1989 Williams Ephs football team

The 1989 Williams Ephs football team was an American football team that represented Williams College as a member of both the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and the Little Three Conference during the 1989 NCAA Division III football season. In their third year under head coach Dick Farley, the Ephs compiled a perfect 8–0 record, won the Little Three championship,[1] and outscored opponents by a total of 202 to 73.[2]

1989 Williams Ephs football
Little Three champion
ConferenceNew England Small College Athletic Conference
Little Three Conference
Record8–0 (2–0 NESCAC
Little Three)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDave Caputi (4th season)
Home stadiumWeston Field
Seasons
← 1988
1990 →

Williams tailback Neal Chesley ranked second in the NESCAC with 724 rushing yards.[3] Williams junior defensive end Ted Rogers recorded 38 unassisted tackles, 12 sacks, ran back two blocked punts for touchdowns, and was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Five Ephs, including Chesley and Rogers, received first-team honors on the 1989 NESCAC all-star team.[4]

The 1989 season was the first perfect season in the 109-year history of Williams College football.[5][6][7] After completing no perfect seasons in the first 108 years of the program, the Ephs had eight perfect seasons from 1989 to 2021, including 1990, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2010, and 2021.

The 1989 season was also part of a 23-game winning streak that began on October 15, 1988,[8] and ended on October 6, 1991[9] Prior to October 6, 1991, it was the longest current winning streak in intercollegiate football.[10]

The team played its home games at Weston Field in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23at HamiltonClinton, NYW 16–9400
September 30TuftsW 24–93,681[11][12]
October 7Trinity (CT)
  • Weston Field
  • Williamstown, MA
W 26–214,138[13][14][15]
October 14at BatesLewiston, MEW 34–162,000
October 21Colby
  • Weston Field
  • Williamstown, MA
W 35–72,179
October 28at MiddleburyMiddlebury, VTW 22–02,000
November 4at WesleyanMiddletown, CTW 28–05,800[16][17][18]
November 11Amherst
W 17–1413,671[5][19][6]

[20]

References

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  1. ^ The NESCAC did not crown a conference champion.
  2. ^ "1989 - Williams (MA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "N.E. Small College Athletic Conference". Retrieved May 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Eph gridder hoored". North Adams Transcript. November 28, 1989. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Carol Sliwa (November 12, 1989). "Ephs rally past Amherst to complete 8-0 mark: Williams football team earns historic 17-14 win after falling behind 14-0 (part 1)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "Ephs finally go 8-0". North Adams Transcript. November 13, 1989. pp. 13–14 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ The 1917 Williams Ephs football team was undefeated but not perfect due to a tie with Wesleyan.
  8. ^ "1988 - Williams (MA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  9. ^ Mark Rice (October 7, 1991). "Eph streak ends at last possible second". North Adams Transcript. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Williams Win Streak Ends". Athol Daily News. October 7, 1991. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Eph gridders go to 2-0". North Adams Transcript. October 2, 1989. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ephmen win, 24-9: Big first half finishes Tufts". The Berkshire Eagle. October 1, 1989. p. B1, B3 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Carol Sliwa (October 8, 1989). "Miracle victory: Ephmen rally in final minute to stun powerful Trinity, 26-21 (part 1)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Carol Sliwa (October 8, 1989). "Miracle victory: Ephmen rally in final minute to stun powerful Trinity, 26-21 (part 2)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Unbelievable finish puts Williams at 3-0". North Adams Transcript. October 9, 1989. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Eph gridders topple Cards". North Adams Transcript. November 6, 1989. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Carol Sliwa (November 5, 1989). "Ephs rip Wesleyan to improve to 7-0 (part 1)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B9 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Carol Sliwa (November 5, 1989). "Ephs rip Wesleyan to improve to 7-0 (part 2)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B9 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Carol Sliwa (November 12, 1989). "Ephs rally past Amherst to complete 8-0 mark: Williams football team earns historic 17-14 win after falling behind 14-0 (part 2)". The Berkshire Eagle. pp. B1, B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Final 1989 Division III Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 26, 2023.