The 1977 Widener University football team provided more than just Widener University's first NCAA championship in any sport. It was a season filled with memorable moments for an underdog team that stuck together after starting off in less than ideal shape.
The offense was in disarray with just one returning starter, but perennially optimistic Hall of Fame coach Bill Manlove turned the tide and created one of the school's most magical runs.
After Widener's season-opening 28-0 victory over Lebanon Valley, All-America running back Chip Zawoiski told Manlove, "I'll see you in Alabama, Coach," in reference to the site of the national championship game. Zawoiski's prognostication did not look profound after the following week's loss to Fordham, but little did anyone know that would be the Pioneers' final setback of the year.
The Pioneers (11-1) rolled through the remainder of the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. A quarterfinal date at Central in Pella, Iowa turned out to be no match. The home team sported the nation's leading rusher, but Zawoiski stole the show with a then tournament-record 31 carries along with 171 yards in Widener's 19-0 victory.
The semifinal against Albany State was played in the mud at Memorial Stadium, coupled with a brutal wind. The Pioneers squandered an early 12-0 lead, but Steve Warrington's 52-yard punt return for a touchdown was the catalyst in a 33-15 victory, confirming Zawoiski's insight and Manlove's belief in his unit.
The Stagg Bowl in Phoenix City, Alabama against Wabash saw Widener fall into a 10-0 hole. But in a contest which featured five lead changes, the Pioneers' biggest play gave them an insurmountable advantage. The usually cautious Manlove called for quarterback Mark Walter to hit Walker Carter on a bomb, which worked for a 70-yard touchdown pass late in the game and a 39-28 lead.
Upon the conclusion of Widener's 39-36 victory, students who witnessed the nationally televised game on a rented seven-foot screen in Alumni Auditorium poured out of the hall and on to nearby Memorial Stadium in jubilation.
The offense that looked skeptical, at first, saw Zawoiski finish the season with 1,576 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, and Walter close with 1,312 yards passing and 15 touchdowns. The defense, minus all the defections, held seven opponents in single figures and yielded just 11.6 points per game.
