1877 College Football Summary

The game of football is on the clock. For the first time, teams would play under a set time: two halves of 45 minutes each, with a 15 minute break in between.

This was a modified version of Rugby rules; which is the style of foot ball played this season.

Scoring seemed to be at a premium this season as the four top teams all scored 39 or more points.

The top two teams this year were Yale (4-0-1) and Harvard (4-1-1); but the two teams didn't meet to settle on who would be the annual champion.

Princeton stated its case to be the champion; as it defeated Harvard, as it would score a "conventional" 7-0 triumph and was tied by Yale, 0-0.

Yale's big game came in a 13-g-17 td triumph over Stevens Tech. To convert the score into the values award during this season would show Yale would have tallied 92 points. Inagurated a year before and would be used till the 1882 season, teams playing American Rugby Game would earn: g=4, td-2, saf=-1.

1877 Leaders (min. of 3 games) Show:

• Offensive Scoring Leader (Most Scored)
  Princeton (6-0) 14 Goals, 28 Touchdowns 22 Safeties; converted to 134 Points
• Defensive Scoring Leader (Least Allowed)
  Yale (4-1-1) 0 Goals, 1 Touchdowns 5 Safeties; converted to 12 Points
• National Champions (Retroactive)
  Princeton (6-0)
  Yale (4-1-1)
• Intercollegiate Football Association Standings
  

*Yale wasn't an actual member of IFA; but played teams in the league.

Writer R.M. Hodge/The Outing Magazine named Princeton National Champion

In what was called "Standings" the Dec. 23, 1877 issue of the Boston Globe newspaper listed teams this way:

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