blocked)PUR 13-7
3MICHSmith 65-yard pass from Leach (Wood kick)MICH 14-13
44:20PURSupan 23-yard field goalPUR 16-14
  • PUR: Scott Dierking 38 rushes, 162 yards

At Iowa
1 234Total
• Purdue 6 870 21
Iowa 0 000 0
Scoring summary
1PurdueVitali 3-yard run (kick failed)Purdue 6-0
2PurdueVitali 20-yard run (Dierking run)Purdue 14-0
3PurdueVitali 1-yard run (Supan kick)Purdue 21-0

[12]

Statistics

Passing
PlayerCompAttYardsTDINT
Mark Vitali731721,184016
Scott Dierking92

Rushing
PlayerAttYardsTD
Scott Dierking2011,00011
John Skibinski173871
Mark Vitali100317

Receiving
PlayerRecYardsTD
Reggie Arnold16287
Raymond Smith11233
John Skibinski13118

[13]

Awards

Red Mackey Award: Mark Vitali

References
  1. "1976 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  2. "1976 Purdue Boilermakers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  3. Roy Damer (December 25, 1975). "Lytle named Big 10 MVP: Purdue's Dierking is runnerup". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
  4. "Tony Dorsett tops AP All-American Team". Jefferson City Post Tribune. December 2, 1976. p. 13.
  5. "Michigan, Ohio State Pace All-Big Ten Team". Toledo Blade (AP story). December 3, 1976. p. 27.
  6. "Illini place two on All-Big 10". The Pantagraph. November 24, 1976. p. A11.
  7. "Purdue Stuns No. 1 Michigan". The Victoria Advocate (AP story). November 7, 1976.
  8. "Purdue stuns No. 1 Michigan, Pittsburgh may get top ranking". The Bulletin (AP story). November 8, 1976.
  9. "2022 Purdue Football Record Book" (PDF). Purdue University Athletics. p. 89. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  10. Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Sept 19. Pg. 14B. Retrieved 2021-Jan-11.
  11. Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Oct 09. Retrieved 2018-Dec-30.
  12. Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Nov 14.
  13. Broyles, Bob and Paul Guido. 50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport
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