1976 Purdue Boilermakers football team

1976 Purdue Boilermakers football
Conference Big Ten Conference
1976 record 5–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach Alex Agase (4th season)
MVP Scott Dierking
Captain Scott Dierking
Captain Blane Smith
Home stadium Ross–Ade Stadium
1976 Big Ten football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 3 Michigan + 7 –1 –0  10 –2 –0
No. 6 Ohio State + 7 –1 –0  9 –2 –1
Minnesota 4 –4 –0  6 –5 –0
Illinois 4 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Indiana 4 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Purdue 4 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Iowa 3 –5 –0  5 –6 –0
Wisconsin 3 –5 –0  5 –6 –0
Michigan State 3 –5 –0  4 –6 –1
Northwestern 1 –7 –0  1 –10 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

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 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]

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

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 11 Northwestern Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN W 31-19   46,311
September 18 at Notre Dame* Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (Shillelagh Trophy) L 23-7   59,075
September 25 No. 19 USC* Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN L 31-13   65,425
October 2 Miami (OH)* Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN W 42-20   55,102
October 9 at Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI W 18-16   79,111
October 16 Illinoisdagger Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Purdue Cannon) L 21-17   66,716
October 23 at No. 9 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH L 24-3   87,898
October 30 at Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI L 45-13   52,222
November 6 No. 1 Michigan Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN W 16-14   57,205
November 13 at Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA W 21-0   44,763
November 20 Indiana Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) L 20-14   63,220
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

[7]

Starters

Offense

POS Name Name
QBMark Vitali
TBScott Dierking
FBJohn Skibinski
SERaymond SmithJesse Townsend
FLReggie Arnold
TENigel Wirgowski
LTJohn LeFeber
LGTom Gibson
CJay VenzinRich Wetendorf
RGConnie Zelencik
RTDave Lafary

Defense

POS Name Name
LDEBlane Smith
LDTCleveland Crosby
MGKen Loushin
RDTChris Barr
RDEKim Cripe
LBBob Mannella
LBFred ArringtonKevin Motts
CBJerome King
CBMike NorthingtonPat Harris
SSPaul Beery
FSRock Supan

[7]

Coaching staff

Head Coach: Alex Agase

Assistants: George Catavolos (Secondary), Fred Conti, Jack Ellis, Bob Geiger, Jerry Hartman, Pat Naughton, Tom Roggeman, Rick Venturi, Mike Wynn [7]

Game summaries

Michigan

#1 Michigan at Purdue
1 234Total
Michigan 7 070 14
• Purdue 7 603 16
  • PUR: Scott Dierking 38 Rush, 162 Yds [8]

Iowa

1 234Total
• Purdue 6 870 21
Iowa 0 000 0

[9]

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

[7] [10]

Awards

Red Mackey Award: Mark Vitali [7]

References

  1. ↑ "1976 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  2. 1 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. 1 2 "Michigan, Ohio State Pace All-Big Ten Team". Toledo Blade (AP story). December 3, 1976. p. 27.
  6. 1 2 "Illini place two on All-Big 10". The Pantagraph. November 24, 1976. p. A11.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 2010 Purdue football information guide
  8. ↑ 2011 Purdue football information guide.
  9. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Nov 14.
  10. ↑ Broyles, Bob and Paul Guido. 50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport
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