Spirit of 76 (1976 Football Season)

[gridiron]

Anyone else hear the cannon go off on 9/11 when they come out for the Fresno State game.

[BeauCajun]

Thanks so much! That was my senior football season.

And my freshman. I made none of those videos because we ALWAYS sat mid field on the top row of the student side. Needed quick access to concession and BR.

Boomer, to this day I still remember most of the players' numbers and the coaching staff.

[ltee67]

Cool video! Apparently that staff made some AMAZING halftime adjustments

Sam Robertson ( defense) and Larry Zeno ( offense) may have been the best coordinators of their time. We made adjustments throughout the games, until we found the right offensive plays and the right defensive alignement.

[Turbine]

This year it will have been 40 years since the Spirit of 76 season.

The original video had Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as a music bed (for a portion) YouTube said No Way to My Way so I subdubbed an instrumental.

[GeauxCajuns]

why was the home side ever on that side of the field?

[fanof71]

Great times...two solid memories of that season...watching Roy Henry destroy Tech in a 2nd half comeback and later that season, loading up a 20 foot U-Haul, 3 kegs, and about 30 folks to take the I-10 champagne flight to Lake Charles for the McNeese war. Sadly we lost several of our brothers along the way....

[Bankruptcyman]

You can talk about the talent more recent Cajun teams have had but there were some really good football players on the 1976 team.

[AirBill]

Opened the season with wins against Fresno State, Cincinnati, and Tech. I remember that season well. What a program we could have had.

[CajunEXPRESS]

My takeaway? How'd we come so low in forty years? So much promise so much

[California Cajun]

That season was my senior year and it sure was a good one.

[Boomer]

My takeaway? How'd we come so low in forty years? So much promise so much

---The almost perfect storm gathers ever so often---Very tough kids left over from Faulkinberry, some great JUCO players, and some great transfers---I didn't realize that some were as good as they were when I recruited them, but the video shows some, as Rick eluded to, to be outstanding college players!!! Pretty talented coaching staff also helped the cause and there wasn't much attrition as their week ends were full of activities!!! lol

[Bankruptcyman]

There were a lot of players on that team that could have played at any time, in any era. Thanks for allowing me to relive some great memories.

[basinbear]

Great times...two solid memories of that season...watching Roy Henry destroy Tech in a 2nd half comeback and later that season, loading up a 20 foot U-Haul, 3 kegs, and about 30 folks to take the I-10 champagne flight to Lake Charles for the McNeese war. Sadly we lost several of our brothers along the way....

I had the privilege of Coaching with the late Marcel Richard, a DL on that team, at a HS in St. LANDRY Parish.....a tremendous Coach and friend....

[Oiler]

My takeaway? How'd we come so low in forty years? So much promise so much

Nobody at USL realized how huge college football would become in the future. While we invested nothing in our program, other universities had the vision to invest for the future and passed us by. We can complain about it now, but in reality, I don't recall hearing any complaints about our lack of investment in the program at that time. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I was still in high school in 1976, and I had more pressing issues on my mind.

[Zeebart21]

Great video. Toby Warren was ready to take us to heights we never would have imagined... Unfortunately, the Fossil would have none of it. The rest is history.