|
 |
 |
|
Nebraska
Cornhuskers |
Alabama
Crimson Tide
© |
|
Played
September 2, 1978
at Legion
Field |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Nebraska |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Alabama
© |
1 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
.889 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Nebraska |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Alabama |
0 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
20 |
Coach Tom
Osborne brought his 10th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers to
Birmingham to battle the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Bear
Bryant to open the 1978 season. Nebraska was the only team to defeat the
Crimson Tide in 1977; a 31-24 loss in Lincoln that probably kept Alabama
from being named National Champions. Alabama’s defense led by All-American
DT Marty Lyons stuffed the Nebraska offense while the Crimson Tides’ offense
was methodical in posting a 20-3 victory to avenge their 1977 loss & retain
The Belt. Midway through the 1st quarter, Nebraska’s only points
of the game came on a 48-yard field goal from PK Billy Todd. In the 2nd
quarter, Alabama drove 99 yards in 16 plays with QB Jeff Rutledge connecting
with RB Major Ogilvie on a 4-yard touchdown pass. In the 3rd
quarter, Alabama CB Don McNeal intercepted Nebraska QB Tom Sorley at the
Alabama 39-yard line to set-up a 2-yard touchdown run by RB Tony Nathan.
Alabama’s last touchdown came on a 3-yard touchdown run by Rutledge with
just 2:17 left in the game. Rutledge finished with 54 yards passing with a
touchdown as well as 56 yards rushing with a touchdown while the Alabama
defense held Nebraska’s offense to just 174 total yards. Sorley threw for
60 yards with 2 interceptions in the loss. Alabama finished the season
11-1; SEC Champions & National Champions while the Cornhuskers finished 9-3,
Big Eight Co-Champs & ranked 8th nationally. Nebraska would play
for The Belt again in 1997.
|
|
 |
|
Alabama
Crimson Tide
© |
Missouri
Tigers |
|
Played
September 16, 1978
at
Memorial
Stadium |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Alabama
© |
1 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
.900 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
|
Missouri |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Alabama |
14 |
3 |
14 |
7 |
38 |
|
Missouri |
0 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
The top-ranked, 1-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach
Bear Bryant traveled to Missouri to battle the 1-0 Missouri Tigers coached
by Warren Powers in his first year. Missouri was coming off a 3-0 upset of
the 5th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Alabama rallied
for three
2nd half touchdowns to claim a 38-20 victory over the
Tigers to retain The Belt. The
1st quarter belonged to the Crimson Tide as RB Major
Ogilvie scored on a 23-yard touchdown run & QB Jeff Rutledge threw a 6-yard
touchdown pass to TE Rick Neal. When PK Alan McElroy hit a 26-yard
field goal with 12:07 to play in the half, it looked like the Crimson Tide
would roll to an easy victory. Missouri got on the board with a 4-yard
touchdown run from RB Earl Gant midway through the quarter. Missouri's
All-Big 8 QB Phil Bradley broke loose for a 69-yard touchdown run with 3:44
left in the half as the Tigers closed to within 4 points at 17-13. On
the next series, Missouri's All-Big 8 CB Russ Calabrese intercepted Rutledge
& returned the pick 30 yards giving the Tigers a 20-17 halftime lead.
The
3rd quarter belonged to Alabama as LB Rickey
Gilliland returned a punt 35 yards for a touchdown that gave the Crimson
Tide a lead they would not relinquish. Late in the quarter, RB Tony
Nathan pushed in from 1 yard putting Alabama in front 31-20. On the
first play of the
4th quarter, Rutledge threw a 23-yard touchdown pass
to RB Lou Ikner to finish the scoring. Rutledge finished with 70 yards
passing with 2 touchdowns but 2 interceptions. Bradley threw for 114
yards with an interception as well as rushing for 60 yards with a touchdown
& All-American TE Kellen Winslow had 3 catches for 49 yards in the loss. Alabama finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions & National Champions while
the Tigers finished 8-4, ranked 15th nationally. Missouri would
play for The Belt again in 1991.
