CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1977 California

7–⁠4 (3–⁠4 Pac-8), coached by Mike White. The season’s Wikipedia article records 8–⁠3, over the same number of games, so a result differs.

Schedule and results

California in 1977, game by game: won at Tennessee 27–17; won vs. Air Force 24–14; won at Missouri 28–21; won vs. San José State 52–3; lost at Washington State 10–17; won vs. Oregon State 41–17; lost at UCLA 19–21; won vs. No. 10 USC 17–14; lost vs. Washington 31–50; won at Oregon 48–16; lost at Stanford 3–21+49−19Won 27–17 at Tennessee+10TennesseeWon 24–14 vs. Air Force+10Air ForceWon 28–21 at Missouri+7MissouriWon 52–3 vs. San José State+49San José StateLost 10–17 at Washington State-7Washington StateWon 41–17 vs. Oregon State+24Oregon StateLost 19–21 at UCLA-2UCLAWon 17–14 vs. No. 10 USC+3No. 10 USCLost 31–50 vs. Washington-19WashingtonWon 48–16 at Oregon+32OregonLost 3–21 at Stanford-18Stanford
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 10atTennesseeW 27–⁠1743%
Sep 17vsAir ForceW 24–⁠1479%
Sep 24atMissouriW 28–⁠2153%
Oct 1vsSan José StateW 52–⁠372%
Oct 8atWashington StateL 10–⁠1768%
Oct 15vsOregon StateW 41–⁠1781%
Oct 22atUCLAL 19–⁠2142%
Oct 29vs10USCW 17–⁠1445%
Nov 5vsWashingtonL 31–⁠5067%
Nov 12atOregonW 48–⁠1676%
Nov 19atStanfordL 3–⁠2146%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Stanford 21–⁠3; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 5th in the Pac-8.

In program history: The 33rd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 112 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 4: 17
  2. Wk 5: 14
  3. Wk 6: 20
  4. Wk 7: 15
  5. Wk 9: 17
Record
7–⁠4
Conference
3–⁠4 tied for 5th in Pac-8
AP final
Unranked peak No. 14
Points
300–⁠211
Coach
Mike White
Elo
1562 +10 this season
SP+ rating
10.1 No. 42 of 140; offense No. 26, defense No. 72
SRS
13.8 No. 21 of 145 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—

Drafted in 1978

The 1978 draft
Rd 6Jesse Thompson WRDetroit Lions

All-Pac-8

3 first team, 7 second team

First team

  • George FreitasTECoaches-1; UPI-1
  • Ralph DeLoachDLCoaches-1; UPI-1
  • Jim BreechKCoaches-1; UPI-1

Second team

  • Paul JonesRBCoaches-2; UPI-2
  • Jesse ThompsonWRCoaches-2
  • Duke LefflerOGCoaches-2
  • Burl TolerLBCoaches-2
  • Anthony GreenDBCoaches-2
  • Ken McAllisterDBCoaches-2
  • Dan MelvillePCoaches-2

From Wikipedia’s 1977 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1977 Pac-8 standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Washington6–⁠18–⁠410
Stanford5–⁠29–⁠315
USC5–⁠28–⁠413
UCLA5–⁠27–⁠4
California3–⁠47–⁠4
Washington State3–⁠46–⁠5
Oregon1–⁠62–⁠9
Oregon State0–⁠72–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.