1980 Lehigh Engineers football team

The 1980 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University as an independent during the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Lehigh went undefeated through the regular season and was the No. 1-ranked team in Division I-AA, but lost its national semifinal game.

1980 Lehigh Engineers football
Division I-AA Semifinal, L 20–23 vs Eastern Kentucky
Conference	Independent
Record	9–1–2
Head coach	John Whitehead (5th season)
Captains	Mike Crowe Mark Yeager
Home stadium	Taylor Stadium
Seasons ← 1979 1981 →

1980 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Lehigh ^			–					9	–	1	–	2
No. 6 Delaware			–					9	–	2	–	0
Southeastern Louisiana			–					8	–	2	–	0
No. 8 Northwestern State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Portland State			–					8	–	3	–	0
Bucknell			–					6	–	4	–	0
James Madison			–					4	–	6	–	0
Lafayette			–					3	–	7	–	0
Nicholls State			–					2	–	9	–	0
Northeastern			–					2	–	9	–	0
^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll

In their fifth year under head coach John Whitehead, the Engineers compiled a 9–1–2 record (9–0–2 in the regular season).^[1] Mike Crowe and Mark Yeager were the team captains.^[2]

The Engineers' participation in the 1980 Division I-AA playoff marked their third year of postseason play in a four-year stretch, beginning with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 1977, and continuing with their loss in the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.

Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 13	at Maine		Alumni Field Orono, ME	W 37–6	6,000	^[3]
September 20	Colgate		Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	T 17–17	8,000	^[4]
September 26	at Penn		Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA	W 35–6	14,864	^[5]
October 4	No. 2 Delaware	No. 10	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA (rivalry)	W 27–20	14,500	^[6]
October 11	at Army	No. T–3	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	T 24–24	32,850	^[7]
October 18	at Davidson	No. 3	Richardson Stadium Davidson, NC	W 49–14	6,500	^[8]
October 25	Bucknell	No. 3	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 13–0	5,000	^[9]
November 1	James Madison	No. 3	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 31–14		^[10]
November 8	Rhode Island	No. 2	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 23–10	10,000	^[11]
November 15	Northeastern	No. 2	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 42–19	7,363	^[12]
November 22	at Lafayette	No. 1	Fisher Field Easton, PA (The Rivalry)	W 23–20	17,000	^[13]
December 13	No. 3 Eastern Kentucky	No. 1	Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)	L 20–23	11,500	^[14]
^ Parents Day Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Year-by-Year Results". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 22. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. "Lehigh Football Captains". Lehigh Football Record Book (PDF). Bethlehem, Pa.: Lehigh University. p. 12. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
3. Haskell, Bob (September 15, 1980). "Bicknell Stunned After Lehigh Rips Maine, 37-6". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Lehigh Passes Sting Colgate, 17-17". The Sunday Press. Binghamton, N.Y. Associated Press. September 21, 1980. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
5. Shister, Gail (September 27, 1980). "Lehigh Has Easy Time with Penn". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1-C – via Newspapers.com.
6. Larimer, Terry (October 5, 1980). "Lehigh Jolts Delaware, 27-20". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Army Ties Lehigh on Record FG". The Sunday Record. Woodland Park, N.J. October 12, 1980. p. C-3 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Fulwood, Sam III (October 19, 1980). "Lehigh Crushes Davidson". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, N.C. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
9. Larimer, Terry (October 26, 1980). "Lehigh Zips Bucknell". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Lehigh recovers for 31–14 victory". The Morning Call. November 2, 1980. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Lehigh Beats Rhode Island with Rally". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. Associated Press. November 9, 1980. p. D-8 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Doherty, Bill (November 16, 1980). "Lehigh Fells Northeastern". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Newman, Chuck (November 23, 1980). "Unbeaten Lehigh Crushes Lafayette". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-F – via Newspapers.com.
14. Larimer, Terry (December 14, 1980). "E. Kentucky Ruins Lehigh's Hopes, 23-20". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.