1978 Lehigh Engineers football team

American college football season

1978 Lehigh Engineers football

Conference| Independent
Ranking
AP| No. 9
Record| 8–3
Head coach|

* John Whitehead (3rd season)

Captains|

* Bill Bradley
* Pete DeLuca

Home stadium| Taylor Stadium

Seasons

<- 1977

1979 ->

1978 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 3 Florida A&M ^  |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 12  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 1 Nevada ^  |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 9 Lehigh |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 3  | - | 0
Northeastern |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Bucknell |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Northwestern State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Portland State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Lafayette |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0

* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from Associated Press poll

The 1978 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University as an independent during the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season.

In their third year under head coach John Whitehead, the Engineers compiled an 8–3 record.[1] Bill Bradley and Pete DeLuca were the team captains.[2]

Lehigh had won the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1977, and in 1978 the Engineers moved up to the newly formed Division I-AA, later to be renamed the Football Championship Subdivision. Also moving up from Division II, and competing as I-AA independents, were in-state rivals Bucknell and Lafayette. The Engineers' 1978 schedule included opponents from Division I-A, Division I-AA, Division II and Division III.

Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|

September 9 |  West Chester |  |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA

| W 23–20|  11,900 |  [3]
September 16 | at Slippery Rock |  |

* N. Kerr Thompson Stadium
* Slippery Rock, PA

| W 17–0|  |  [1]
September 23 |  Colgate | No. 1 |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA

| W 38–7|  13,500 |  [4]
September 29 | at Penn | No. 1 |

* Franklin Field
* Philadelphia, PA

| L 13–21|  14,158 |  [5]
October 7 |  Delaware | No. 6 |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA (rivalry)

| W 27–17|  14,000 |  [6]
October 14 |  Davidson^ | No. 6 |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA

| W 27–21|  9,000 |  [7]
October 21 | at Virginia Military | No. 5 |

* Alumni Memorial Field
* Lexington, VA

| W 14–10|  8,400 |  [8]
October 28 |  Bucknell | No. 3 |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA

| L 6–13|  11,000 |  [9]
November 4 |  C.W. Post | No. 8 |

* Taylor Stadium
* Bethlehem, PA

| W 24–22|  9,000 |  [10]
November 11 | at Maine | No. 6 |

* Alumni Field
* Orono, ME

| L 18–21|  3,000 |  [11]
November 18 | at Lafayette |  |

* Fisher Field
* Easton, PA (The Rivalry)

| W 25–15|  17,000 |  [12]

* ^ Parents Day
* Rankings from Associated Press Poll released prior to the game

## Rankings[edit]

See also: 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked.| Week

|

Poll| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| Final
AP| 1| 1| 6| 6| 5| 3| 8| 6| —| 9

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Year-by-Year Results". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 22. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. ^ "Lehigh Football Captains". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 12. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
3. ^ Larimer, Terry (September 10, 1978). "Lehigh Fights for 23-20 Win". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Lehigh Humbles Colgaters, 38-6". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. September 24, 1978. p. 4B - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ Lewis, Allen (September 30, 1978). "Quaker Sub Quarterback Sciolla Leads Halt of Lehigh Streak at 11". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1-C - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ Simmons, Bill (October 8, 1978). "Lehigh Tops Error-Prone Delaware". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1-F - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Larimer, Terry (October 15, 1978). "Lehigh Hangs On to Turn Back Davidson, 27-21". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ Larimer, Terry (October 22, 1978). "Lehigh's Defense Gets Credit for 14-10 Decision". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Bucknell 13, Lehigh 6". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. October 29, 1978. p. B-6 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ Larimer, Terry (November 5, 1978). "Lehigh Wins Another the 'Hard Way' 24-22". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C2 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ Warner, Bill (November 13, 1978). "Bears Stun Lambert Cup Leaders". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. 16 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ McKee, Don (November 19, 1978). "Lafayette Is Downed by Lehigh". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 8-F - via Newspapers.com.

* v
* t
* e

Lehigh Mountain Hawks football

Venues|

* Taylor Stadium (1914–1987)
* Goodman Stadium (1988–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Delaware
* Lafayette: The Rivalry

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1884
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*[Conf]: Conference record
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