November 1976

[Abro1975]

"RUTGERS 17, COLGATE 9 (NOV. 18, 1976)

Rutgers celebrated Thanksgiving by capping its second undefeated season of the 20th Century with a hard-fought 17-9 win against Colgate, which was 8-1, at Giants Stadium. The benefit of a controversial penalty call against Colgate helped Rutgers secure its 18th straight victory - the longest streak in the nation at the time. Coach Frank Burns was carried off the field. The team finished ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll but did not participate in the postseason after turning down overtures from the Independence Bowl to play McNeese State."


Pandemonium in Rutherford ensued afterwards, highlighted by RU Pres Ed Bloustein going on all 4s in the ground level Giants Stadium lounge, and in front of about 1000 RU diehards, Bloustein does 'the bulldog'.

Epic night.


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/stor...footballs-top-games-pre-big-ten-era/11760365/

 

[ru75]

The Meadowlands race track opened that summer.

 

[Source]

Rutgers might have thwarted its own chances of a decent bowl bid in 1976 because of its own success.

1) Rutgers defeated Tulane 29-20 at the Superdome on November 13 to go 10-0 with one game remaining. Mizzlou Television Sports telecasts the game independently to many TV markets. The VP of programming is intrigued by an undefeated Rutgers. Mizzlou is responsible for producing coverage of the Peach Bowl and Tangerine Bowl. It's how some of the minor bowls got TV coverage in the 1970s.

2) Colgate is the final game scheduled for November 20. But interest in an undefeated Rutgers gets WABC-TV to switch the game to Thanksgiving Night November 25th at Giants Stadium.

3) The regular season ends the weekend of November 20th for most schools. Because of competition for teams, invites to Bowls go out right after the games of November 20. Rutgers still has five days before its final game on November 25.

4) A new Bowl that would pit the equivalent of today's FBS Division team with a top FCS Division team - called the Independence Bowl - invites Rutgers to play McNeese State after November 20. No TV coverage is planned for this new game. No money guarantees except what is drawn at the gate. In fact, there's a good chance of losing money going to Shrevesport. That Monday, the Rutgers team votes to turn down the bid in the hopes the Peach or Tangerine will still come calling.

5) Because Rutgers had no prior track record and because bowls are in the business to try and get tickets sold and eyeballs watching, Bowls are wary of what interest they would have if Rutgers lost its last game. The lack of a track record in post season play really hurt.

6. Rutgers plays Thanksgiving night, November 25, 1976 and hangs on for a controversial 17-9 win. But all the Bowl bids have gone out, including the Peach and Tangerine. The Independence Bowl invited Tulsa to play McNeese State and Rutgers still remains the only eligible team ranked in the Top 20 (#17 in both AP and UPI) NOT to get invited to a Bowl game to this very day.

 

[MSRU71]

I was there. It was really, really, cold. We were very, very happy.

 

[brodo]

So Rutgers was undefeated in football and in basketball's regular season in 1976. What a time for RU sports.

 

[ScarletNut]

I was there too. The events described by Source are very accurate. Seems like the first of many things that have gone wrong with RU sports, most self-inflicted.

 

[ru75]

Hey, Abro, did Gary's close that year?

 

[Kbee3]

So Rutgers was undefeated in football and in basketball's regular season in 1976. What a time for RU sports.

It really was special.
I don't know which would have been more unbelievable to me back then:
a......Rutgers basketball having such a sorry and embarrassing record since then.
b. ...Rutgers football possibly going to its 10th bowl in 11 years, all the while any number of "loyal" fans crying 'cause RU can't compete with a gauntlet of Ohio St., Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Michigan St.

BTW, I can still remember a little kid in front of us leaving the game with his father and saying " Dad, Colgate...that's a toothpaste, right ?".

 

[krup]

It really was special.
I don't know which would have been more unbelievable to me back then:
a......Rutgers basketball having such a sorry and embarrassing record since then.
b. ...Rutgers football possibly going to its 10th bowl in 11 years, all the while any number of "loyal" fans crying 'cause RU can't compete with a gauntlet of Ohio St., Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Michigan St.

BTW, I can still remember a little kid in front of us leaving the game with his father and saying " Dad, Colgate...that's a toothpaste, right ?".

Your feeble attempt to defend Flood might have had more effect if loyal fans didn't also remember that before the B1G schedule Flood went 2-6 against the "gauntlet" of UConn, Cincinnati, Louisville, Houston and UCF

 

[Knight Shift]

"RUTGERS 17, COLGATE 9 (NOV. 18, 1976)

Rutgers celebrated Thanksgiving by capping its second undefeated season of the 20th Century with a hard-fought 17-9 win against Colgate, which was 8-1, at Giants Stadium. The benefit of a controversial penalty call against Colgate helped Rutgers secure its 18th straight victory - the longest streak in the nation at the time. Coach Frank Burns was carried off the field. The team finished ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll but did not participate in the postseason after turning down overtures from the Independence Bowl to play McNeese State."


Pandemonium in Rutherford ensued afterwards, highlighted by RU Pres Ed Bloustein going on all 4s in the ground level Giants Stadium lounge, and in front of about 1000 RU diehards, Bloustein does 'the bulldog'.

Epic night.


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/stor...footballs-top-games-pre-big-ten-era/11760365/

Pres. Bloustein was a gentleman, a scholar and a man of the people. I remember him at the homecoming parades. He used to come over to the RUFD and shake the hands of the firefighters.
He cared about ALL aspects of the University.

 

[DT Hawxhurst]

I was there for the undefeated basketball and football seasons. Man, that was a heady time to be a Rutgers sports fan!

 

[RUMBA-JK]

wow the glory year ... almost 40 years ago .....
to put it in perspective, could you imagine for a moment if we were suddenly back in that magical year of 1976 .... and reminiscing about a phenomenally bright season from a similar distance in the past
- we would be standing there in 1976 and saying 'gee, wasn't it an amazing year back in 1937'