1976 Saint John's Johnnies football team
| 1976 Saint John's Johnnies football | |
|---|---|
NCAA Division III champion MIAC champion | |
Stagg Bowl, W 31–28 vs. Towson State | |
| Conference | Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 10–0–1 (7–0 MIAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Clemens Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saint John's (MN) $^ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Olaf | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Thomas (MN) | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Concordia–Moorhead | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gustavus Adolphus | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hamline | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Augsburg | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Macalester | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1976 Saint John's Johnnies football team represented Saint John's University as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) during the 1976 NCAA Division III football season. In their 24th season under head coach John Gagliardi, the Johnnies compiled a 10–0–1 record and won the NCAA Division III national championship.
After opening the season playing Minnesota Morris to a 15–15 tie, the Johnnies won 10 consecutive games, including victories over Augustana (IL) and Buena Vista in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The Johnnies closed their season facing Towson State in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl to determine the Division III championship. Saint John's took a 28-0 lead through three quarters, but Towson State scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to tie the score. Saint John's kicker Jeff Norman kicked a 19-yard field goal with one second remaining to secure the victory.
Eight Saint John's players were included on the 1976 All-MIAC team: quarterback Jeff Norman; fullback Tim Schmitz; running back Jim Roeder; offensive lineman Dave Grovum; defensive lineman Ernie England, Terry Sexton and Joe Wentzel; and defensive back Joe Luby.
Coach Gagliardi received the 1976 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year award. Gagliardi became college football all-time winningest coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
The team played its home games at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.