Super Bowl V
Encyclopedia
Super Bowl V was an American football
game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl
in Miami, Florida
, to decide the National Football League
(NFL) champion following the 1970 regular season
. The American Football Conference
(AFC) champion Baltimore Colts
(11–2–1) defeated the National Football Conference
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
(10–4), 16–13, in the first Super Bowl
game played on artificial turf.
Super Bowl V was the first Super Bowl played after the completion of the AFL-NFL Merger
. As per the merger agreement, all 26 AFL
and NFL teams were divided into 2 conferences with 13 teams in each of them. The NFL's Colts, the Cleveland Browns
, and the Pittsburgh Steelers
agreed to join the 10 AFL teams to form the AFC. The remaining 13 NFL teams formed the NFC. This explains why the Colts represented the NFL in Super Bowl III
, but not the NFC for Super Bowl V.
The game is sometimes called the "Blunder Bowl" or the "Stupor Bowl" because it was filled with poor play, penalties, turnovers, and officiating miscues. The two teams committed a Super Bowl record 11 combined turnovers in the game, and the Colts' 7 turnovers are currently the most ever committed by a winning team in a Super Bowl. Dallas also set a Super Bowl record with 10 penalties, costing them 133 yards. Bubba Smith
refused to wear his Super Bowl V ring because of the "sloppy" play.
It was finally settled with five seconds left when Colts rookie kicker Jim O'Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal. In order to win the game, Baltimore had to overcome a 13–6 deficit at the half, losing their starting quarterback in the second quarter.
It is also the only Super Bowl in which the Most Valuable Player Award
was given to a member of the losing team: Cowboys Linebacker Chuck Howley
, who intercepted two passes. Sacks
and tackles were not yet recorded. It was the first time a QB
didn't win the award. Howley refused to accept the award because it was meaningless to him after his team lost.
. Unitas had regained his starting spot on the team in 1969 upon recovering from an injury that led him to miss the majority of the 1968 season. Unitas played inconsistently during the 1970 regular season; he threw for 2,213 yards, but recorded more interceptions than touchdowns. Unitas also had injury problems, causing him to miss 2 regular season games and thus giving Earl Morrall
more significant playing time. Morrall put up a better statistics than Unitas (792 yards, 9 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a 97.6 passer rating), but head coach Don McCafferty
decided to start Unitas for the playoffs. (According to Jim O'Brien, Morrall was just as good as Unitas in the players' opinion.)
In addition, Baltimore had 3 solid weapons in the passing game: wide receivers Eddie Hinton
and Roy Jefferson
, and future hall of fame
tight end John Mackey
combined for 119 receptions, 1,917 yards, and 15 touchdowns. In the backfield, running back Norm Bulaich
was the team's top rusher with 426 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also catching 11 passes for another 123 yards.
The Colts' main strength was their defense. Pro Bowl
defensive tackle Bubba Smith
anchored the line. Behind him, the Colts had 2 outstanding linebackers: Pro Bowl
er Mike Curtis
, who recorded 5 interceptions, and Ted Hendricks
. In the secondary, Pro Bowl safety Jerry Logan
recorded 6 interceptions for 92 return yards and 2 touchdowns, while safety Rick Volk
had 4 interceptions for 61 return yards.
Baltimore finished the regular season winning the AFC East
with an 11-2-1 record.
, the team's second leading rusher with 577 yards and 4 touchdowns, was lost for the year after suffering a leg injury late in the regular season. And wide receiver Bob Hayes
was benched by head coach Tom Landry
for poor performances on several occasions.
Most significantly, the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy between Craig Morton
and Roger Staubach
. Morton and Staubach alternated as the starting quarterback during the regular season. Landry eventually settled on Morton for most of the second half of the season, because he felt less confident that Staubach would follow his game plan (Landry called all of Morton's plays). Also, Morton had done extremely well in the regular season, throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 89.8. In contrast, Staubach, although a noted scrambler and able to salvage broken plays effectively, threw for 542 yards, and only 2 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions, giving him a 42.9 rating.
