1977 Washington State Cougars football
ConferencePacific-8 Conference
Record6–5 (3–4 Pac-8)
Head coach
Home stadiumMartin Stadium, Joe Albi Stadium
1977 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 10 Washington $  6 –1   8 –4  
No. 15 Stanford  5 –2   9 –3  
No. 13 USC  5 –2   8 –4  
California  3 –4   7 –4  
Washington State  3 –4   6 –5  
Oregon  1 –6   2 –9  
Oregon State  0 –7   2 –9  
UCLA †  0 –2   0 –4  
  • $ – 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.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10at No. 15 Nebraska*
W 19–1075,922
September 17at Michigan State*
W 23–2150,263
September 24at Kansas*No. 15
L 12–1440,763–44,540
September 30at No. 2 USC
L 7–4161,809
October 8No. 14 Californiadagger
W 17–1027,500
October 15UCLA
L 16–2037,750
October 22at Stanford
L 29–3147,500
October 29Oregon
  • Martin Stadium
  • Pullman, CA
W 56–2027,200
November 5at Oregon State
W 24–1022,657
November 12Idaho*
W 45–1718,500[15][16]
November 19at No. 19 Washington
L 15–3560,964
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
^1 UCLA later forfeited the game due to fielding an ineligible player.

Roster

1977 Washington State Cougars football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
C 79 Noel Barnes Sr
SE 13 Bob Bratkowski Sr
TE 88 Ron Bull Jr
C 77 Mark Chandless Jr
RB 11 Dan Doornink Sr
RB 29 Tali Ena So
G 71 Larry Finan Sr
RB 25 Harold Gillum Jr
QB 18 Steve Grant Jr
TE 81 Gus Hobus Jr
FL 44 Brian Kelly Sr
G 65 Tom Larsen Sr
OT 68 Dave Lemke Sr
SE 21 Mike Levenseller Sr
TE 83 Eason Ramson Sr
QB 14 Jack Thompson Jr
TB 26 Mike Washington Fr
OT 59 Barry Zanck Sr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 91 Terry Anderson Sr
LB 96 Raleigh Fletcher Jr
DT 63 Mike Galovich Jr
LB 98 Terry Gilmore Jr
CB 37 Ken Greene Sr
FS 28 Bob Gregor So
DT 76 Spud Harris So
LB 57 Don Hover Sr
LB 97 Jeff Jones Jr
CB 15 Mark Patterson Sr
LB 67 Dean Pedigo Sr
LB 47 Scott Pelluer Fr
DE 38 Mel Sanders So
SS 48 Don Schwartz Sr
DE 36 Tom Thompson Jr
FS 16 John Troppman Sr
NG 50 George Yarno Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 22 Paul Watson Jr
P 46 Gavin Hedrick Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
Source:[17][18][19]

NFL Draft

Eight Cougars were selected in the 1978 NFL Draft; Ken Greene was the first player from Washington State taken in the first round in 13 years.[20]

Player Position Round Overall Franchise
Ken Greene DB 1 19 St. Louis Cardinals
Don Schwartz DB 4 87 New Orleans Saints
Mike Levenseller WR 6 164 Oakland Raiders
Dan Doornink RB 7 174 New York Giants
Don Hover LB 8 219 Washington Redskins
Gavin Hendrick P 8 220 San Diego Chargers
Eason Ramson TE 12 312 Green Bay Packers
Mark Patterson DB 12 318 Detroit Lions

[20][21]

References

  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.
  15. ↑ Missildine, Harry (November 13, 1977). "Cougars bury Idaho 45-17". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
  16. ↑ "Cougars get winning year with victory". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. November 13, 1977. p. 6C.
  17. ↑ "Bears vs. Cougars: probable starters". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). October 8, 1977. p. 13.
  18. ↑ "Vandals vs. Cougars: probable starters". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). November 12, 1977. p. 17.
  19. ↑ "2008 Football media guide" (PDF). Washington State University Athletics. 2008. pp. 172–191. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  20. 1 2 Missildine, Harry (May 3, 1978). "Coug Greene first-round draftee". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 20.
  21. ↑ Missildine, Harry (May 4, 1978). "Five more Cougs selected". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 33.
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