The 1976 Tiger football team was honored as a Team of Distinction at the Towson University Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, October 16, 2009.
Coach
Phil Albert and the Tigers entered the 1976 season with a veteran lineup, a talented defense, an All-America quarterback and plenty of high hopes. The season began with an impressive 30-0 win at Maryland Eastern Shore. However, the Tigers dropped a pair of close games in the following weeks, losing a two-point decision at James Madison and falling to Guilford, 7-6. Over the next five games, the Tigers allowed a total of only 13 points. Towson finished the regular season with an 8-2 record and a six-game winning streak.
The Tigers earned an NCAA Division III playoff berth, facing CW Post in the quarterfinals. After trailing most of the way, Towson came back for a 14-10 victory to advance to the semifinals and a date with St. Lawrence at home on Burdick Field. A 38-36 win at home secured a trip to the NCAA championship game.
The Tigers traveled to Phenix City, Alabama to face powerful St. John's of Minnesota in the Stagg Bowl. St. John's had earned a spot in the national championship game with a 61-0 win over Buena Vista. The Johnnies were heavily-favored to beat the upstart Tigers. Before a national TV audience on ABC-TV, St. John's took advantage of several Towson turnovers and rolled to a 28-0 lead after three quarters.
The Tigers scored three unanswered touchdowns before tying the game with 30 seconds remaining. However, on the final play of the game,
Jeff Norman kicked a 19-yard field goal and St. John's pulled out a 31-28 win.
