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1978 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

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American college football season

1978 Florida A&M Rattlers football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
Black college national champion
SIAC champion
NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game, W 35–28 vs. UMass
ConferenceSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Ranking
APNo. 3
Record12–1 (5–0 SIAC)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorFred Goldsmith (5th season)
Home stadiumBragg Memorial Stadium
Seasons← 19771979 →
1978 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
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 Florida A&M Rattlers football team represented Florida A&M University in the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Rattlers had an overall record of 12–1 and were the Division I-AA national champions.

The Rattlers were led by fifth year head coach Rudy Hubbard; they played some home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium on their own campus, and other home games at the larger Doak Campbell Stadium on the campus of Florida State University. They finished their regular season with a 9–1 record, including a win over Bethune–Cookman in the Florida Classic rivalry game. The Rattlers then beat Grambling State in the Orange Blossom Classic to secure a spot in the I-AA playoffs. In the playoffs, the Rattlers won on the road against Jackson State, then beat UMass in the championship game, the Pioneer Bowl played in Wichita Falls, Texas.

In 1978, Florida A&M was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), a Division II conference. The university had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978. The Rattlers captured the SIAC title in 1978, going undefeated in five conference games. This was the Rattlers' last season as a member of SIAC, as they would join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) the following year.

Statistical leaders for the season included Ike Williams (1274 yards rushing), Albert Chester (1088 yards passing), Chris Douglas (228 yards receiving), and Mike Solomon (12 touchdowns). A notable member of the team was placekicker Vince Coleman, who would go on to play 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, well known for his time with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 161:30 p.m.at Albany StateW 21–711,501
September 237:00 p.m.Delaware State*No. 7W 37–017,532
September 307:00 p.m.Howard*No. 7W 28–711,882
October 77:30 p.m.Maryland Eastern Shore*No. 7W 45–030,100
October 141:30 p.m.at Morris BrownNo. 7W 56–012,776
October 217:00 p.m.Tennessee State*No. 4
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL
L 21–2429,820
October 287:00 p.m.TuskegeeNo. 5
  • Bragg Memorial Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL
W 41–1311,793
November 41:30 p.m.Alabama A&MNo. 3
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL
W 42–021,637
November 184:10 p.m.at Southern*No. 3ABCW 16–1218,000
November 251:30 p.m.vs. Bethune–CookmanNo. 3W 27–1740,868
December 27:30 p.m.vs. Grambling State*No. 3W 31–735,499
December 91:30 p.m.at No. 2 Jackson State*No. 3ABCW 15–1012,000
December 161:30 p.m.vs. No. T–4 UMass*No. 3ABCW 35–2813,604

Roster

Head coach Rudy Hubbard
1978 Florida A&M Rattlers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
TE 87 David Greene Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References

  1. "UMass Toppled in Bowl, 35‐28". The New York Times. AP. December 17, 1978. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  2. Cooper, Barry (August 31, 1978). "Florida A&M granted Division 1 status". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved May 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Magee, Art (December 9, 1978). "Jackson State opens I-AA title bid today". Hattiesburg American. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. p. 11. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. Ireland, Jack (October 24, 1979). "MEAC gets boost with addition of Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. p. 16. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Florida A&M Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015. pp. 80–81. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via famuathletics.com.
  6. Homer, Jody (May 12, 1985). "Cards` Rookie Looks Like a Steal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  7. Jackson, Eddie (September 16, 1978). "Can Rattlers Keep Longest Stream Alive?". The Tampa Tribune. p. 8-C. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. Cooper, Barry (September 16, 1978). "Florida A&M opens at Albany". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 3B. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Jackson, Eddie (September 17, 1978). "Defensive Effort Aids FAMU Win". The Tampa Tribune. p. 9-D. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Rattlers rally". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. September 23, 1978. p. 1A. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Jackson, Eddie (September 24, 1978). "FAMU Rattles By Delaware St". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5-D. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  12. Cooper, Barry (September 30, 1978). "Extra incentive for FAMU". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 4B. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  13. Cooper, Barry (October 1, 1978). "FAMU rips Howard for No 15". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1C. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  14. Cooper, Barry (October 7, 1978). "FAMU meets determined Hawks tonight". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 3B. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  15. "FAMU makes it 16 in a row". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. AP. October 8, 1978. p. 4C. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  16. "FAMU Routs Morris Brown". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press. October 15, 1978. p. E8. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  17. Cooper, Barry (October 21, 1978). "TSU, '747' will try to bomb Rattlers". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 4B. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  18. Climer, David (October 22, 1978). "TSU Halts A&M Streak 24-21". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 1-D. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  19. Cooper, Barry (October 28, 1978). "Rattlers hit comeback trail tonight". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 2B. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  20. "Florida A&M Overwhelms Tuskegee 41-13". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press. October 29, 1978. p. E4. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  21. Gosier, Horace (November 5, 1978). "Rattlers put 42-0 bite on Bulldogs". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 7c. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  22. "Southern-Florida A&M". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 18, 1978. p. B-1. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  23. "FAMU rolls past Southern". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. AP. November 19, 1978. p. 4C. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  24. Mlynczak, Larry (November 26, 1978). "FAMU Fans Get Win, Run To Remember". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. p. E5. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  25. Tierney, Mike (December 3, 1978). "Rattlers ramble past Grambling 31-7". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 7c. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  26. "sports on the air". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. December 9, 1978. p. 6B. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  27. Jackson, Eddie (December 10, 1978). "Rattlers Win A Title, Eye Another (cont'd)". The Tampa Tribune. p. 3-D. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  28. Cooper, Barry (December 17, 1978). "FAMU captures a national title". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1A. Retrieved May 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  29. Cooper, Barry (December 17, 1978). "FAMU (cont'd)". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 7A. Retrieved May 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  30. "Division I Championship" (PDF). NCAA. 2013. p. 14. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via ncaa.org.
  31. "Florida A&M Rattlers 1978 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  32. "'78 Rattler Schedule". The Tampa Tribune. September 3, 1978. p. 9-K. Retrieved May 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading

1978 Florida A&M Rattlers football—NCAA Division I-AA national champions
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1978 NCAA Division I-AA football playoff participants
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