1976 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
The 1976 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. Led by first-year head coach Jim Sweeney, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–1 in conference play, placing second in the PCAA. The Bulldogs played their home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.
| 1976 Fresno State Bulldogs football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Pacific Coast Athletic Association |
| Record | 5–6 (3–1 PCAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Dennis Erickson (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Ratcliffe Stadium (capacity: 13,000) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State $ | 4 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach State | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal State Fullerton | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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While Fresno State lost its opener on the road to Southwestern Louisiana, the game was subsequently forfeited due to the use of ineligible players. The won-loss record is not adjusted.[1]
An experienced head coach, Sweeney was hired in December 1975, shortly after his resignation from Washington State University.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] He had led the Cougars of the Pac-8 Conference for eight seasons, preceded by five at Montana State in the Big Sky Conference.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11 | at Southwestern Louisiana* | L 14–41 | 22,890 | ||
| September 18 | at San Diego State* | L 3–7 | 40,768 | [9] | |
| September 25 | No. 3 Montana State* | W 24–10 | 11,500 | ||
| October 2 | Cal State Fullerton |
| W 31–12 | 11,500 | |
| October 9 | at Wichita State* | L 24–30 | 12,609 | [10] | |
| October 16 | Cal Poly* |
| L 15–17 | 12,650 | |
| October 23 | at San Jose State | L 7–21 | 16,500 | ||
| October 30 | Pacific (CA) |
| W 35–7 | 10,200 | |
| November 6 | Long Beach State |
| W 23–0 | 11,100 | [11] |
| November 13 | New Mexico State* |
| W 44–0 | 8,279 | |
| November 20 | at Santa Clara* | L 17–20 | |||
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References
- "Louisiana-Lafayette 2014 Football Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- Derrick, Merle (December 9, 1975). "Sweeney takes Fresno post". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 31.
- Missildine, Harry (December 10, 1975). "Sweeney to Fresno". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 25.
- "Sweeney goes south". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 10, 1975. p. 2D.
- "Jim Sweeney named Fresno State coach". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. December 10, 1975. p. 12.
- "Sweeney uses option, quits as WSU boss". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. December 1, 1975. p. 1B.
- Missildine, Harry (December 1, 1975). "Cougar coach Jim Sweeney resigns". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 14.
- "Cougar coach Jim Sweeney calls it quits". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. December 1, 1975. p. 10.
- "Long Beach State Wins Again, 32-10". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 19, 1976. p. III-16. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

- "Long Beach State Wins Again, 32-10". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 10, 1976. p. III-11. Retrieved March 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

- "Long Beach State Shut Out by Fresno". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 7, 1976. p. III-16. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

- "Fresno State 1976 Schedule". Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2016.