1977 Northwestern Wildcats football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	1–10 (1–8 Big Ten)
Head coach	John Pont (5th season)
Captain	Paul Maly^[1] (2nd year)
Home stadium	Dyche Stadium
Seasons ← 1976 1978 →

1977 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 9 Michigan +	7	–	1	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
No. 11 Ohio State +	7	–	1	–	0	9	–	3	–	0
Michigan State	6	–	1	–	1	7	–	3	–	1
Indiana	4	–	3	–	1	5	–	5	–	1
Minnesota	4	–	4	–	0	7	–	5	–	0
Purdue	3	–	5	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Iowa	3	–	5	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Wisconsin	3	–	6	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Illinois	2	–	6	–	0	3	–	8	–	0
Northwestern	1	–	8	–	0	1	–	10	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1977 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fifth year under head coach John Pont, the Wildcats compiled a 1–10 record (1–8 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in last place in the Big Ten Conference.^[2]

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Scott Stranski with 541 passing yards, Dave Mishler with 520 rushing yards, and Mark Bailey with 347 receiving yards.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 10	at Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	L 0–24	53,725
September 17	at Arizona State*	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ	L 3–35	57,149
September 24	North Carolina*	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 7–41	19,597	^[4]
October 1	at Wisconsin	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	L 7–19	68,709
October 8	Indiana	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 3–28	16,378
October 15	at Minnesota	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN	L 7–13	39,021
October 22	No. 4 Ohio State	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 15–35	29,563
October 29	Purdue	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 16–28	17,525
November 5	at No. 6 Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	L 20–63	103,211	^[5]
November 11	at Michigan State	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI	L 3–44	61,238
November 19	Illinois	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL (rivalry)	W 21–7	17,255
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

1977 Northwestern Wildcats football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
OT	`68`	Tony Ardizzone	Sr
WR		Mark Bailey
QB		Steve Breitbell
TE		Dan Cleary
QB		Bill Dierberger
OL		Mike Fielder
FB		Harold Gilmore
QB		Dana Hemphill
OL		Dan Henderson
OT		Don Herzog
RB		Donald Johnson
G		Frank Malec
RB		Dave Mishler
TE, K		Sam Poulos
OT	`55`	Phil Reitz	So
RB		Matt Reitzug
RB		Sam Rushing
WR		Todd Sheets
C		Greg Soderberg
QB		Scott Stranski
G		Rudi Tanck
WR		Mike Taylor
WR		Mike Wagner
QB		Bill Weir

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DE		Kevin Berg
CB		Steve Bobowski
LB		Scott Duncan
S		Pat Geegan
DL		Curt Grelle
S		Malcolm Hunter
DL		Mike Kendzicky
DB	`6`	Guy Knafelc	Jr
LB		Paul Maly (C)
MG		Jim Miller
LB		Blane Ogilive
DE		Dean Payne
CB		Stephen Scardina
LB		Greg Stanley
DL		Marty Szostak
DL		Lodi Vercelli
DT	`74`	Norm Wells	So
DT		Mike Weitzman

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Head coach

John Pont

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 2015-12-20

Game summaries

Ohio State

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes at Northwestern Wildcats

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio St	14	7	7	7	35
Northwestern	3	6	0	6	15

at Dyche Stadium, Evanston, Illinois

Date: October 22
Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Light rain, 53 °F (12 °C)
Game attendance: 29,563
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

NW – Sam Poulos 44-yard field goal, 9:33. Northwestern 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:00.
OSU – Joel Payton 4-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 4:58. Ohio St 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:54.
OSU – Jeff Logan 5-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 1:15. Ohio St 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 2:17.

Second quarter

NW – Mike Taylor 33-yard pass from Dana Hemphill (pass failed), 10:10. Ohio St 14–9. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:57
OSU – Joel Payton 1-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 1:57. Ohio St 21–9. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:34.

Third quarter

OSU – Rod Gerald 24-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 10:41. Ohio St 28–9. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:18.

Fourth quarter

OSU – Paul Campbell 1-yard run (Vlade Janakievski kick), 7:40. Ohio St 35–9. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:01.
NW – Harold Gilmore 14-yard run (run failed), 4:40. Ohio St 35–15. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:54.

Top passers

OSU – Rod Gerald – 7/14, 148 yards, 2 INT
NW – Dana Hemphill – 6/10, 51 yards, TD

Top rushers

OSU – Ron Springs – 14 rushes, 130 yards
NW – Harold Gilmore – 23 rushes, 121 yards, TD

Top receivers

OSU – James Harrell – 2 receptions, 62 yards
NW – Mike Taylor – 3 receptions, 41 yards, TD

References

^ "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2007. p. 148. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
^ "1977 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
^ "1977 Northwestern Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
^ "North Carolina rips Northwestern, 41–7". The Rock Island Argus. September 25, 1977. Retrieved January 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Curt Sylvester (November 6, 1977). "U-M Finally Has Laugher! Skins Tame Cats, 63-20". Detroit Free Press. p. 1D, 8D.

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