1978 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

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1978 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPMarion Barber Jr.
CaptainStan Systma
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Michigan + 7 1 0 10 2 0
No. 12 Michigan State + 7 1 0 8 3 0
No. 13 Purdue 6 1 1 9 2 1
Ohio State 6 2 0 7 4 1
Minnesota 4 4 0 5 6 0
Wisconsin 3 4 2 5 4 2
Indiana 3 5 0 4 7 0
Iowa 2 6 0 2 9 0
Illinois 0 6 2 1 8 2
Northwestern 0 8 1 0 10 1
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1978 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1978 Big Ten Conference football season. In their seventh and final year under head coach Cal Stoll, the Golden Gophers compiled a 7–5 record but were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 267 to 210.[1]

Tailback Marion Barber Jr. received the team's Most Valuable Player award. Barber Jr., kicker Paul Rogind, defensive back Keith Brown and defensive end Stan Sytsma were named All-Big Ten first team. Nose guard Doug Friberg and defensive tackle Jim Ronan were named All-Big Ten second team. Sytsma was named Academic All-Big Ten.[2]

Total attendance for the season was 238,072, which averaged to 39,678. The season high for attendance was against Ohio State.[3]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 16Toledo*W 38–1231,223
September 23No. 16 Ohio State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis
L 10–2755,200
September 30at No. 18 UCLA*L 3–1740,369
October 7Oregon State*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis
L 14–1735,083
October 14Iowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis (rivalry)
W 22–2051,381
October 21at NorthwesternW 38–1416,452
October 28at No. 8 MichiganL 10–42105,308
November 4Indianadagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis
W 32–3139,797
November 11at No. 17 Michigan StateL 9–3372,122
November 18Illinois
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Minneapolis
W 24–625,388
November 25at WisconsinL 10–4861,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1978 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), pp. 179–182[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160[permanent dead link]