|
 |
|
|
Southern Cal
Trojans |
Alabama
Crimson Tide
© |
|
Played
September 23, 1978
at Legion
Field |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Southern Cal |
2 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
.843 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
.813 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
.833 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
Alabama
© |
1 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
.909 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Southern Cal |
7 |
3 |
0 |
14 |
24 |
|
Alabama |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
The 7th
ranked, 2-0 Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson traveled to
Birmingham to battle the top-ranked, 2-0 Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Bear
Bryant in the rematch of their epic 1977 contest when Alabama took The Belt
with a 21-20 victory over the Trojans. Alabama brought a 12-game winning
streak along with The Belt to battle the previous champion. Southern Cal’s
All-American RB Charles White rushed for 199 yards including a 40-yard
touchdown in the 1st quarter & All-Pac 10 WR Kevin Williams
caught 2 touchdown passes to lead the 10 ½-point underdog Trojans to a 24-14
upset that return The Belt to Los Angeles. Things did not start the way
Southern Cal had planned though as the Trojans drove 73 yards to the Alabama
2-yard line but White’s fumble kept the game scoreless. White made up for
his miscue on the next series with his 40-yard touchdown run that gave the
Trojans a 7-0 lead. A field goal from Southern Cal PK Frank Jordan made the
score 10-0 & the Trojans’ defense used a solid goal-line stand to keep the
Crimson Tide out of the end zone in the 1st half. Another White
fumble, this one recovered by Alabama All-SEC S Murray Legg at the Southern
Cal 42-yard line, was followed by a 42-yard touchdown run by RB Major
Ogilivie as the Crimson Tide closed to within a field goal at 10-7 early in
the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th quarter, Southern
Cal took advantage of a short punt that gave the Trojans possession of the
ball at the Alabama 39-yard line. Southern Cal got the touchdown on a
6-yard pass from QB Paul McDonald to Williams pushing the Trojan lead to
17-7. Southern Cal effectively put the game out of reach when McDonald
connected with Williams on a 40-yard touchdown pass that was tipped into
Williams’ hands by Alabama CB Don McNeal. A late 41-yard touchdown pass
from Crimson Tide QB Jeff Rutledge to TE Bart Krout closed the scoring.
McDonald finished with 113 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but an
interception. Rutledge threw for 119 yards with a touchdown but 4
interceptions in the loss. Alabama finished the season 11-1; SEC Champions
& National Champions while the Trojans finished 12-1, Pac-10 Champions,
ranked 2nd nationally. Alabama would play for The Belt again in
1983.
|
 |
 |
|
Michigan State
Spartans |
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
|
Played
September 29, 1978
at the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Michigan State |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Southern Cal
© |
3 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
.853 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
.813 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
.857 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Michigan State |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
|
Southern Cal |
7 |
7 |
16 |
0 |
30 |
The 1-1 Michigan State Spartans coached by Darryl
Rogers traveled to Los Angeles to meet the 3rd ranked, 3-0
Southern Cal
Trojans of coach John Robinson. Southern Cal All-American RB Charles White rushed
for 2 touchdowns & QB Paul McDonald threw 2 touchdown passes as the Trojans
defeated the Spartans 30-9 to retain The Belt. Midway through the 1st
quarter, Michigan State took a 3-0 lead when PK Morten Andersen hit a
38-yard field goal. Late in the quarter, Southern Cal took the lead when McDonald
threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to TE James Hunter. On their next drive, the
Trojans took a 14-3 lead as White scored on a 1-yard touchdown run.
Southern Cal
dominated the 3rd quarter getting a 35-yard field goal from PK
Frank Jordan, a 50-yard touchdown pass from McDonald to WR Calvin Sweeney, &
White’s 3-yard touchdown run giving the Trojans a 30-3 advantage. The only
points of the 4th quarter came when Michigan State QB Ed Smith
threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to RB Michael Hans. McDonald finished with
111 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but also 2 interceptions. Smith threw
for 141 yards with a touchdown & 3 interceptions in the loss.