Hayes was the main deep threat on the team, catching 34 passes for 889 yards (a 26.1 yards per catch average) and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 4 times for 34 yards and another touchdown, and adding another 116 yards returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver Lance Rentzel
recorded 28 receptions for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns.
However, the main strength on the Cowboys offense was their running game. Rookie running back Duane Thomas
rushed 151 times for 803 yards (a 5.1 yards per carry average) and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 416 yards returning kickoffs. Fullback Walt Garrison
, who replaced the injured Hill, provided Thomas with excellent blocking and rushed for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Garrison was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 21 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Up front, Pro Bowl guard John Niland and Rayfield Wright
anchored the offensive line.
Like the Colts, the Cowboys main strength was their defense. Nicknamed the "Doomsday Defense", they allowed just 1 touchdown in their last 6 games prior to the Super Bowl. Their line was anchored by future hall of fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly
. Behind him, linebackers Lee Roy Jordan
, Dave Edwards and Chuck Howley
excelled at stopping the run and pass coverage. The Cowboys also had an outstanding secondary, led by Mel Renfro
and Herb Adderley
, who combined for 7 interceptions. Safety Charlie Waters
led the team with 5 interceptions, while safety Cliff Harris
recorded 2.
Dallas finished the regular season winning the NFC East
with a 10-4 record, winning their final five regular season games to overcome the St. Louis Cardinals (who lost their final three games and fell to third place in the final standings) and New York Giants (who lost their finale 31-3 to the Los Angeles Rams; a Giants victory would have given New York the NFC East title based upon a better division record).
in sunny weather at the Cotton Bowl
, 5-0, with a field goal and a safety. Then the Cowboys overcame the San Francisco 49ers
in the NFC championship game, 17-10, aided by Thomas' 143 rushing yards, along with interceptions by Renfro and Jordan late in the third quarter that were both converted into touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Colts advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Cincinnati Bengals
, 17-0, and the Oakland Raiders
, 27-17, in the playoffs.
in Super Bowl III
. Volk commented, "Going to the game a second time took away some of the awe. I think we were able to focus better. There was no way we were going to let ourselves get beat again."
Meanwhile, the game was a chance for the Cowboys to lose their nickname of "next year's champions" and their reputation of "not being able to win the big games". In the past 5 seasons, Dallas had won more games, 52 out of 68, than any other professional football team, but they had never won any league title. The Cowboys had chances to go to the first two Super Bowls, but narrowly lost to the Green Bay Packers
in both the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship games. In the 1966 title game, the Cowboys lost because they failed to score a touchdown on 4 attempts starting from the Packers 2-yard line on the game's final drive. Then in the 1967 title game (the "Ice Bowl"
), the Cowboys lost because they allowed the Packers to score a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the game.
As the designated home team, Dallas was forced to wear its blue jerseys for the Super Bowl under rules in place at the time, which did not allow the home team its choice of jersey color, unlike the regular season and playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl. Dallas had not worn its blue jerseys at home since 1964, as Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm
opted to have the team wear white at home in order to present fans with a consistent look. The Cowboys wore their blue jerseys twice during the 1970 season, losing 20-7 at St. Louis in week four and winning 6-2 at Cleveland in week 13. The designated home team was first allowed its choice of jersey color for Super Bowl XIII
, allowing the Cowboys to wear white vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
by NBC
with play-by-play announcer Curt Gowdy
and color commentator
Kyle Rote
. Although the Orange Bowl was sold out for the event, unconditional blackout
rules in the NFL prohibited the live telecast from being shown in the Miami area. The blackout was challenged in Miami-Dade District Court by attorney Ellis Rubin
, and although the judge denied Rubin's request since he felt he did not have the power to overrule the NFL, he agreed with Rubin's argument that the blackout rule was unnecessary for the Super Bowl.
