1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Lehigh Engineers (now the Lehigh Mountain Hawks). The game was played on December 15, 1979, at Orlando Stadium (now Camping World Stadium) in Orlando, Florida. The culminating game of the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Eastern Kentucky, 30–7.[3]

This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) champions, see 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
I-AA National Championship Game
Lehigh Engineers Eastern Kentucky Colonels
(10–2) (10–2)
Independent OVC
7 30
Head coach: 
John Whitehead		 Head coach: 
Roy Kidd
AP
3 (tied)
AP
3 (tied)
1234 Total
Lehigh 0700 7
Eastern Kentucky 7779 30
DateDecember 15, 1979
Season1979
StadiumOrlando Stadium
LocationOrlando, Florida
Attendance5,200[1]
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC Sports
AnnouncersBill Flemming (play-by-play), Frank Broyles (color)[2]

Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1979 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a four-team bracket.[4]

Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Main article: 1979 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Eastern Kentucky finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (5–1 in conference); their losses were to East Tennessee State of Division I-A and conference rival Murray State.[5] Tied for third with Lehigh in the final AP Poll for I-AA,[6] the Colonels were the at-large selection to the four-team playoff; they defeated Nevada, the West selection, by a score of 33–30 in double overtime to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Eastern Kentucky in a Division I-AA championship game.

Lehigh Engineers
See also: Lehigh Mountain Hawks football

Lehigh also finished their regular season with a 9–2 record; they had lost to Colgate of Division I-A and Delaware of Division II.[7] Tied with Eastern Kentucky for third in the final AP Poll for I-AA,[6] the Engineers were the East selection to the playoff; they defeated Murray State, the South selection, by a 28–9 score to reach the final. This was also the first appearance for Lehigh in a Division I-AA championship game.

Game summary

Scoring summary
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP LEH EKU
1 3:37 EKU Bill Hughes 1-yard touchdown run, David Flores kick good 0 7
2 EKU Nicky Yeast 1-yard touchdown run, Flores kick good 0 14
2 LEH Bob Romeo 1-yard touchdown run, Ted Iobst kick good 7 14
3 EKU Dale Patton 2-yard touchdown run, Flores kick good 7 21
4 EKU 29-yard field goal by Flores 7 24
4 EKU Tony Braxton 14-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed 7 30
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 30

[1][3]

Game statistics
1 2 3 4 Total
Engineers 0 7 0 0 7
Colonels 7 7 7 9 30
Orlando Stadium, site of the 1979 I-AA title game
StatisticsLEHEKU
First downs1016
Plays–yards56–20474–338
Rushes–yards33–10269–289
Passing yards10249
Passing: Comp–Att–Int6–23–41–5–2
Time of possession
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
LehighPassingRich Andres6–19, 102 yds, 2 INT
RushingJoe Rabuck17 car, 55 yds
ReceivingPaul Anastasio2 rec, 42 yds
Eastern KentuckyPassingBill Hughes1–5, 49 yds, 2 INT
RushingDale Patton21 car, 121 yds, 1 TD
ReceivingJerry Parrish1 rec, 49 yds

[1][3]

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See also

References
  1. "E. Kentucky whips Lehigh for I-AA title". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. AP. December 16, 1979. p. 5F. Retrieved May 12, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  2. Henniger, Paul (December 15, 1979). "Viewing Sports". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Retrieved May 12, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Lehigh Routed By 30‐7". The New York Times. AP. December 16, 1979. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  4. "Eastern Kentucky Gains Football Playoff Berth". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. December 3, 1979. p. 36. Retrieved February 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Eastern Kentucky Colonels 1979 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  6. "1-AA Top 10". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. AP. November 27, 1979. p. 2B. Retrieved May 12, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Lehigh Mountain Hawks 1979 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.

Further reading
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