1977 Washington State Cougars football team

1977 Washington State Cougars football
ConferencePacific-8 Conference
Record6–5 (3–4 Pac-8)
Head coach
Home stadiumMartin Stadium, Joe Albi Stadium
Seasons
← 1976
1978 →
1977 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 10 Washington $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
No. 15 Stanford 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 13 USC 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
California 3 – 4 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Washington State 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Oregon 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Oregon State 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
UCLA † 0 – 2 – 0 0 – 4 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • † – UCLA forfeited 7 wins (5 conference wins) due to ineligible players.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their only season under head coach Warren Powers, the Cougars compiled a 6–5 record (3–4 in Pac-8, tied for fourth), and outscored their opponents 263 to 236.[1][2]

The team's statistical leaders included Jack Thompson with 2,372 passing yards, Dan Doornink with 591 rushing yards, and Mike Levenseller with 736 receiving yards.[3]

The Cougars opened the season with an upset win at fifteenth-ranked Nebraska.[4][5]

Previously an assistant with the Huskers,[6][7][8] Powers left after just twelve months in Pullman for Missouri of the Big Eight Conference.[9][10][11] His predecessor in 1976, Jackie Sherrill, also lasted just one season with the Cougars. Offensive backfield coach Jim Walden was promoted to head coach less than a week later,[12][13][14] and led the WSU program for nine years.

  1. ^ "1977 Washington State Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  2. ^ "2016 Media Guide" (PDF). WSUCougars.com. Washington State Cougars Athletics. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  3. ^ "1977 Washington State Cougars Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  4. ^ Missildine, Harry (September 11, 1977). "Confident Cougars upset Cornhuskers". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  5. ^ Drosendahl, Glenn (September 11, 1977). "Cougs upset Huskers". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  6. ^ Barrows, Bob (December 14, 1976). "WSU fills football job with Nebraska assistant". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  7. ^ Missildine, Harry (December 14, 1976). "Warren Powers new Coug coach". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
  8. ^ Brown, Bruce (December 14, 1976). "New challenge faces Powers". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
  9. ^ Brown, Bruce (December 13, 1977). "Powers takes Missouri job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 23.
  10. ^ Missildine, Harry (December 14, 1977). "Line forms at Pullman". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 25.
  11. ^ Drosendahl, Glenn (December 14, 1977). "Powers is gone - the search is on". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  12. ^ Killen, John (December 19, 1977). "WSU hires Waldens, who plans to stay". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  13. ^ Missildine, Harry (December 19, 1977). "Walden's players' choice at WSU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
  14. ^ Brown, Bruce (December 19, 1977). "WSU makes Walden's dreams come true". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 25.