The bands from Southern University
and Southeast Missouri State College performed before the game, while trumpet
er Tommy Loy played the national anthem. Loy also played the anthem before every Cowboys' home game from the mid-1960s until the late-1980s. The Southeast Missouri State
Indians Band was featured during the halftime show along with singer Anita Bryant
.
intercepted a pass from Johnny Unitas
and returned it 22 yards to Baltimore's 46-yard line before being tackled by Unitas himself. However, the Cowboys could not take advantage of the turnover because of a holding penalty on the drive and had to punt. But Colts punt returner Ron Gardin
fumbled the punt and Cowboys safety Cliff Harris
recovered the ball at the Baltimore 9-yard line. Despite their great starting field position, Dallas was unable to score a touchdown and thus had to settle for kicker Mike Clark
's 14-yard field goal to give them a 3 – 0 lead.
Dallas forced the Colts to punt on their next possession, and several plays later, quarterback Craig Morton
completed a 47-yard pass to Bob Hayes
at the Colts 12-yard line, with a roughing the passer penalty adding 6 yards (half the distance to the goal). But Dallas was still unable to score a touchdown. On first down, linebacker Ted Hendricks
deflected Morton's pass, and then running back Duane Thomas
was tackled for a 1-yard loss on the next play. Then on third down, Morton committed a 15-yard intentional grounding penalty, pushing the Cowboys back to the 22-yard line and forcing them to settle for Clark's 30 yard field goal, giving them a 6-0 lead.
But on the ensuing drive, the Colts got a break. Baltimore defensive back Jim Duncan returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to their 25-yard line. Then after throwing 2 incompletions, Unitas threw a pass to Eddie Hinton
that was both high and behind the receiver. The ball bounced off Hinton's hands, was tipped by Dallas defensive back Mel Renfro
, and finally ended up in the arms of tight end John Mackey
, who took the ball 75 yards for a touchdown, tying the score 6 – 6 after Jim O'Brien's extra point attempt was blocked. O'Brien later said that he was "awfully nervous" and hesitated a second too long before kicking it.
In the second quarter, Dallas took a 13 – 6 lead when Morton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Thomas at the end of a drive that was set up after Unitas lost a fumble while being tackled by Cowboys linebacker Lee Roy Jordan
. The next time the Colts had the ball, Unitas was hit as he threw a pass, resulting in an interception by Renfro. On the play, Unitas was knocked out of the game with a rib injury, and was replaced by Earl Morrall
, who was widely blamed for the Colts loss in Super Bowl III. The Cowboys were unable to get any points off the turnover and had to punt. After the punt, Morrall completed two passes for 47 yards, with a personal foul on Jordan adding another 7 yards and giving them a first down on the Cowboys 2-yard line with less than two minutes left in the half. But Colts running back Norm Bulaich
failed to gain any yards with three rushing attempts, and on fourth down, Morrall threw an incomplete pass, turning the ball over on downs.
Duncan fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half to Dallas, and the Cowboys moved the ball down to the Colts' 1-yard line. But then Thomas returned the favor when Curtis knocked the ball loose before the goal line. Duncan was awarded the recovery and the Colts took over on a touchback - a controversial call because when the resulting pile-up was sorted out, Dallas center Dave Manders was holding the ball. The Colts then drove to Dallas' 44-yard line, but came up empty when O'Brien's 52-yard field goal attempt fell short of the goal posts. However, instead of attempting to return the ball, Renfro let it bounce inside his own 1-yard line where it was downed by center Tom Goode
(NFL rules prior to 1974 allowed a field goal that fall short of the goal posts to be downed just like a punt). "I thought it would carry into the end zone", he explained after the game.http://ag.nfl.com/?team=1966
The Colts defense then forced Dallas to punt after 3 plays, and would have gotten the ball inside Dallas territory following Ron Widby
's punt, but Colts rookie running back Jack Maitland
committed a 15-yard clipping penalty during the punt return, pushing his team back to their own 39 for their ensuing drive. Two plays later, Morrall completed a 47-yard pass to running back Tom Nowatzke
at the Cowboys 15-yard line. Baltimore gained 4 yards on their next 2 plays, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Morrall's pass was intercepted by Howley in the end zone.
