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1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

American college football season

American college football season

FieldValue
year1977
teamArkansas Razorbacks
sportfootball
conferenceSouthwest Conference
short_confSWC
CoachRank3
APRank3
record11–1
conf_record7–1
head_coachLou Holtz
hc_year1st
off_schemeVeer
def_coachMonte Kiffin
dc_year1st
def_scheme[5–2](5-2-defense)
captainLeotis Harris
captain2Steve Little
captain3Howard Sampson
stadiumRazorback Stadium
War Memorial Stadium
championCo-national champion (Rothman (FACT))
Orange Bowl champion
bowl[Orange Bowl](1978-orange-bowl)
bowl_resultW 31–6 vs. [Oklahoma](1977-oklahoma-sooners-football-team)

War Memorial Stadium Orange Bowl champion

The 1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their first year under head coach Lou Holtz, the Razorbacks compiled an 11–1 record (7–1 against SWC opponents), finished in second place in the SWC, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 389 to 101. The Razorbacks' only loss was to SWC champion Texas by a 13–9 score. There was controversy during that game, when Arkansas QB Ron Calcagni's facemask was grabbed by a Texas player during a key drive, but the officials did not call the penalty, and Arkansas was forced to settle for a field goal. The team advanced to 1978 Orange Bowl, defeating No. 2 Oklahoma by a 31–6 score. Arkansas was ranked No. 3 in both the final AP poll and the final UPI Coaches Poll.

Offensive guard Leotis Harris and placekicker Steve Little were both consensus first-team picks for the 1977 College Football All-America Team. Little punted 48 times for 2,127 yards, and had the fourth-best average in college football, with 44.3 yards per punt. Little scored an average of 8.5 points per game for the Razorbacks, including 19 field goals (30 attempted) and 37 extra points. This was the eighth-best average per game, and the second-best among kickers. His 1.73 field goals per game was second-best to Paul Marchese of Kent State.

The Razorbacks also had the third-best scoring defense and tied for the fourth-best pass defense. The Hogs, along with the Indiana Hoosiers, gave up only 89.5 yards per game through the air, and the Hogs only surrendered 8.6 points per game. Only North Carolina and Ohio State allowed fewer points in 1977. The Hogs were ranked third by the AP, behind runner-up Alabama and champion Notre Dame. Rothman (FACT), a mathematical rating system in use since 1968 and NCAA-designated major selector, selected Arkansas as co-national champions with Notre Dame and Texas.

Schedule

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Game summaries

Orange Bowl

The 1978 Orange Bowl was played between No. 6 Arkansas and No. 2 Oklahoma. Entering the game, the Hogs were twenty-one point underdogs against the Sooners.Whitmire, Keith. "Remember win Short-handed Arkansas' upset of OU in '78 Orange Bowl is still on the minds of many." Story. December 7, 2001. The Dallas Morning News Retrieved on November 16. Arkansas had three offensive starters suspended for the contest and another injured in bowl practice, which also led fans to believe the Sooners would roll. Roland Sales of Arkansas rushed for 205 yards on 23 carries, setting an Orange Bowl record. Sales would hold the record until Ahman Green carried for 206 yards in 1998, beating Sales by a single yard. He came in relief of star running back Ben Cowins, who the Hogs left in Fayetteville for a violation of team rules. Sales began the scoring on a one-yard run after a Billy Sims fumble. Hog QB Ron Calcagni would score next, after a fumble by Oklahoma fullback Kenny King. Steve Little completed a field goal to give the Hogs a 17–0 cushion in the third quarter. Sales scored on a four-yard run to stretch the Hog advantage to 24–0. Oklahoma would score on an eight-yard touchdown pass, but the Hogs would stop the two-point conversion. Barnabas White would tack on another Razorback touchdown, getting the ball from Mike Scott playing quarterback for the Hogs.

Personnel

Coaching staff

NamePositionArkansas YearsAlma mater
Lou HoltzHead coach1stKent State (1957)
Don BreauxQuarterbacks coach1stMcNeese State (1962)
Jesse BranchWide receivers coach1stArkansas (1962)
Larry BeightolOffensive line coach1stCatawba College (1963)
Monte KiffinDefensive coordinator1stNebraska (1963)
John MitchellDefensive ends coach1stAlabama (1972)
Bob CopeDefensive backs coach1stCarson–Newman (c. 1960)
Pete CarrollGraduate assistant1stPacific (1972)

Roster

References

References

  1. "1977 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
  2. (July 2017). "2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records". The National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  3. (September 11, 1977). "Razorbacks stampede past New Mexico St. 53–10". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  4. (September 18, 1977). "Razorbacks shut down Oklahoma State, 28–6". The Marshall News Messenger.
  5. (September 25, 1977). "Razorbacks blast by Tulsa, 37–3". The Victoria Advocate.
  6. (October 2, 1977). "Hogs crush TCU". Longview Morning Journal.
  7. (October 16, 1977). "Texas defeats Arkansas in stirring 13–9 battle". The Waxahachie Daily Light.
  8. (October 23, 1977). "Hogs slaughter UH, 34–0". Corsicana Daily Sun.
  9. (October 30, 1977). "Razorbacks bowl over hapless Owls". Abilene Reporter-News.
  10. (November 6, 1977). "Razorbacks humble Baylor". The Tyler Courier-Times.
  11. (November 13, 1977). "Hogs halt A&M, 26–20". The Monitor.
  12. (November 20, 1977). "Arkansas drubs SMU, accepts OB bid". The Miami Herald.
  13. (November 25, 1977). "Razorbacks edge Tech". Pampa Daily News.
  14. (January 3, 1978). "Arkansas beats adversity first, favored Sooners later". The Memphis Press-Scimitar.
  15. "The Orange Bowl – 1978." [http://www.mmbolding.com/bowls/Orange_1978.htm Game Recap.] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-06-01 Retrieved on November 16.)
  16. (May 2020)
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