1976 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team

The 1976 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. In its fourth season under head coach Willie Jeffries, the team compiled an 10–1 record (5–1 against conference opponents), tied for the MEAC championship, defeated Norfolk State in the Bicentennial Bowl, and outscored opponents by a total of 278 to 44. The team was recognized as the 1976 black college football national champion and was ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press in the final 1976 NCAA Division II football rankings.[1]

1976 South Carolina State Bulldogs football
Black national champion MEAC co-champion
Bicentennial Bowl, W 26–10 vs. Norfolk State
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
1976 record	10–1 (5–1 MEAC)
Head coach	Willie Jeffries (4th season)
Home stadium	Bulldog Stadium

1976 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 South Carolina State +	5	–	1	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
Morgan State +	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
North Carolina A&T	3	–	2	–	1			6	–	4	–	1
Howard	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	5	–	1
North Carolina Central	2	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Delaware State	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	1
Maryland Eastern Shore	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from Associated Press poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	at Delaware State		Dover, DE	W 30–0		[2]
September 18	at North Carolina A&T		Greensboro, NC	L 14–15		[3]
September 25	at Howard		Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Washington, DC	W 40–0	8,500	[4]
October 2	Alcorn State*		Bulldog Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 7–6	10,860	[5]
October 9	Johnson C. Smith*		Bulldog Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 28–0	7,000	[6]
October 16	at Morgan State		Hughes Stadium Baltimore, MD	W 17–0		[7]
October 23	Newberry*		Bulldog Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 25–7	> 5,000	[8]
October 30	North Carolina Central		Bulldog Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 30–0		[9]
November 6	Maryland-Eastern Shore	No. 9	Bulldog Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 47–0	14,103	[10]
November 13	at Wofford*	No. 6	Spartanburg, SC	W 14–6	6,200	[11]
December 11	at Norfolk State*	No. 8	City Stadium Richmond, VA (Bicentennial Bowl)	W 26–10	7,500	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "South Carolina State Yearly Results (1975-1979)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
2. "Delaware State is 30-0 victim". The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). September 12, 1976. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "A&T Upsets S.C. State, 15-14". The Greenville News. September 19, 1976. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
4. "S.C. State Rushing Destroys Howard". The Greenville News. September 26, 1976. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
5. "SCSC Bulldogs Derail Alcorn A&M". The Times and Democrat. October 3, 1976. pp. 14A, 15A – via Newspapers.com.
6. "S.C. State Romps Over J.C. Smith, 28-0". The Times and Democrat. October 10, 1976. pp. 5B, 10B – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Aerial duel bombs, S. C. State blanks Morgan". The Baltimore Sun. October 17, 1976. p. B11 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Montgomery: 4 Field Goals; S.C. State Whips Newberry, 25-7". The Times and Democrat. October 24, 1976. pp. 13A, 14A – via Newspapers.com.
9. "S.C. State Bulldogs Romp Over N.C. Central: SCSC Gains First Place In The MEAC". The Times and Democrat. October 31, 1976. pp. 8A, 13A – via Newspapers.com.
10. "S.C. State Clinches MEAC Title". The Times and Democrat. November 7, 1976. pp. 7A, 8A – via Newspapers.com.
11. "S. C. State defenders stymie Wofford, 14-6". The Greenville News and Piedmont. November 14, 1976. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
12. "S.C. State Downs Norfolk State: Bicentennial Bowl Win End of Drought". The Times and Democrat. December 12, 1976. pp. 9B, 10B – via Newspapers.com.