After forcing the Cowboys to punt, Baltimore got the ball back on their own 18-yard line. On first down, Morrall's pass was incomplete. Then on the next play, Morrall fumbled the snap. Fortunately for the Colts, he managed to recover the fumble and throw the ball away, preventing a loss of yards or a turnover. On third down, Morrall threw his third consecutive incompletion, which would have forced Baltimore to punt from deep in their own territory, but Renfro was called for a 13-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover Hinton, giving the Colts a first down.
Aided by a 23-yard completion from Morrall to receiver Roy Jefferson
, the Colts drove to Dallas' 30-yard line and attempted to fool the Cowboys with a flea-flicker
play. Running back Sam Havrilak
took a handoff from Morrall and was supposed to throw it back to Morrall, but a charging Jethro Pugh
disrupted the pattern. Havrilak (who had been a quarterback in college) instead threw a pass intended for Mackey. Hinton cut in front of Mackey to make the catch and then took off for the end zone, but he lost a fumble at the 10-yard line while being tackled by defensive back Cornell Green. After several players from both teams tried to recover it, the ball rolled through and out of the end zone for a touchback, giving the Cowboys the ball at their 20-yard line.
Three plays after the turnover, Morton threw a pass that was intercepted by safety Rick Volk
and returned 30 yards to the Cowboys 3-yard line (Morrall later referred to play as the play of the game). Two plays later, Nowatzke scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and O'Brien's extra point was good to tie the game, 13 – 13. (O'Brien says he was much calmer and more confident on this extra point than on the first one, which was blocked.) Dallas was forced to punt on their ensuing drive, and Widby managed to pin the Colts deep in their own territory with a 40-yard punt that was downed on Baltimore's 5-yard line. Dallas' defense forced Baltimore to punt after 3 plays, and got the ball back with great starting field position after receiving David Lee's 38-yard punt at the Colts 48-yard line with less than 2 minutes left in the game. It looked as though it would become the first super bowl to go into overtime.
On the first play of the drive, Thomas was tackled for a 1-yard loss by Colts defensive tackle Bubba Smith
. On the next play, Dallas committed a 15-yard holding penalty on the 42-yard line, which was a spot foul, pushing the team all the way back to their own 27-yard line (the NFL did not reduce the penalty for offensive holding to 10 yards until 1974). Then on second down and 35 to go, Morton threw a pass that went through the hands of running back Dan Reeves
and into the arms of linebacker Mike Curtis, who returned the ball 13 yards to the Cowboys 28-yard line. Two plays later, O'Brien kicked the go ahead 32-yard field goal, giving Baltimore a 16-13 lead with 5 seconds left in the game. O'Brien says he was "on automatic" and was so calm and concentrating so hard that he didn't hear anything and saw only the ball. In an enduring image from Super Bowl V, after O'Brien's game-winning field goal Bob Lilly
took off his helmet and hurled it through the air in disgust.
The Cowboys got the ball back on their 40-yard line with a few seconds remaining after O'Brien's ensuing squib kick, but Morton's pass to Garrison was intercepted by Logan at the Baltimore 29-yard line, and time expired.
Morrall was the top passer of the game, with 7 out of 15 completions for 147 yards, with 1 interception. Before being knocked out of the game, Unitas completed 3 out of 9 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, with 2 interceptions. Morton completed more passes than Morrall and Unitas combined (12), but finished the game with 118 fewer passing yards (127), and was intercepted 3 times (all in the fourth quarter). Mackey was the top receiver of the game with 2 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Nowatzke was the Colts' leading rusher with 33 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a pass for 47 yards. Dallas running back Walt Garrison
was the leading rusher of the game with 65 rushing yards, and added 19 yards on 2 pass receptions.
Referencing the numerous turnovers, Morrall said, "It really was a physical game. I mean, people were flying into one another out there." "It was really a hard-hitting game," wrote O'Brien. "It wasn't just guys dropping the ball. They fumbled because they got the snot knocked out of them." Said Tom Landry:
"We figured we could win if our offense didn't put us into too many holes", said 35-year old Colts lineman Billy Ray Smith, who was playing in his last NFL game, "Let me put it this way, they didn't put us into any holes we couldn't get out of"http://ag.nfl.com/
Don McCafferty
became the first rookie head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Note: A seven-official system was not used until 1978
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, to decide the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) champion following the 1970 regular season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
. The American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) champion Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(11–2–1) defeated the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(10–4), 16–13, in the first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
game played on artificial turf.
