The 1979 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Engineers finished the year ranked No. 3 in Division I-AA and qualified for the four-team national playoff. They won their semifinal but lost the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.
| 1979 Lehigh Engineers football | |
|---|---|
Division I-AA Championship Game, L 7–30 vs Eastern Kentucky | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 4 |
| Record | 10–3 |
| Head coach |
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| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Taylor Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Lehigh ^ | – | 10 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida A&M | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland State | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lafayette | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bucknell | – | 4 | – | 4 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State | – | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeastern | – | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In their fourth year under head coach John Whitehead, the Engineers compiled a 10–3 record (9–2 in the regular season).[1] Rich Andres, Jim McCormick and Eric Yaszemski were the team captains.[2]
Lehigh returned to the national championship two years after winning the NCAA Division II Football Championship and the Lambert Cup in 1977. Its two regular season losses in 1979 were away games at Colgate, a Division I-A team, and at Delaware, the eventual Division II champion.
Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 8 | at West Chester | W 12–7 | 5,500 | [3] | ||||
| September 15 | Slippery Rock |
| W 44–9 | [1] | ||||
| September 22 | at Colgate | No. 9 | L 3–10 | 7,200 | [4] | |||
| September 29 | Penn |
| W 31–7 | 10,500 | [5] | |||
| October 6 | at No. 2 (D-II) Delaware | L 14–21 | 20,636 | [6] | ||||
| October 13 | Davidson |
| W 10–0 | 11,500 | [7] | |||
| October 20 | at New Hampshire | W 16–3 | 15,400 | [8] | ||||
| October 27 | at Bucknell | No. 10 | W 14–13 | 8,000 | [9] | |||
| November 3 | C.W. Post | No. 7 |
| W 17–0 | 10,000 | [10] | ||
| November 10 | at Maine | No. 7 |
| W 12–6 | 5,000 | [11] | ||
| November 17 | Lafayette | No. 6 |
| W 24–3 | 19,000 | [12] | ||
| December 8 | at No. 2 Murray State | No. 4 | W 28–9 | 10,000 | [13] | |||
| December 15 | vs. No. 3 Eastern Kentucky | No. 4 | L 7–30 | 5,200 | [14] | |||
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References
edit- ^ a b "Year-by-Year Results". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 22. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Lehigh Football Captains". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 12. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ Larimer, Terry (September 9, 1979). "Lehigh Starts on 'Right Foot' as Iobst's FGs Decide 12-7". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marzo Injured in Colgate Win". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. September 23, 1979. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Larimer, Terry (September 30, 1979). "Lehigh and Lafayette Turn Back Ivy League Foes; Engineers Play Ball-Control in Handing Penn 31-7 Pasting". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tomashek, Tom (October 7, 1979). "Lehigh Finds Delaware Defense Offensive in 21-14 Hen Triumph". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lehigh Controls Ball and Davidson". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, N.C. October 14, 1979. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Defense Plays Key Role as Lehigh Whips New Hampshire, 16-3". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. October 21, 1979. p. C4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Larimer, Terry (October 28, 1979). "Lehigh Wins, 14-13, in Last Minute". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lehigh 17, C.W. Post 0". Palm Beach Post-Times. West Palm Beach, Fla. November 4, 1979. p. 54 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Maine Gridders Nudged by Touted Lehigh, 12-6". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. November 12, 1979. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Larimer, Terry (November 18, 1979). "Lehigh Rolls, 24-3; Awaits Playoff Bid". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pollitte, Dennis (December 9, 1979). "Murray's Trip to Florida Canceled". The Paducah Sun. Paducah, Ky. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Larimer, Terry (December 16, 1979). "Lehigh Routed, 30-7, in Title Game". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.