1978 Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets football team

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1978 Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets football
NCAA Division III champion
OAC co-champion
OAC Red Division champion
OAC championship game, T 17–17 vs. Wittenberg
Stagg Bowl, W 24–10 vs. Wittenberg
ConferenceOhio Athletic Conference
DivisionRed Division
Record11–0–1 (5–0 OAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBob Packard (5th season)
Home stadiumGeorge Finnie Stadium
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Blue Division
Wittenberg xy+^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 1
Capital 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wooster 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Marietta 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Muskingum 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Otterbein 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 1
Red Division
Baldwin–Wallace xy+^ 5 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 1
Ohio Northern 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Denison 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Mount Union 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Ohio Wesleyan 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Heidelberg 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
Not competing for championship
Kenyon   –   3 – 6 – 0
Oberlin   –   0 – 9 – 0
Championship: Baldwin–Wallace 17, Wittenberg 17
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

The 1978 Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets football team was an American football team that represented Baldwin–Wallace University as a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1978 NCAA Division III football season. The team compiled an undefeated season and was the NCAA Division III national champion.

Season overview[edit]

In their 21st season under head coach Lee Tressel, the Yellow Jackets compiled an 11–0–1 record,[1] the tie (17–17) coming in the OAC championship game at B-W’s George Finnie Stadium against Wittenberg.[2]

The Yellow Jackets participated in the NCAA Division III playoffs where they defeated St. Lawrence (71–7) in the quarterfinals and Carnegie Mellon (31–10) in the semifinals.[3][4] The Division III championship was decided in the 1978 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl featuring a rematch of OAC co-champions Baldwin-Wallace and Wittenberg. After playing to a tie in the conference championship game, Baldwin-Wallace dominated in the Stagg Bowl, winning by a 24–10 score.[5]

The team played its home games at George Finnie Stadium in Berea, Ohio.

Awards and honors[edit]

In voting by the OAC coaches, Baldwin Wallace tackle Paul Petrella won the Hank Critchfield Award as the best defensive lineman in the conference. Fullback Roger "Amtrak" Andrachik (a Yale transfer) tied with Wittenberg's Dave Merritt in the balloting for the Mike Gregory Award as the OAC's best offensive back.[6][7]

Nine Baldwin-Wallace players received first-team honors on the All-OAC team: quarterback Joe Surniak; fullback Roger Andrachik; offensive tackle Jeff Jenkins; punter Doug Schiefer; linebacker Bill Rickert; defensive down linemen Bill Davis and Paul Petrella; linebacker Gary Monda; and defensive back Gary Stelter.[8]

After the season, coach Tressel was honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as the college division coach of the year.[9] Tressel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.[10]

In October 2018, the 1978 team was inducted as a group into the Baldwin Wallace Athletics Hall of Fame.[11]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16at Ashland*Ashland, OHW 30–124,351[12]
September 23Capital*
W 31–6
September 30at Muskingum*
W 17–6[13]
October 7Denison
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH
W 49–0[14]
October 14Mount Union
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH
W 32–13[15]
October 21at Ohio WesleyanDelaware, OHW 48–14[16]
October 28at Ohio NorthernAda, OHW 7–3[17]
November 4Heidelberg
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH
W 63–6[18]
November 11Wittenberg*
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH (OAC championship game)
T 17–177,351[2]
November 18St. Lawrence*
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH (NCAA Division III quarterfinal)
W 71–74,184[3]
November 25Carnegie Mellon*
  • George Finnie Stadium
  • Berea, OH (NCAA Division III semifinal)
W 31–104,285[4]
December 2vs. Wittenberg*
W 24–106,100[5]
  • *Non-conference game

References[edit]

  1. ^ "NCAA Division III Championship Season of 1978". Baldwin Wallace. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Wittenberg plays for tie in OC title showdown". Dayton Daily News. November 12, 1978. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Baldwin-Wallace blasts SLU". Star-Gazette. November 19, 1978. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b John Clayton (November 26, 1978). "Snowballing B-Wallace Plows Under CMU, 31-6". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Dave Long (December 3, 1978). "Witt's loss makes title sweet for BW". Dayton Daily News. pp. 1D, 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Four Denison gridders honored". The Newark Advocate. November 29, 1978. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Steve Eighinger (November 30, 1978). "Petrella leads area OAC award winners". News-Journal. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "All-OC team". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 29, 1978. p. D6 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Paterno and Tressel coaches of the year". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. Associated Press. January 12, 1979. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Lee Tressel". National Football Foundation. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "BW Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018". Baldwin Wallace. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  12. ^ Steve Eighinger (September 17, 1978). "Baldwin-Wallace prevails 30-12: Three blocked punts prove Eagle undoing". News-Journal. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Steve Ellis (October 1, 1978). "Baldwin-Wallace Trips Muskingum 17-6". The Times Recorder. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "3rd-ranked Baldwin-Wallace trounces Big Red 49-0". The Newark Advocate. October 9, 1978. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "BW-Mt. Union". The Marion Star. October 15, 1978. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Baldwin-Wallace 48, Ohio Wesleyan 14". The Akron Beacon Journal. October 22, 1978. p. C6 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Late touchdown secures Baldwin-Wallace's win". News-Journal. October 29, 1978. p. 5E – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "BW-Heidelberg". The Marion Star. November 5, 1978. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
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