1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football
Consensus national champion Sugar Bowl champion Eastern champion
Sugar Bowl, W 27–3 vs. Georgia
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 1
1976 record	12–0
Head coach	Johnny Majors (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Joe Avezzano (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Veer
Defensive coordinator	(1st season)
Base defense	Basic 50
Home stadium	Pitt Stadium (Capacity: 56,500)
Seasons ← 1975 1977 →

1976 NCAA Division I independents football records
v t	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Pittsburgh			–					12	–	0	–	0
No. 17 Rutgers			–					11	–	0	–	0
San Diego State			–					10	–	1	–	0
No. 12 Notre Dame			–					9	–	3	–	0
Colgate			–					8	–	2	–	0
Boston College			–					8	–	3	–	0
Cincinnati			–					8	–	3	–	0
Memphis State			–					7	–	4	–	0
North Texas State *			–					7	–	4	–	0
Southern Illinois			–					7	–	4	–	0
Penn State			–					7	–	5	–	0
Villanova			–					6	–	4	–	1
South Carolina			–					6	–	5	–	0
Virginia Tech			–					6	–	5	–	0
Army			–					5	–	6	–	0
Florida State			–					5	–	6	–	0
Illinois State			–					5	–	6	–	0
Richmond			–					5	–	6	–	0
West Virginia			–					5	–	6	–	0
Georgia Tech			–					4	–	6	–	1
Temple			–					4	–	6	–	0
Air Force			–					4	–	7	–	0
Dayton			–					4	–	7	–	0
Louisville			–					4	–	7	–	0
Marshall			–					4	–	7	–	0
Navy			–					4	–	7	–	0
Indiana State			–					3	–	7	–	0
Hawaii			–					3	–	8	–	0
Holy Cross			–					3	–	8	–	0
Miami (FL)			–					3	–	8	–	0
Syracuse			–					3	–	8	–	0
Utah State			–					3	–	8	–	0
Northeast Louisiana			–					2	–	9	–	0
Southern Miss			–					2	–	9	–	0
Tulane			–					2	–	9	–	0
North Texas State (originally 6–5) was awarded a forfeit win after Mississippi State was found to be using an ineligible player.[1] Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season and is recognized as a consensus national champion.^[2] Pitt was also awarded the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy as the best Division I team in the East.

During the 1970s, the top-ranked team won its bowl game only three times: Pittsburgh joined Nebraska (1971) and USC (1972).

Schedule[]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 11	4:20 pm	at No. 11 Notre Dame	No. 9	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	ABC	W 31–10	59,075
September 18	7:30 pm	at Georgia Tech	No. 3	Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 42–14	43,424
September 25	1:30 pm	Temple	No. 3	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA		W 21–7	38,500
October 2	1:30 pm	at Duke	No. 2	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC		W 44–31	37,200
October 9	1:30 pm	Louisville	No. 2	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA		W 27–6	34,000
October 16	1:30 pm	Miami (FL)	No. 2	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA		W 36–19	42,434
October 23	2:00 pm	at Navy	No. 2	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, MD		W 45–0	26,346
October 30	1:30 pm	Syracuse	No. 2	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)		W 23–13	50,399
November 6	1:30 pm	Army	No. 2	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA		W 37–7	45,753
November 13	1:30 pm	West Virginia	No. 1	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (Backyard Brawl)	ABC	W 24–16	56,500
November 26	9:00 pm	No. 16 Penn State	No. 1	Three Rivers Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ABC	W 24–7	50,250
January 1	12:30 pm	vs. No. 5 Georgia	No. 1	Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	ABC	W 27–3	76,117
Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Roster[]

1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class C 67 Tom Brzoza Jr QB 12 Matt Cavanaugh Jr TE 81 James Corbett Sr RB 33 Tony Dorsett Sr RB Jo Jo Heath Fr QB 10 Robert Haygood  Sr LG 66 George Link Jr WR 24 Gordon Jones So WR 19 Randy Reutershan Jr WR 29 Willie Taylor Jr FB 34 Elliott Walker Jr QB Tom Yewcic Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 55 Al Chesley So DT 75 Ed Gallagher So DE 70 Randy Holloway Jr DE 60 Cecil Johnson Sr CB 31 Bob Jury Jr DT 78 David Logan So DT 68 Don Parrish Sr DE 91 Al Romano Sr CB 21 J.C. Wilson Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 41 Larry Swider Sr	Head coach Johnny Majors Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Coaching staff[]

1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff
	Coaching staff Johnny Majors – head coach Joe Madden – assistant head coach/defensive secondary Joe Avezzano – offensive coordinator/offensive line Bobby Roper – defensive coordinator/defensive line Bill Cox – quarterbacks/receivers Jim Dyar – defensive secondary Larry Holton – defensive ends Harry Jones – offensive backs Bob Matey – middle guards/junior varsity			Support staff Henry Lee Parker – administrative assistant to the head coach Keith Schroeder – coordinator of computer scouting Ray Olsen – graduate assistant Dave Wannstedt – graduate assistant			Strength and conditioning staff

