1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football
team represented the University of Pittsburgh
in the 1976 college football season
and is recognized as that season's consensus National Champions
. Pitt was also awarded the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
as the best Division I team in the East
.
, saw Pitt win the Sun Bowl
over Kansas to cap an 8-4 record highlighted by wins at Georgia and Notre Dame. The stage was thus set in 1976, with Pitt ranked 9th in the AP preseason poll, for the Panthers to make a run for the National Championship.
In the first game of the 1976 season, the Panthers faced off against Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. A year earlier, Tony Dorsett
had finished with 303 yards rushing in Pitt's 34-20 victory over the Irish. "They even grew the grass high" said Carmen DeArdo, a diehard Pitt alumnus, "and everyone knew Tony would get the ball." "They didn't let that grass grow long enough," Dorsett said later. He darted 61 yards on his first run of the season and tacked on 120 more by the end of the 31-10 Pitt win.
The season continued with a 42-14 win at Georgia Tech and a 36-19 win over Miami. On October 23, the Panthers travelled to Annapolis to face Navy during which Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record on a 32-yard touchdown run in Pitt's 45-0 victory. Dorsett's achievement prompted a mid-game celebration in which even Navy saluted the feat with a cannon blast. Pitt won a tough, hard-fought battle against rival Syracuse.
On November 6, the number two ranked Panthers hosted Army at Pitt Stadium and won handily, but the significant action was taking place several hundred miles west, in West Lafayette, Indiana, where the Purdue Boilermakers held off the number one ranked Michigan Wolverines, 16-14, in the closing seconds. The Pitt Stadium crowd erupted in celebration when the stadium public address announcer dramatically gave the final score from Purdue. For the first time in the modern era, Panther fans could legitimately claim, "We're number one!" Pitt defended its ranking in a close Backyard Brawl against West Virginia to go 10-0 heading into the regular season finale against instate rival Penn State.
At a packed Three Rivers Stadium
on the day after Thanksgiving, the Nittany Lions held Dorsett to 51 yards in the first half and had the game tied 7-7. Majors adjusted for the second half by shifting Dorsett from tailback to fullback, enabling him to explode for an additional 173 yards as Pitt rolled to a 24-7 victory that capped an undefeated regular season.
In December, Dorsett became the first Pitt Panther to win the Heisman Trophy
as the nation's best college football player. Dorsett also won the Maxwell Award
, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
, and was named UPI Player of the Year. He led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards and was selected as an All-American. Dorsett finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record for career rushing.
The 11-0 Panthers accepted an invitation to the 1977 Sugar Bowl to face second ranked Georgia. Pitt defeated the Bulldogs 27-3 and was voted number one by both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, claiming their ninth national championship. This was Pitt's first undefeated national championship since 1937. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) named Majors the 1976 Coach of the Year. Following this historic season, Majors returned to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee
, to take the head coaching job.
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
team represented the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in the 1976 college football season
1976 college football season
The 1976 college football season ended with a championship for the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh. Coached by Johnny Majors , the Pitt Panthers brought a college football championship to the home of the defending pro football champions, the Steelers. Pitt also had the Heisman Trophy...
and is recognized as that season's consensus National Champions
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
. Pitt was also awarded the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
The Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the Northeast in Division I FBS college football.The Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, August. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue...
as the best Division I team in the East
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
.
Regular season
The previous season, 19751975 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
The 1975 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1975 college football season. The Panthers won the Sun Bowl.- Schedule :- Team Players drafted into in the NFL :...
, saw Pitt win the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
over Kansas to cap an 8-4 record highlighted by wins at Georgia and Notre Dame. The stage was thus set in 1976, with Pitt ranked 9th in the AP preseason poll, for the Panthers to make a run for the National Championship.
In the first game of the 1976 season, the Panthers faced off against Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. A year earlier, Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
had finished with 303 yards rushing in Pitt's 34-20 victory over the Irish. "They even grew the grass high" said Carmen DeArdo, a diehard Pitt alumnus, "and everyone knew Tony would get the ball." "They didn't let that grass grow long enough," Dorsett said later. He darted 61 yards on his first run of the season and tacked on 120 more by the end of the 31-10 Pitt win.