Southern Cal finished
the season 12-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd nationally while
the Spartans finished 8-3, Big Ten Co-Champs & ranked 12th
nationally. Michigan State would play for The Belt again in 1982.
|
|
 |
|
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
Arizona State
Sun Devils |
|
Played
October 14, 1978
at Sun
Devil Stadium |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Southern Cal
© |
3 |
15 |
2 |
1 |
.861 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
.833 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
.857 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
Arizona State |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Southern Cal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
|
Arizona State |
0 |
3 |
14 |
3 |
20 |
Arizona
State’s first year as a member of the new Pac-10 was a memorable one. Coach
Frank Kush had his 4-1 Arizona State Sun Devils fired up to meet the 3rd
ranked, 4-0 Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson. All-American DE Al
Harris anchored the defense & QB Mark Malone guided the offense as the
13-point underdog Sun Devils surprised the Trojans as they claimed their
first Belt reign with a 20-7 victory. Malone starred in the game as he
rushed for a touchdown & threw for another. Southern Cal’s QB Paul McDonald
did not have as good a day as he fumbled 4 times & threw 2 interceptions.
Southern Cal had to play without starting C Chris Foote who was injury
during practice & back-up C Brad Green was injured in the 1st
quarter. The Trojans played the rest of the game with C Dave Anderson, who
never got in-sync with McDonald, & Ray Peters who had been playing primarily
nose guard. Late in the 1st quarter, Arizona State DE Bob Kohrs
recovered one of McDonald’s fumbles that led to a 40-yard field goal by PK
David Hicks just 11 seconds into the 2nd quarter & the Sun Devils
held the 3-0 lead through intermission. In the 3rd quarter,
Kohrs recovered another McDonald fumble at the Southern Cal 34-yard line & five plays later, Malone used a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give Arizona
State a 10-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Arizona State CB Jim Anderson
intercepted McDonald giving the Sun Devils the ball at the Southern Cal
46-yard line. It took the Sun Devils just 4 plays to get into the end zone
again as Malone threw a 16-yard touchdown pass the WR John Mistler for a
17-0 lead. The 3rd quarter might have been a bigger rout after
Malone broke off a 63-yard run early in the quarter but RB Newt Williams
fumbled to end that threat. Another McDonald fumble, this one recovered by
LB Jeff McIntyre, set-up a 28-yard field goal by Hicks that pushed the lead
to 20-0. Southern Cal finally got on the board on a 31-yard touchdown pass
from McDonald to All-Pac 10 WR Kevin Williams with just 0:23 left in the
game. Malone threw for 167 yards with a touchdown as well as an
interception & rushed for 139 yards with a touchdown. McDonald finished
with 180 yards passing with a touchdown but 2 interceptions to go with his 4
fumbles in the loss. Southern Cal finished the season 12-1; Pac-10
Champions & ranked 2nd nationally while the Sun Devils finished
9-3. Southern Cal would play for The Belt again in 3 weeks.
|
|
 |
|
Arizona State
Sun Devils
© |
Washington
Huskies |
|
Played
October 28, 1978
at Husky
Stadium |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Arizona State
© |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Arizona State |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
|
Washington |
7 |
13 |
14 |
7 |
41 |
Washington had missed their chance to play for The
Belt earlier in the season having scheduled Alabama 2 weeks after they had
lost to Southern Cal but with Arizona State’s upset of the Trojans, the Huskies still
had a chance to play for the championship. Don James’ 4-3 Huskies welcomed
the 12th ranked, 5-1 Arizona State Sun Devils of coach Frank Kush
to Seattle. Washington took advantage of 7 turnovers by Arizona State,
RB Toussaint Tyler scored 2 touchdowns & the Huskies rushed for 290 yards as
they upset the Sun Devils 41-7 to claim their first Belt reign.
Washington scored in the
1st quarter when QB Tom Porras connected with WR
Spider Gaines on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Tyler's first touchdown
came with 4:34 left in the half on a 4-yard touchdown run that gave the
Huskies a 14-0 lead. PK Mike Lansford hit 2 field goal, from 30 & 32
yards, in the last 1:04 of the half as the Huskies took a 20-0 lead to the
locker room. Tyler's second touchdown came on a 1-yard run with 10:42
left in the
3rd quarter. The Sun Devils only offensive
bright spot followed on the next snap as QB Mark Malone & WR Chris DeFrance
connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass but Arizona State still trailed 27-7.