Super Bowl V was the first Super Bowl played after the completion of the AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. As per the merger agreement, all 26 AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
and NFL teams were divided into 2 conferences with 13 teams in each of them. The NFL's Colts, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
agreed to join the 10 AFL teams to form the AFC. The remaining 13 NFL teams formed the NFC. This explains why the Colts represented the NFL in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
, but not the NFC for Super Bowl V.
The game is sometimes called the "Blunder Bowl" or the "Stupor Bowl" because it was filled with poor play, penalties, turnovers, and officiating miscues. The two teams committed a Super Bowl record 11 combined turnovers in the game, and the Colts' 7 turnovers are currently the most ever committed by a winning team in a Super Bowl. Dallas also set a Super Bowl record with 10 penalties, costing them 133 yards. Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
refused to wear his Super Bowl V ring because of the "sloppy" play.
It was finally settled with five seconds left when Colts rookie kicker Jim O'Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal. In order to win the game, Baltimore had to overcome a 13–6 deficit at the half, losing their starting quarterback in the second quarter.
It is also the only Super Bowl in which the Most Valuable Player Award
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
was given to a member of the losing team: Cowboys Linebacker Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
, who intercepted two passes. Sacks
Sacks
Sacks is a German surname meaning "man from Saxony" and may refer to:* C. Jared Sacks, founder of Channel Classics Records* David O. Sacks Sacks is a German surname meaning "man from Saxony" and may refer to:* C. Jared Sacks, founder of Channel Classics Records* David O. Sacks Sacks is a German...
and tackles were not yet recorded. It was the first time a QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
didn't win the award. Howley refused to accept the award because it was meaningless to him after his team lost.
Baltimore Colts
The Colts were an unspectacular but well-balanced veteran team, led by 37-year old quarterback Johnny UnitasJohnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
. Unitas had regained his starting spot on the team in 1969 upon recovering from an injury that led him to miss the majority of the 1968 season. Unitas played inconsistently during the 1970 regular season; he threw for 2,213 yards, but recorded more interceptions than touchdowns. Unitas also had injury problems, causing him to miss 2 regular season games and thus giving Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
more significant playing time. Morrall put up a better statistics than Unitas (792 yards, 9 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a 97.6 passer rating), but head coach Don McCafferty
Don McCafferty
Donald William McCafferty was an American football coach who, in his first year as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, led the team to a victory in Super Bowl V....
decided to start Unitas for the playoffs. (According to Jim O'Brien, Morrall was just as good as Unitas in the players' opinion.)
In addition, Baltimore had 3 solid weapons in the passing game: wide receivers Eddie Hinton
Eddie Hinton (American football)
Eddie Hinton is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, the Houston Oilers, and the New England Patriots....
and Roy Jefferson
Roy Jefferson
Roy Lee Jefferson is a former American football wide receiver who played twelve seasons in the National Football League...
, and future hall of fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
tight end John Mackey
John Mackey (American football)
John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University...
combined for 119 receptions, 1,917 yards, and 15 touchdowns. In the backfield, running back Norm Bulaich
Norm Bulaich
Norman Batton Bulaich is a former American football running back in the National Football League.-Professional Career:...
was the team's top rusher with 426 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also catching 11 passes for another 123 yards.
The Colts' main strength was their defense. Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
defensive tackle Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
anchored the line. Behind him, the Colts had 2 outstanding linebackers: Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er Mike Curtis
Mike Curtis (American football)
James Michael "Mike" Curtis is a former professional American football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was...
, who recorded 5 interceptions, and Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
. In the secondary, Pro Bowl safety Jerry Logan
Jerry Logan
Jerry Don Logan is a former American football player. He played as a safety for ten seasons in the NFL. He was a part of the Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V winning team....
recorded 6 interceptions for 92 return yards and 2 touchdowns, while safety Rick Volk
Rick Volk
Richard Robert Volk is a former American football player.Volk played college football for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of the 1964 team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl...
had 4 interceptions for 61 return yards.
