1978 Lafayette Leopards football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–7
Head coach
Captains
  • Jim Medes
  • Brian Musician
Home stadiumFisher Field
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Florida A&M ^   –   12 – 1 – 0
No. 1 Nevada ^   –   11 – 1 – 0
No. 9 Lehigh   –   8 – 3 – 0
Northeastern   –   6 – 5 – 0
Bucknell   –   5 – 5 – 0
Northwestern State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Portland State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Lafayette   –   4 – 7 – 0
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1978 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season.

In their eighth year under head coach Neil Putnam, the Leopards compiled a 4–7 record.[1] Jim Medes and Brian Musician were the team captains.[2]

This was the first year of competition for Division I-AA, later to be renamed the Football Championship Subdivision. Lafayette, along with its in-state rivals Bucknell and Lehigh, moved up to I-AA after having previously competed as independents in NCAA Division II. The Leopards' 1978 schedule included opponents from Division I-A, Division I-AA, Division II and Division III.

Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 9 Gettysburg
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 31–0 5,000 [3]
September 16 at Army
L 14–24 [1]
September 23 Merchant Marine
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
L 10–13 [1]
September 30 at Columbia
L 0–21 4,500 [4]
October 7 Fordham^
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 17–14 7,700 [5]
October 14 at Bucknell
W 14–7 [1]
October 21 Penn
  • Fisher Field
  • Easton, PA
W 20–19 11,200 [6]
October 28 at Maine
L 25–31 3,000 [7]
November 4 at Colgate
L 7–17 4,500 [8]
November 11 at Davidson
L 12–17 2,000 [9]
November 18 Lehigh
L 15–23 17,000 [10]
  • ^ Parents Days

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Lafayette Football 1963-1986". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 104. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Team Captains 1882-2019". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 97. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Kenworthy, Robert (September 11, 1978). "Lafayette Rolls over Bullets". The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pa. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Wismer, Ted (October 1, 1978). "Columbia Blanks Lafayette 21-0 for 2nd Win". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Wismer, Ted (October 8, 1978). "Lafayette Uses Balanced Attack in 17-14 Win". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ McKee, Don (October 22, 1978). "Lafayette Upsets Penn, 20-19, on Flea-Flicker Pass". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-F – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Warner, Bill (October 30, 1978). "Records Fall as U-Maine Beats Lafayette, 31-25". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "17-7 Colgate Win on Colosimo TDs". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. November 5, 1978. p. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Sink, Richard (November 12, 1978). "Davidson Holds Off Lafayette for a .500 Season". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, N.C. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ McKee, Don (November 19, 1978). "Lafayette Is Downed by Lehigh". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 8-F – via Newspapers.com.
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