The season continued with a 42-14 win at Georgia Tech and a 36-19 win over Miami. On October 23, the Panthers travelled to Annapolis to face Navy during which Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record on a 32-yard touchdown run in Pitt's 45-0 victory. Dorsett's achievement prompted a mid-game celebration in which even Navy saluted the feat with a cannon blast. Pitt won a tough, hard-fought battle against rival Syracuse.
On November 6, the number two ranked Panthers hosted Army at Pitt Stadium and won handily, but the significant action was taking place several hundred miles west, in West Lafayette, Indiana, where the Purdue Boilermakers held off the number one ranked Michigan Wolverines, 16-14, in the closing seconds. The Pitt Stadium crowd erupted in celebration when the stadium public address announcer dramatically gave the final score from Purdue. For the first time in the modern era, Panther fans could legitimately claim, "We're number one!" Pitt defended its ranking in a close Backyard Brawl against West Virginia to go 10-0 heading into the regular season finale against instate rival Penn State.
At a packed Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
on the day after Thanksgiving, the Nittany Lions held Dorsett to 51 yards in the first half and had the game tied 7-7. Majors adjusted for the second half by shifting Dorsett from tailback to fullback, enabling him to explode for an additional 173 yards as Pitt rolled to a 24-7 victory that capped an undefeated regular season.
In December, Dorsett became the first Pitt Panther to win the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
as the nation's best college football player. Dorsett also won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
, and was named UPI Player of the Year. He led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards and was selected as an All-American. Dorsett finished his college career with 6,082 total rushing yards, then an NCAA record for career rushing.
The 11-0 Panthers accepted an invitation to the 1977 Sugar Bowl to face second ranked Georgia. Pitt defeated the Bulldogs 27-3 and was voted number one by both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, claiming their ninth national championship. This was Pitt's first undefeated national championship since 1937. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) named Majors the 1976 Coach of the Year. Following this historic season, Majors returned to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, to take the head coaching job.
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Panthers points | Opponents | Record |
| 1 | Sept. 11 | @ Notre Dame | Win | 31 | 10 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | @ Georgia Tech | Win | 42 | 14 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sept. 25 | Temple | Win | 21 | 7 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | @ Duke | Win | 44 | 31 | 4-0 |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | Louisville | Win | 27 | 6 | 5-0 |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | Miami Hurricanes Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
Win | 36 | 19 | 6-0 |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | @ Navy | Win | 45 | 0 | 7-0 |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | Syracuse | Win | 23 | 13 | 8-0 |
| 9 | Nov. 6 | Army | Win | 37 | 7 | 9-0 |
| 10 | Nov. 13 | West Virginia | Win | 24 | 16 | 10-0 |
| 11 | Nov. 26 | Penn State | Win | 24 | 7 | 11-0 |
| 12 | Jan. 1 | Georgia | Win | 27 | 3 | 12-0 |
Team Players drafted into in the NFL
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Tony Dorsett | Running Back | 1 | 2 | Dallas Cowboys 1977 Dallas Cowboys season The 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the NFL. The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys to have a 1,000 yard rushing season. During the season, the club scored 345 points, which ranked first in the... |
| Larry Swider | Punter | 7 | 185 | Denver Broncos 1977 Denver Broncos season The 1977 Denver Broncos season was the team's 18th year in professional football and its 8th with the National Football League. The team had its best season by far finishing first in the AFC West and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.... |
| Jim Corbett | Tight End | 7 | 194 | Cincinnati Bengals 1977 Cincinnati Bengals season The 1977 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's tenth year in professional football and its eighth with the National Football League.A loss to Houston in the final game cost the Bengals a spot in the playoffs. The team finished with an 8–6 record.... |
| Al Romano | Defensive Lineman | 11 | 289 | Houston Oilers 1977 Houston Oilers season The 1977 Houston Oilers season was the 18th season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 5–9, winning eight games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.-Schedule:... |
| Carson Long | Kicker | 11 | 302 | Los Angeles Rams 1977 Los Angeles Rams season The 1977 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 40th year with the National Football League and the 32nd season in Los Angeles. Hobbled by chronic knee woes, Joe Namath was waived by the New York Jets, who were unable to trade him. Namath signed with the L.A. Rams in May 1977... |
| Don Parrish | Defensive End | 12 | 314 | St. Louis Cardinals |
Awards and honors
- Tony Dorsett, Heisman Trophy
- Tony Dorsett, Walter Camp Award
- Tony Dorsett, Maxwell Award
- Tony Dorsett, led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards
- Tony Dorsett, All-America selection