Baltimore finished the regular season winning the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
with an 11-2-1 record.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys had to overcome many obstacles during the regular season. Running back Calvin HillCalvin Hill
Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns...
, the team's second leading rusher with 577 yards and 4 touchdowns, was lost for the year after suffering a leg injury late in the regular season. And wide receiver Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes
Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University...
was benched by head coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
for poor performances on several occasions.
Most significantly, the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy between Craig Morton
Craig Morton
Larry Craig Morton is a former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, 1965-82...
and Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. Morton and Staubach alternated as the starting quarterback during the regular season. Landry eventually settled on Morton for most of the second half of the season, because he felt less confident that Staubach would follow his game plan (Landry called all of Morton's plays). Also, Morton had done extremely well in the regular season, throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only 7 interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 89.8. In contrast, Staubach, although a noted scrambler and able to salvage broken plays effectively, threw for 542 yards, and only 2 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions, giving him a 42.9 rating.
Hayes was the main deep threat on the team, catching 34 passes for 889 yards (a 26.1 yards per catch average) and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing 4 times for 34 yards and another touchdown, and adding another 116 yards returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver Lance Rentzel
Lance Rentzel
Thomas Lance Rentzel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1974.-Early years:...
recorded 28 receptions for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns.
However, the main strength on the Cowboys offense was their running game. Rookie running back Duane Thomas
Duane Thomas
Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974....
rushed 151 times for 803 yards (a 5.1 yards per carry average) and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 416 yards returning kickoffs. Fullback Walt Garrison
Walt Garrison
Walter Benton Garrison is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
, who replaced the injured Hill, provided Thomas with excellent blocking and rushed for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Garrison was also a good receiver out of the backfield, catching 21 passes for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Up front, Pro Bowl guard John Niland and Rayfield Wright
Rayfield Wright
Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:...
anchored the offensive line.
Like the Colts, the Cowboys main strength was their defense. Nicknamed the "Doomsday Defense", they allowed just 1 touchdown in their last 6 games prior to the Super Bowl. Their line was anchored by future hall of fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly
Bob Lilly
Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.-College career:...
. Behind him, linebackers Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
, Dave Edwards and Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
excelled at stopping the run and pass coverage. The Cowboys also had an outstanding secondary, led by Mel Renfro
Mel Renfro
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
and Herb Adderley
Herb Adderley
Herbert Allen Adderley is a former American football cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League....
, who combined for 7 interceptions. Safety Charlie Waters
Charlie Waters
Charlie Tutan Waters is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970-1981 in the National Football League...
led the team with 5 interceptions, while safety Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris
Clifford Allen Harris is a former professional American football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for ten seasons.-Professional career:...
recorded 2.
Dallas finished the regular season winning the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
with a 10-4 record, winning their final five regular season games to overcome the St. Louis Cardinals (who lost their final three games and fell to third place in the final standings) and New York Giants (who lost their finale 31-3 to the Los Angeles Rams; a Giants victory would have given New York the NFC East title based upon a better division record).
Playoffs
In the playoffs, Dallas defeated the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in sunny weather at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
, 5-0, with a field goal and a safety. Then the Cowboys overcame the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the NFC championship game, 17-10, aided by Thomas' 143 rushing yards, along with interceptions by Renfro and Jordan late in the third quarter that were both converted into touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Colts advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, 17-0, and the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 27-17, in the playoffs.
Super Bowl pregame news and notes
For the Colts, Super Bowl V represented a chance to redeem themselves for their humiliating loss to the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
. Volk commented, "Going to the game a second time took away some of the awe. I think we were able to focus better. There was no way we were going to let ourselves get beat again."
