2017 Shepherd Rams football
MEC champion
ConferenceMountain East Conference
Ranking
AFCANo. 14
Record10–1 (10–0 MEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorErnie McCook (8th season)
Defensive coordinatorJosh Kline (9th season)
Home stadiumRam Stadium
2017 Mountain East Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 14 Shepherd $^  10 –0   10 –1  
Notre Dame (OH)  8 –2   8 –3  
Fairmont State  8 –2   8 –3  
West Virginia State  5 –5   6 –5  
West Virginia Wesleyan  5 –5   5 –6  
Virginia–Wise  4 –6   5 –6  
Urbana  4 –6   5 –6  
Charleston (WV)  4 –6   4 –6  
Glenville State  3 –7   4 –7  
West Liberty  3 –7   3 –8  
Concord  1 –9   2 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2017 Shepherd Rams football team represented Shepherd University during the 2017 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC). They were led by head coach Monte Cater, in his 31st and final season at Shepherd, and finished the season 10–1. With a conference record of 10–0, they were named MEC champions for the third straight year[1] and advanced to the Division II Playoffs, losing in the first round to Findlay. The Rams played their home games at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

This was also the final season for senior quarterback Connor Jessop, who briefly signed with the Washington Redskins practice squad during the 2018 NFL season.[2]

Preseason

After finishing the 2016 season with a record of 13–1, with the only loss coming in the semifinals to North Alabama, the Rams were ranked #7 in the preseason poll.[3]

Regular season

The 2017 regular season for the Rams consisted of 10 games against Mountain East Conference foes. The Rams went undefeated in the regular season and were given the second seed in Super Region I in the 2017 NCAA Division II football playoffs.[4]

Playoffs

Despite going undefeated in the regular season and finishing #2 in the country,[5] the Rams hosted a game in the first round of the playoffs, against seventh-seeded Findlay. This was Findlay's first ever postseason appearance (in the NCAA,) and they defeated Shepherd 29–17 in what was considered an upset.[6]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 212:00 p.mNotre Dame (OH)No. 7
W 54–494,351[7][3]
September 1612:00 p.m.at Glenville StateNo. 4
W 42–341,176[8][9]
September 2312:00 p.m.West Virginia StateNo. 4
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 56–414,295[10]
September 3012:00 p.m.at ConcordNo. 3
W 49–201,311[11]
October 712:00 p.m.West LibertyNo. 3
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 51–144,719[12][13]
October 127:00 p.m.at Fairmont StateNo. 2
W 28–231,330[14][15]
October 2112:00 p.m.UrbanaNo. 2
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 48–143,541[16]
October 2812:00 p.m.at West Virginia WesleyanNo. 2
W 45–141,827[17][18]
November 412:00 p.m.Charleston (WV)No. 2
  • Ram Stadium
  • Shepherdstown, WV
W 49–125,238[19][20]
November 111:00 p.m.at Virginia–WiseNo. 2
W 63–35951[21][5]
November 1812:00 p.m.Findlay*No. 2
L 17–294,451[22]

References

  1. ↑ Staff, Picket. "Overwhelmed Charleston falls to Shepherd football 49–12 as Rams clinch MEC Championship on Senior Day – SUPicket".
  2. ↑ "Connor Jessop Doesn't Have To Travel Far For First NFL Experience". www.washingtonfootball.com.
  3. 1 2 "Division II 170815". August 15, 2017. pp. C2 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Staff reports. "Shepherd set to host Findlay in 1st round of D-II playoffs". The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
  5. 1 2 "Division II 171107". November 7, 2017. pp. C9 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Findlay stuns Shepherd en route to first postseason win". NCAA.com. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jessop Leads Shepherd Football Past Notre Dame". Shepherd University Athletics.
  8. ↑ "Shepherd Football Rallies Past Glenville State". Shepherd University Athletics.
  9. ↑ "Division II 170905". September 5, 2017. pp. A11 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Shepherd Football Knocks Off West Virginia State". Shepherd University Athletics.
  11. ↑ "Shepherd Football Runs Past Concord". Shepherd University Athletics.
  12. ↑ "Shepherd Football Tops West Liberty". Shepherd University Athletics.
  13. ↑ "Division II 171003". October 3, 2017. pp. A13 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Shepherd Football Outlasts Fairmont State". Shepherd University Athletics.
  15. ↑ "Division II 171010". October 10, 2017. pp. B5 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Shepherd Football Tops Urbana; Humphrey Sets Sack Record". Shepherd University Athletics.
  17. ↑ "Shepherd Football Defeats West Virginia Wesleyan". Shepherd University Athletics.
  18. ↑ "Division II 171024". October 24, 2017. pp. C4 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Shepherd Football Clinches MEC Title with Win over Charleston". Shepherd University Athletics.
  20. ↑ "Division II 171031". October 31, 2017. pp. C6 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Shepherd Football Outlasts UVa-Wise". Shepherd University Athletics.
  22. ↑ "Shepherd Football Shocked by Findlay". Shepherd University Athletics.
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