Porras scored on a 1-yard run to counter the long Sun Devil touchdown &
Washington RB Kyle Stevens finished the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run
in the final quarter. Porras threw for 103 yards with a touchdown to
go with his rushing score & Stevens added 101 yards rushing to his score.
Malone threw for 200 yards with a touchdown but 3 interceptions while
DeFrance had 5 catches for 143 yards with a touchdown. Arizona State finished
the season 9-3 while the Huskies finished 7-4. Arizona State would play for
The Belt again in 1980.
|
 |
|
|
Arizona
Wildcats |
Washington
Huskies
© |
|
Played
November 4, 1978
at Husky
Stadium |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Arizona |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Washington
© |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
.500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Arizona |
0 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
21 |
|
Washington |
0 |
17 |
7 |
7 |
31 |
Coach Tony Mason’s Arizona Wildcats brought a 3-4
record with a 3-game losing streak to Seattle to try & bring The Belt back
to the state of Arizona. The Washington Huskies of coach Don James were 5-3
in the first Belt reign & coming off the upset of Arizona State. Washington
took advantage of 3 Arizona turnovers to grab a 31-7 lead before holding on
against 2 late touchdowns & retaining The Belt in a 31-21 victory over the
Wildcats. After a scoreless
1st quarter, Washington scored on the first play of
the
2nd quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run by QB Tom
Porras the put the Huskies up 7-0. Midway through the quarter, Arizona
tied the game when RB Larry Heater broke loose for a 20-yard touchdown run.
The Huskies went to a trick-play for their next score as RB Joe Steele threw
a 29-yard touchdown pass to Porras on the halfback throwback pass.
With just 0:43 left in the half, Washington PK Mike Lansford connected on a
46-yard field goal attempt giving the Huskies a 17-7 halftime edge.
The only points of the
3rd quarter came when RB Kyle Stevens scored on a
44-yard end around play making the score Washington 24 Arizona 7. The
Huskies final points came on a 1-yard touchdown run by RB Rob Smith with
9:33 left in the game. Arizona managed to score twice in the last 7:40
with the first score coming on a 4-yard touchdown run by RB Hubert Oliver &
the second on a 32-yard run by Heater but when the Wildcats failed to cover
the onside kick, the Huskies had secured the win. Porras threw for
just 39 yards with a touchdown to go with his touchdown reception while
Steele rushed for 65 yards with his touchdown pass. Arizona QB Jim
Krohn threw for just 34 yards with an interception & Heater added 112 yards
rushing to his 2 touchdowns. Washington
finished the season 7-4 while the Wildcats finished 5-6. Arizona would play
for The Belt again in 1979.
|
 |
|
|
Washington
Huskies
© |
Southern Cal
Trojans |
|
Played
November 11, 1978
at the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Washington
© |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.667 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.667 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southern Cal |
3 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
.816 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
.833 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
.750 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Washington |
3 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
|
Southern Cal |
0 |
21 |
0 |
7 |
28 |
In their first
road game as Belt holder, the 19th ranked, 6-3 Washington Huskies
of coach Don James battled coach John Robinson’s 5th ranked, 7-1
Southern Cal Trojans. Earlier in the season, Southern Cal had dropped The
Belt to Arizona State. In the 3 games since, the Trojans had outscored
their opponents 93-31. The Trojans were led QB Paul McDonald, All-American
RB Charles White, & All-American OG Pat Howell. In a constant rain that
turned the Coliseum turf into a mud pit, McDonald threw 2 touchdown passes
while the Trojans’ power running game helped Southern Cal re-claim The Belt
with a 28-10 victory over the Huskies. Thing started slowly for the Trojans
as them seemed to take their time in dealing with the mud & wet ball.