Regular season[]

The previous season saw Pitt win the Sun Bowl over Kansas for an 8–4 record, highlighted by wins at Georgia and Notre Dame. The stage was set for 1976, with Pitt ranked ninth 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, Indiana. 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.^[3][4]

The season continued with a 42–14 win at Georgia Tech and a 36–19 win over Miami. The Panthers traveled to Annapolis on October 23 to face Navy and Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record on a 32-yard touchdown run in the 45–0 victory. Dorsett's achievement prompted a mid-game celebration in which even Navy saluted the feat with a cannon blast.^[5] Pitt won a tough, hard-fought battle against struggling rival Syracuse.

On November 6, the second-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 top-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 on national television against instate rival Penn State (7–3).^[6]

At a packed Three Rivers Stadium on the night after Thanksgiving, the Nittany Lions scored first and held Dorsett to 51 yards in the first half; the game was tied at seven at halftime.^[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 to cap an undefeated regular season.^[7][8]

In December, Dorsett became the first (and remains the only) 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.

Sugar Bowl[]

The 11–0 Panthers accepted an invitation to the Sugar Bowl to face fifth-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.^[9] 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.^[10]

Game summaries[]

at #11 Notre Dame[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Notre Dame 1 Notre Dame McAfee 25-yard touchdown reception from Siager, Reeve kick good 0 7 1 Pittsburgh Dorsett 5-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 7 2 Pittsburgh Haygood 1-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 14 7 2 Pittsburgh Haygood 1-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 21 7 2 Notre Dame 53-yard field goal by Siager 21 10 4 Pittsburgh 34-yard field goal by Long 24 10 4 Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 8-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 31 10 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 31 10

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Notre Dame
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Notre Dame	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Georgia Tech[]

Robert Haygood tore knee ligaments in the victory.

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Georgia Tech 1 Pittsburgh Dorsett 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 0 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 14 0 2 Georgia Tech Jolly 1-yard touchdown run, Smith kick good 14 7 3 Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 4-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 21 7 3 Georgia Tech Rucker 1-yard touchdown run, Smith kick good 21 14 3 Pittsburgh Jones 51-yard touchdown reception from Haygood, Long kick good 28 14 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 10-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 35 14 4 Pittsburgh Jones 6-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 42 14 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 42 14

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Georgia Tech
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Georgia Tech	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Temple[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Temple Pittsburgh 1 – – – Temple Johnson recovered blocked punt and returned 15 yards for a touchdown, Sornisky kick good 7 0 2 Pittsburgh 50-yard field goal by Long 7 3 2 Pittsburgh 33-yard field goal by Long 7 6 3 Pittsburgh Walker 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point run good 7 14 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 3-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 21 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 21

Statistics

Statistics	Temple	Pittsburgh
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Temple	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Duke[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Duke 1 Duke Gore 4-yard touchdown run, Fusco kick good 0 7 1 Pittsburgh Taylor 66-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 7 7 2 – – – Pittsburgh Safety, blocked punt goes out of the end zone. 9 7 2 Pittsburgh Taylor 10-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 16 7 2 Pittsburgh Corbett 27-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 23 7 2 Pittsburgh Jones 37-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 30 7 3 Pittsburgh Jones 27-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 37 7 3 Duke Barney 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good 37 15 3 Pittsburgh Dorsett 4-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 44 15 3 Duke Williamson 55-yard touchdown reception from Dunn, 2-point pass good 44 23 4 Duke Gore 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point run good 44 31 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 44 31

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Duke
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Duke	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Louisville[]

Matt Cavanaugh sustained a hairline fracture in the left ankle during the first half.

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Louisville Pittsburgh 1 10:21 Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 17-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 7 1 Pittsburgh 39-yard field goal by Long 0 10 2 10:49 52 Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 17 2 – – – Pittsburgh Fumble recovery returned 0 yards for touchdown by Johnson, Long kick good 0 24 2 Pittsburgh 30-yard field goal by Long 0 27 4 – – – Louisville Fumble recovery returned 0 yards for touchdown by Abood, Turner kick no good 6 27 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 6 27

Statistics

Statistics	Louisville	Pittsburgh
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisville	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Miami (FL)[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Miami (FL) Pittsburgh 1 – – – Pittsburgh Safety, Felder tackled Mason in end zone. 0 2 1 Pittsburgh Dorsett 3-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 9 2 Pittsburgh 25-yard field goal by Long 0 12 2 Pittsburgh 29-yard field goal by Long 0 15 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 40-yard touchdown reception from Yawcic, Long kick good 0 22 3 Miami (FL) Johnson 3-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed 6 22 4 Pittsburgh Taylor 10-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 6 29 4 Miami (FL) Cain 75-yard touchdown reception from Glover, 2-point pass incomplete 12 29 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 53-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 12 36 4 Miami (FL) Anderson 2-yard touchdown run, Dennis kick good 19 36 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 19 36

