1977 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

The 1977 Florida A&M Rattlers football team represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1977 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Rudy Hubbard, the Rattlers compiled an overall record of 11–0 and a mark of 5–0 in conference play, and finished as SIAC champion. At the conclusion of the season, the Rattlers were also recognized as black college national champion.^[1]

1977 Florida A&M Rattlers football
Black college national champion SIAC Division I champion
Orange Blossom Classic, W 37–15 vs. Delaware State
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Division	Division I
Record	11–0 (5–0 SIAC)
Head coach	Rudy Hubbard (4th season)
Home stadium	Bragg Memorial Stadium, Doak Campbell Stadium
Seasons ← 1976 1978 →

1977 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Division I
Florida A&M x	5	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	0
Bethune–Cookman ^	4	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Albany State	2	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Morris Brown	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Alabama A&M	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Tuskegee	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Division II
Knoxville x	6	–	1	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Savannah State	3	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Clark (GA)	3	–	2	–	0			3	–	5	–	0
Morehouse	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Lane	2	–	2	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Fort Valley State	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Miles	2	–	3	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
Fisk	0	–	5	–	0			0	–	9	–	0
x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 10	vs. Howard*	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ (Football Scholarship Classic)	W 28–6	34,601–35,094	[2]
September 17	Albany State	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 22–7	10,500	[3]
September 24	vs. Alcorn State*	Milwaukee County Stadium Milwaukee, WI (Midwest Gridiron Classic)	W 28–7	16,500–19,762	[4]
October 8	Alabama State*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 21–16	11,986	[5]
October 15	Morris Brown	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 47–19	17,600	[6]
October 22	at Tennessee State*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	W 31–28	32,900–33,402	[7]
October 29	at Tuskegee	Alumni Bowl Tuskegee, AL	W 36–20	8,162	[8]
November 5	at Alabama A&M	Milton Frank Stadium Huntsville, AL	W 12–7	8,301	[9]
November 12	vs. Southern*	Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL	W 19–6	17,646–19,386	[10]
November 19	Bethune–Cookman	Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL (Florida Classic)	W 14–7	37,501	[11]
December 10	vs. Delaware State*	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)	W 37–15	29,493	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[13]

References

1. "Rattlers officially champs". Tallahassee Democrat. December 13, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Florida A&M wins scholarship game". The Home News. September 11, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "A&M cops home debut 22–7". Tallahassee Democrat. September 18, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Rattlers hand Alcorn third loss by 28–7". The Clarion-Ledger. September 25, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Hornets' late effort falls short". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 9, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Rattlers set records, rip Wolverines". Tallahassee Democrat. October 16, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "A&M wins in unbeatens' duel". The Tennessean. October 23, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "FAMU downs Tuskegee". The Miami Herald. October 30, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Rattlers win eighth straight". Pensacola News Journal. November 6, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Rattlers, Chester jolt Jaguars, stay unbeaten with 19–6 win". St. Petersburg Times. November 13, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Undefeated: FAMU takes tenth 14–7". Tallahassee Democrat. November 20, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "FAMU Routs Delaware State". The Miami Herald. December 11, 1977. Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Final 1977 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 18, 2023.