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

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.

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

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 Browndagger
  • 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
  • daggerHomecoming

References

  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.
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