1976 Cornell Big Red football team

The 1976 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University in the Ivy League during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In its second and final season under head coach George Seifert, the Big Red compiled a 2–7 record and was outscored 177 to 109. Team captains were chosen on a game-by-game basis,[1] and home games were played on campus at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.

1976 Cornell Big Red football
ConferenceIvy League
Record2–7 (2–5 Ivy)
Head coach
Home stadiumSchoellkopf Field
Seasons
← 1975
1977 →
1976 Ivy League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Yale + 6 1 0 8 1 0
Brown + 6 1 0 8 1 0
Harvard 4 3 0 6 3 0
Dartmouth 4 3 0 6 3 0
Columbia 2 5 0 3 6 0
Penn 2 5 0 3 6 0
Princeton 2 5 0 2 7 0
Cornell 2 5 0 2 7 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

Cornell's 2–5 conference record placed it in a four-way tie for fifth place, at the bottom of the Ivy League standings. The Big Red were outscored 131 to 75 by Ivy opponents.[2]

With an overall record of 3–15 (.167), Seifert was fired days after the final game,[3] a 31–13 win over Penn,[4] and returned to Stanford as the defensive backs coach under new head coach Bill Walsh.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 18 Princeton L 0–3 14,000 [5]
September 25 Colgate*
  • Schoellkopf Field
  • Ithaca, NY (rivalry)
L 20–25 10,000 [6]
October 2 at Rutgers* L 14–21 16,000 [7]
October 9 at Harvard W 9–3 8,000 [8]
October 16 Brown 
  • Schoellkopf Field
  • Ithaca, NY
L 12–28 12,000 [9]
October 23 Dartmouth
  • Schoellkopf Field
  • Ithaca, NY (rivalry)
L 0–35 11,000 [10]
October 30 at Yale L 6–14 22,519 [11]
November 6 at Columbia L 17–35 5,120 [12]
November 13 Penn
  • Schoellkopf Field
  • Ithaca, NY (rivalry)
W 31–13 9,000 [4][13]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming

References

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  1. ^ "Football Record Book" (PDF). Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. pp. 27–28. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ "Seifert thumbed". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 16, 1976. p. 16.
  4. ^ a b "Penn bombed". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. November 14, 1976. p. 87.
  5. ^ "Princeton Beats Cornell on Howe's Kick, 3-0; Recovery of Fumbled Punt Sets Up Tiger 23-Yarder". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. September 19, 1976. pp. S6, S7.
  6. ^ Jaworski, Charlie (September 26, 1976). "Relph Flings Cornell Loss". The Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Keese, Parton (October 3, 1976). "Brown, Rutgers Remain Undefeated". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. pp. S1, S8.
  8. ^ McGowen, Deane (October 10, 1976). "Penn and Cornell Score First Victories in Upsets; 9-3 Loss to Big Red First of Season for Harvard". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S7.
  9. ^ Van Sickle, Ken (October 17, 1976). "Bruising Bruins Put Ground Game in Gear -- Crush Cornell, 28-12". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 78 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Strauss, Michael (October 24, 1976). "Dartmouth Strikes Early, Trounces Cornell". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S10.
  11. ^ "Brown and Yale Triumph, Tie for Ivy Lead; Cornell Bids Halted by Eli in 14-6 Game". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. October 31, 1976. p. S1.
  12. ^ Harvin, Al (November 7, 1976). "Columbia 35-17 Victor over Cornell". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S8.
  13. ^ "Cornell Sinks Penn, 31-13; Big Red Averts Sole Spot in Cellar for 4-Way Share of It". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. November 14, 1976. pp. S8, S9.