Meanwhile, the game was a chance for the Cowboys to lose their nickname of "next year's champions" and their reputation of "not being able to win the big games". In the past 5 seasons, Dallas had won more games, 52 out of 68, than any other professional football team, but they had never won any league title. The Cowboys had chances to go to the first two Super Bowls, but narrowly lost to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in both the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship games. In the 1966 title game, the Cowboys lost because they failed to score a touchdown on 4 attempts starting from the Packers 2-yard line on the game's final drive. Then in the 1967 title game (the "Ice Bowl"
NFL Championship Game, 1967
The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game was...
), the Cowboys lost because they allowed the Packers to score a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the game.
As the designated home team, Dallas was forced to wear its blue jerseys for the Super Bowl under rules in place at the time, which did not allow the home team its choice of jersey color, unlike the regular season and playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl. Dallas had not worn its blue jerseys at home since 1964, as Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm
Tex Schramm
Texas Earnest "Tex" Schramm, Jr. was the original president and general manager of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys franchise. Schramm became the head of the Cowboys when the former expansion team started operations in 1960.-Early life and career:Despite his name, Schramm was not born...
opted to have the team wear white at home in order to present fans with a consistent look. The Cowboys wore their blue jerseys twice during the 1970 season, losing 20-7 at St. Louis in week four and winning 6-2 at Cleveland in week 13. The designated home team was first allowed its choice of jersey color for Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
, allowing the Cowboys to wear white vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Television and entertainment
The game was broadcast in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with play-by-play announcer Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
and color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Kyle Rote
Kyle Rote
William Kyle Rote, Sr. was an American football player and sports announcer.-Early life:Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he was an all-state basketball and football player....
. Although the Orange Bowl was sold out for the event, unconditional blackout
Blackout (broadcasting)
Blackout usually relates to the broadcasting of sports events, television programming, that is prohibited in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more revenue by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV...
rules in the NFL prohibited the live telecast from being shown in the Miami area. The blackout was challenged in Miami-Dade District Court by attorney Ellis Rubin
Ellis Rubin
Ellis S. Rubin was an American attorney in Miami, Florida who gained national fame for handling a variety of highly publicized cases in a legal career that spanned 53 years. He was famous for his innovative defenses and his propensity for handling lost causes. Rubin won the first case in Florida...
, and although the judge denied Rubin's request since he felt he did not have the power to overrule the NFL, he agreed with Rubin's argument that the blackout rule was unnecessary for the Super Bowl.
The bands from Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
and Southeast Missouri State College performed before the game, while trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er Tommy Loy played the national anthem. Loy also played the anthem before every Cowboys' home game from the mid-1960s until the late-1980s. The Southeast Missouri State
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
Indians Band was featured during the halftime show along with singer Anita Bryant
Anita Bryant
Anita Jane Bryant is an American singer, former Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and gay rights opponent. She scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses", which reached #5...
.
Game summary
The first 3 possessions of the game ended with punts after the respective teams went three-and-out on each one. Then on the first play of the Colts' second drive, Dallas linebacker Chuck HowleyChuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
intercepted a pass from Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
and returned it 22 yards to Baltimore's 46-yard line before being tackled by Unitas himself. However, the Cowboys could not take advantage of the turnover because of a holding penalty on the drive and had to punt. But Colts punt returner Ron Gardin
Ron Gardin
Ron Gardin , Connecticut All State high school football player under legendary Ansonia coach Charles J."Boots" Jarvis, Ansonia High School , is a former NFL professional American Football defensive back and kick returner. He played in Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts...
fumbled the punt and Cowboys safety Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris
Clifford Allen Harris is a former professional American football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for ten seasons.-Professional career:...
recovered the ball at the Baltimore 9-yard line. Despite their great starting field position, Dallas was unable to score a touchdown and thus had to settle for kicker Mike Clark
Mike Clark (placekicker)
Michael Vincent Clark was an American football placekicker in the National Football League from . He was a part of the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl VI winning team. Clark died of a heart attack at Baylor University Medical Center. He was diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 1998....
's 14-yard field goal to give them a 3 – 0 lead.