Washington LB Bruce Harrell recovered a fumble from White late in the 1st
quarter that set-up a 43-yard field goal by PK Mike Lansford giving the
Huskies a 3-0 lead. Early in the 2nd quarter, Southern Cal S
Dennis Smith intercepted Washington QB Tom Porras & returned the pass 15
yards to the Washington 34-yard line. McDonald’s 10-yard touchdown pass to
White came four plays later & gave the Trojans a 7-3 advantage. Midway
through the quarter, Southern Cal drove 87 yards in 8 plays with McDonald
connecting with All-Pac10 WR Kevin Williams on the 19-yard touchdown pass.
Southern Cal LB Garry Cobb recovered a fumble by Porras at the Washington
30-yard line that set-up the next score for the Trojans. RB Dwight Ford
finished the 4-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run that gave Southern Cal
a 21-3 lead they held at halftime. Early in the 3rd quarter,
Porras threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to WR Spider Gaines but that big play
was the exception for the Huskies offense on the rain-soaked field. White
finished the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run coming just 55 seconds
into the 4th quarter. McDonald finished with 192 yards passing
with 2 touchdowns while RB Lynn Cain helped control the clock with 128 yards
rushing. Porras threw for 176 yards with a touchdown as well as an
interception while Gaines added 3 catches for 117 yards to his score. With
this win, Southern Cal started one of the longest title reigns in Belt
history. The Huskies finished the season 7-4 while the Trojans finished
12-1, Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd nationally. Washington would
play for The Belt again in 1979.
|
|
 |
|
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
UCLA
Bruins |
|
Played
November 18, 1978
at the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Southern Cal
© |
4 |
16 |
3 |
1 |
.825 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
.850 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
.750 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
UCLA |
3 |
13 |
3 |
2 |
.778 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
.667 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
.875 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Southern Cal |
3 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
UCLA |
0 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
The 14th
ranked, 8-2 UCLA Bruins coached by Terry Donahue prepared for the battle for
the Victory Bell against their cross-town rival Southern Cal Trojans of
coach John Robinson who were 8-1 & ranked 5th nationally. The
Bruin defense featured All-American S Kenny Easley, All-American LB Jerry
Robinson, & All-Pac 10 DT Manu Tuiasosopo but the offense was youthful
featuring sophomore RB Freeman McNeil & TE Tim Wrightman as well as All-Pac
10 RB Theotis Brown. Southern Cal used a stout defense that held UCLA to
just 62 yards rushing while QB Paul McDonald threw 2 touchdown passes &
All-American RB Charles White helped control the clock as the Trojans
retained The Belt with a 17-10 victory. Southern Cal opened with a 21-yard
field goal by PK Frank Jordan. Early in the 2nd quarter,
McDonald hit WR Calvin Sweeney on a 36-yard touchdown pass giving Southern
Cal a 10-0 lead. On the ensuing kick-off, Brown, who was playing with a
pinched nerve in his shoulder, appeared to fumble for a Southern Cal
turnover but the play was ruled down allowing the Bruins to keep the ball.
The good fortune lasted only until the next play as Brown fumbled the
handoff & Southern Cal LB Garry Cobb recovered giving the Trojans the ball
at the UCLA 17-yard line. McDonald connected with All-Pac 10 WR Kevin
Williams for a 10-yard touchdown pass as the Trojans took a 17-0 lead. The
Bruins drove to the Southern Cal 26-yard line before the half ended but
Southern Cal S Herb Ward intercepted UCLA QB Rick Bashore to end the
threat. In the 3rd quarter the team traded punts before
Tuiasosopo stripped Trojan RB Lynn Cain of the ball & UCLA LB Billy Don
Jackson recovered at the Southern Cal 6-yard line. It appeared that the
Bruins had their first touchdown of the game when RB James Owens scored on a
2-yard touchdown run but UCLA was flagged for 12 men on the field & had to
settle for a 22-yard field goal from All-Pac 10 PK Peter Boermeester making
the score Southern Cal 17 UCLA 3. In the 4th quarter, Bashore
found WR Severn Reece for an 81-yard touchdown pass & with 5:10 left in the
game, the Bruins trailed by just a touchdown at 17-10. White carried the
ball for most of the remaining time including a critical 3rd & 6
play with just over a minute to play when he gained 12 yards to becoming the
Pac-10’s all-time leading rusher. McDonald finished with 97 yards passing
with 2 touchdowns while White rushed for 145 yards. Bashore threw for 154
yards with a touchdown but an interception in the loss. Southern Cal
finished the season 12-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd
nationally while the Bruins finished 8-3-1, ranked 14th
nationally. UCLA would play for The Belt again in 1979.