Statistics

Statistics	Miami (FL)	Pittsburgh
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Miami (FL)	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Navy[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Navy 1 Pittsburgh Corbett 30-yard touchdown reception from Yawcic, Long kick good 7 0 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 14 0 3 Pittsburgh 40-yard field goal by Long 17 0 3 Pittsburgh Dorsett 69-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 24 0 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 21-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 31 0 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 32-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 38 0 4 Pittsburgh Sindewald 18-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 45 0 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 45 0

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Navy
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Navy	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Syracuse[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Syracuse Pittsburgh 1 Pittsburgh 41-yard field goal by Long 0 3 1 Syracuse Magee 80-yard touchdown reception from Hurley, Jacobs kick good 7 3 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 1-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 10 3 Syracuse 45-yard field goal by Jacobs 10 10 3 Syracuse 55-yard field goal by Jacobs 13 10 3 Pittsburgh Dorsett 33-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 13 17 4 Pittsburgh 47-yard field goal by Long 13 20 4 Pittsburgh 29-yard field goal by Long 13 23 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 13 23

Statistics

Statistics	Syracuse	Pittsburgh
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Syracuse	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Army[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Army Pittsburgh 1 Pittsburgh 27-yard field goal by Long 0 3 2 Pittsburgh 39-yard field goal by Long 0 6 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 4-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 13 3 Pittsburgh Dorsett 32-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 20 3 Pittsburgh Dorsett 5-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 27 3 Army Logue 27-yard touchdown reception from Hall, Castelli kick good 7 27 4 Pittsburgh Taylor 24-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 7 34 4 Pittsburgh 35-yard field goal by Long 7 37 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 37

Statistics

Statistics	Army	Pittsburgh
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Army	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

West Virginia[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP West Virginia Pittsburgh 1 Pittsburgh Dorsett 17-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 0 7 1 West Virginia 22-yard field goal by McKenzie 3 7 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 3-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 3 14 3 Pittsburgh 27-yard field goal by Long 3 17 3 West Virginia Lewis 14-yard touchdown reception from Kendra, McKenzie kick good 10 17 4 Pittsburgh Dorsett 30-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 10 24 4 West Virginia Lewis 9-yard touchdown reception from Kendra, McKenzie kick no good 16 24 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 16 24

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Pittsburgh
First downs	15	25
Total yards	169	399
Rushing yards	99	350
Passing yards	70	49
Turnovers	1	5
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Virginia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. #16 Penn State[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Penn State 1 11:59 Penn State Torrey 21-yard touchdown reception from Fusina, Capozzoli kick good 0 7 2 7:42 Pittsburgh Dorsett 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 7 3 13:23 Pittsburgh Dorsett 40-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 14 7 4 10:55 Pittsburgh Walker 12-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 21 7 4 3:10 Pittsburgh 47-yard field goal by Long 24 7 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 7

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Penn State
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Penn State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. #5 Georgia (Sugar Bowl)[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Pittsburgh Georgia 1 Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 6-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 7 0 2 Pittsburgh Jones 59-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Long kick good 14 0 2 Pittsburgh Dorsett 11-yard touchdown run, Long kick good 21 0 3 Georgia 25-yard field goal by Leavitt 21 3 3 Pittsburgh 42-yard field goal by Long 24 3 4 Pittsburgh 31-yard field goal by Long 27 3 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 27 3

Statistics

Statistics	Pittsburgh	Georgia
First downs	24	14
Total yards	480	181
Rushing yards	288	135
Passing yards	192	46
Turnovers	1	6
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing	Matt Cavanaugh	10/18, 192 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tony Dorsett	32 carries, 202 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Willie Taylor	4 receptions, 72 yards
Georgia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Team players drafted into the NFL[]

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL Club
Tony Dorsett	Running back	1	2	Dallas Cowboys
Larry Swider	Punter	7	185	Denver Broncos
Jim Corbett	Tight end	7	194	Cincinnati Bengals
Al Romano	Defensive lineman	11	289	Houston Oilers
Carson Long	Kicker	11	302	Los Angeles Rams
Don Parrish	Defensive end	12	314	Atlanta Falcons

^[12]

Awards and honors[]

• Tony Dorsett, Heisman Trophy ^[13]
• Tony Dorsett, Walter Camp Award^[14]
• Tony Dorsett, Maxwell Award
• Tony Dorsett, led the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards
• Tony Dorsett, All-America selection

Media[]

Radio[]

Flagship station	Play-by-play	Color commentator	Sideline reporter	Studio host
WTAE–AM 1250	Bill Hillgrove	John Sauer

References[]

Further information[]

• The Year the Panthers Roared. Francis J. Fitzgerald, ed., Louisville, Kentucky, AdCraft Sports, 1996, ISBN 1-887761-06-3
• 1976 team where are they now?
• Pitt Magazine article