1976 BC Lions season explained

Team:BC Lions
Year:1976
Record:5–9–2
Division Place:4th, West
General Manager:Bob Ackles
Coach:Cal Murphy
Stadium:Empire Stadium
Playoffs:did not qualify
Uniform:Image:CFL BCL Jersey 1976.png

The 1976 BC Lions finished in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 5–9–2 record and failed to make the playoffs.

The Lions platooned quarterbacks in 1976 in order to find the replacement for Don Moorhead who had 3 knee surgeries in two years and retired in July. These quarterbacks included journeymen Eric Guthrie, Rick Cassata, and UCLA star John Sciarra. However, the result was the Lions had by far the league's worst passing attack with only 2476 yards in passing offence and 46% completion percentage.

After only one win in the final 10 games, head coach Cal Murphy was fired in December after 18 months as head coach and a 10–14–2 record.

Defensive End Bill Baker won the Schenley award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player and rookie John Sciarra (who was converted from quarterback to slotback early in the season and was the Lions top receiver) won the Schenley Rookie award with 563 yards receiving.

Centre Al Wilson and Baker made the CFL All-star team for the second consecutive season.

Uniform changes included new orange-coloured facemask (the Lions were the first CFL team to introduce a coloured facemask, two years after the Kansas City Chiefs and then-San Diego Chargers did the same in the NFL), a double orange helmet stripe and new trimmed numbers to complete the look that most fans remember from the 1970s

Harry Spring is elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the Builder category.

Offseason

CFL Draft

Regular season

Season standings

Western Football Conference! Team !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! PF !! PA !! Pts
Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 11 5 0 427 238 22
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 10 6 0 384 316 20
Edmonton Eskimos 16 9 6 1 311 367 19
16 5 9 2 308 336 12
16 2 12 2 316 422 6

[1]

Season schedule

WeekGameDateOpponentResults
ScoreRecord
11July 22vs. Saskatchewan RoughridersL 8–350–1
22July 29vs. Hamilton Tiger-CatsW 39–141–1
33Aug 4at Edmonton EskimosL 12–191–2
44Aug 11at Calgary StampedersW 13–92–2
55Aug 17vs. Winnipeg Blue BombersW 22–143–2
66Aug 24vs. Ottawa Rough RidersW 23–114–2
77Aug 30at Montreal AlouettesL 9–304–3
88Sept 6at Saskatchewan RoughridersL 14–174–4
99Sept 12vs. Calgary StampedersW 30–155–4
1010Sept 19at Winnipeg Blue BombersL 20–225–5
11Bye
1211Oct 2vs. Edmonton EskimosT 27–275–5–1
1312Oct 11at Edmonton EskimosL 12–165–6–1
1413Oct 17vs. Saskatchewan RoughridersL 15–285–7–1
1514Oct 24at Calgary StampedersT 31–315–7–2
1615Oct 30at Toronto ArgonautsL 16–255–8–2
1716Nov 6vs. Winnipeg Blue BombersL 17–235–9–2
[2]

Offensive leaders

Player Passing ydsRushing ydsReceiving ydsTD
1399 5901
984 000
111935811
7841667
105 925631
03291
03272

Awards and records

1976 CFL All-Stars

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CFL.ca . https://web.archive.org/web/20090923210355/http://www.cfl.ca/standings/1976/reg . 2009-09-23 . dead . 2009-07-03 .
  2. Web site: British Columbia Lions All-Time Canadian Football League (CFL) Records . https://web.archive.org/web/20090311040646/http://michigan-football.com/cfl/f/brcolumb.htm . 2009-03-11 . live . 2009-03-08 .