|
 |
|
|
Notre Dame
Fighting Irish |
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
|
Played
November 25, 1978
at the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Notre Dame |
1 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
.800 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
.667 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
.833 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
Southern Cal
© |
4 |
17 |
3 |
1 |
.833 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
.850 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
.778 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Notre Dame |
3 |
0 |
3 |
19 |
25 |
|
Southern Cal |
6 |
11 |
7 |
3 |
27 |
An 8-game
winning streak brought the 8th ranked, 8-2 Notre Dame Fighting
Irish coached by Dan Devine to Los Angeles for their annual showdown with
the Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson who stood at 9-1, ranked 3rd
nationally. Southern Cal dominated the first three quarters behind
All-American RB Charles White’s 205 yards but had to get a field goal from
PK Frank Jordan with 0:02 to play to retain The Belt with a 27-25 victory.
Late in the 1st quarter, Southern Cal drove 55 yards in 5 plays
with QB Paul McDonald throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to All-Pac 10 WR
Kevin Williams. The missed extra point attempt left the Trojans leading
6-0. Notre Dame PK Joe Unis kicked a 47-yard field goal & the Fighting
Irish trailed 6-3 entering the 2nd quarter. The Trojans
responded with a 6-play, 75-yard drive with McDonald throwing a 35-yard
touchdown pass to WR Dan Garcia. The successful 2-point conversion gave
Southern Cal a 14-3 lead. Jordan kicked a 39-yard field goal pushing the
lead to 17-3 at the intermission. Notre Dame opened the 3rd
quarter by driving 80 yards to the Southern Cal 9-yard line but had to
settle for a 26-yard field goal from Unis & the Fighting Irish still trailed
17-6. White’s 1-yard touchdown run came with 7:38 left in the 3rd
quarter & neither team was able to score again in the quarter. Leading
24-6, the Trojans defense had to hold against the comeback heroics of
Fighting Irish QB Joe Montana. Montana threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to WR
Kris Haines with 12:26 left in the game to get the comeback started.
Getting the ball back at his own 2-yard line, Montana led a 98-yard drive
capped by a 1-yard run by RB Pete Buchanon coming with 3:01 to play. With
0:46 to play, Montana threw his 2nd touchdown pass, this one a
2-yard touchdown pass to WR Pete Holohan, to give the Irish the lead 25-24.
McDonald now took his shot at leading a comeback. He moved the Trojans 70
yards in 5 plays to get into field goal range as time ran down before Jordan
connected on a 37-yard field goal with 0:02 left to seal a 27-25 victory.
McDonald finished with 281 yards passing with 2 touchdowns but an
interception while WR Calvin Sweeney had 5 catches for 105 yards. Montana
had 358 yards passing with 2 touchdowns as well as an interception & Haines
had 9 catches for 179 yards with his touchdown. The win gave Southern Cal
both The Belt & the Jeweled Shillelagh. Southern Cal finished the season
12-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd nationally while the Irish
finished 9-3, ranked 7th nationally. Notre Dame would play for
The Belt again in 1979.
|
|
 |
|
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
Hawaii
Rainbow Warriors |
|
Played
December 2, 1978
at Aloha
Stadium |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Southern Cal
© |
4 |
18 |
3 |
1 |
.841 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
.864 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
.778 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
Hawaii |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Belt Meetings: None
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Southern Cal |
7 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
21 |
|
Hawaii |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
The 3rd
ranked, 10-1 Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson closed the regular
season with a trip to meet the 6-4 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors coached by Dick
Tomey. Playing without QB Paul McDonald, the Trojans overcame 14 penalties
totaling 157 yards to claim a 21-5 victory over Hawaii behind the 152 yards
rushing with a touchdown of All-American RB Charles White to retain The
Belt. The Rainbow Warriors took the lead in the 1st quarter
after Southern Cal RB Dwight Ford fumbled & Hawaii recovered at the Southern
Cal 43-yard line. When PK Peter Kim kicked a 27-yard field goal, Hawaii had
a 3-0 lead. The Trojans responded with an 8-play, 68-yard drive with White
scoring on an 18-yard touchdown run. Neither team managed to score in the 2nd
quarter & the Trojans had a 7-3 halftime lead. Hawaii got closer in the 3rd
quarter when Southern Cal All-Pac 10 P Marty King had a snap go through the
end zone for a safety but the Rainbow Warriors still trailed 7-5 entering
the 4th quarter. The Trojans finally secured the win in the 4th
quarter with a 2-yard touchdown pass from QB Rob Preston to TE Vic Rakhshani
& a 16-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Southern Cal CB Ronnie
Lott. Hawaii almost stunned the Trojans midway through the 4th
quarter when RB David Toloumu threw a halfback throwback pass to QB Jeff Duva who
was open in the end zone but the ball fell to the turf. Preston finished
with 154 yards passing with a touchdown as well as an interception.
For Hawaii, Duva threw for 161 yards with 2 interceptions in the loss. Southern
Cal finished the season 12-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd
nationally while the Rainbow Warriors finished 6-5. Hawaii would play for
The Belt again in 1994.
|
|
 |
|
Southern Cal
Trojans
© |
Michigan
Wolverines |
|
The Rose
Bowl
Played
January 1, 1979
at the
Rose Bowl |
Teams'
Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt
Reigns |
Overall
Record |
Home
Record |
Away
Record |
Neutral
Record |
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
|
Southern Cal
© |
4 |
19 |
3 |
1 |
.848 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
.864 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
.800 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
Michigan |
1 |
9 |
3 |
0 |
.750 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
.833 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
.800 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.000 |
Previous Belt Meetings
|
1/1/1977
Rose Bowl |
Southern Cal
© |
14 |
|
Michigan |
6 |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
Southern Cal |
7 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
Michigan |
0 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
The 5th
ranked, 10-1 Michigan Wolverines of coach Bo Schembechler traveled to Pasadena
for the 1979 Rose Bowl to meet the 3rd ranked, 11-1 Southern Cal Trojans of
coach John Robinson. Each team’s only loss came on October 14, the 5th
game of the season, at the hands of a conference foe – Michigan State & Arizona
State respectively. The Wolverines had an experienced offense led by QB Rick
Leach playing in his 3rd straight Rose Bowl but the Trojans array of
stars was too much for them to overcome. Southern Cal used a 17-point 1st
half to defeat the Wolverines 17-10 & hand Schembechler his 5th
straight loss in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans opened the scoring with a 9-yard
touchdown pass from QB Paul McDonald to TE Hoby Brenner. A 36-yard field goal
by PK Gregg Willner accounted for the only Wolverine points of the half. White
scored on a controversial 3-yard run. The line judge ruled White had crossed
the goal line prior to fumbling the ball giving the Trojans had a 14-3 lead.
Many at the game believed White had fumbled prior to scoring but the ruling
favored the Trojans. Late in the half, PK Frank Jordan hit a 35-yard field goal
as Southern Cal took a 17-3 lead to the locker room. Michigan scored the only points of
the 2nd half when QB Rick Leach connected with RB Roosevelt Smith on
a 44-yard touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter but neither team threaten
again. Both White & Leach were named Co-MVP of the game. White finished with
99 yards rushing with his touchdown & RB Lynn Cain added 90 yards rushing.
Leach finished as the Rose Bowl career leader in plays, total yards, & passing
yards. Southern Cal finished the season 12-1; Pac-10 Champions & ranked 2nd
nationally while the Wolverines finished 10-2, Big Ten Co-Champs & ranked 5th
nationally. Michigan would play for The Belt again in 1981.