Dallas forced the Colts to punt on their next possession, and several plays later, quarterback Craig Morton
Craig Morton
Larry Craig Morton is a former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, 1965-82...
completed a 47-yard pass to Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes
Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University...
at the Colts 12-yard line, with a roughing the passer penalty adding 6 yards (half the distance to the goal). But Dallas was still unable to score a touchdown. On first down, linebacker Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
deflected Morton's pass, and then running back Duane Thomas
Duane Thomas
Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974....
was tackled for a 1-yard loss on the next play. Then on third down, Morton committed a 15-yard intentional grounding penalty, pushing the Cowboys back to the 22-yard line and forcing them to settle for Clark's 30 yard field goal, giving them a 6-0 lead.
But on the ensuing drive, the Colts got a break. Baltimore defensive back Jim Duncan returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to their 25-yard line. Then after throwing 2 incompletions, Unitas threw a pass to Eddie Hinton
Eddie Hinton (American football)
Eddie Hinton is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, the Houston Oilers, and the New England Patriots....
that was both high and behind the receiver. The ball bounced off Hinton's hands, was tipped by Dallas defensive back Mel Renfro
Mel Renfro
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
, and finally ended up in the arms of tight end John Mackey
John Mackey (American football)
John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University...
, who took the ball 75 yards for a touchdown, tying the score 6 – 6 after Jim O'Brien's extra point attempt was blocked. O'Brien later said that he was "awfully nervous" and hesitated a second too long before kicking it.
In the second quarter, Dallas took a 13 – 6 lead when Morton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Thomas at the end of a drive that was set up after Unitas lost a fumble while being tackled by Cowboys linebacker Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
. The next time the Colts had the ball, Unitas was hit as he threw a pass, resulting in an interception by Renfro. On the play, Unitas was knocked out of the game with a rib injury, and was replaced by Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
, who was widely blamed for the Colts loss in Super Bowl III. The Cowboys were unable to get any points off the turnover and had to punt. After the punt, Morrall completed two passes for 47 yards, with a personal foul on Jordan adding another 7 yards and giving them a first down on the Cowboys 2-yard line with less than two minutes left in the half. But Colts running back Norm Bulaich
Norm Bulaich
Norman Batton Bulaich is a former American football running back in the National Football League.-Professional Career:...
failed to gain any yards with three rushing attempts, and on fourth down, Morrall threw an incomplete pass, turning the ball over on downs.
Duncan fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half to Dallas, and the Cowboys moved the ball down to the Colts' 1-yard line. But then Thomas returned the favor when Curtis knocked the ball loose before the goal line. Duncan was awarded the recovery and the Colts took over on a touchback - a controversial call because when the resulting pile-up was sorted out, Dallas center Dave Manders was holding the ball. The Colts then drove to Dallas' 44-yard line, but came up empty when O'Brien's 52-yard field goal attempt fell short of the goal posts. However, instead of attempting to return the ball, Renfro let it bounce inside his own 1-yard line where it was downed by center Tom Goode
Tom Goode
Thomas Guinne Goode is a retired American football offensive lineman who played professionally for nine years from 1962 to 1970. He spent his first eight campaigns in the American Football League with the Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins...
(NFL rules prior to 1974 allowed a field goal that fall short of the goal posts to be downed just like a punt). "I thought it would carry into the end zone", he explained after the game.http://ag.nfl.com/?team=1966
The Colts defense then forced Dallas to punt after 3 plays, and would have gotten the ball inside Dallas territory following Ron Widby
Ron Widby
George Ronald "Ron" Widby is a retired American basketball and football player. Widby was the last four-sport letterman at the University of Tennessee to date, becoming an All-America in football and basketball and also earning one letter in both baseball and golf...
's punt, but Colts rookie running back Jack Maitland
Jack Maitland
John Frederick "Jack" Maitland is a former American football running back in the National Football League in the 1970s and earned a Super Bowl ring. He attended Upper St. Clair High School near Pittsburgh, then Williams College. His pro-career was spent with both the Baltimore Colts and the New...
committed a 15-yard clipping penalty during the punt return, pushing his team back to their own 39 for their ensuing drive. Two plays later, Morrall completed a 47-yard pass to running back Tom Nowatzke
Tom Nowatzke
Thomas Matthew "Tom" Nowatzke was a National Football League running back from 1965 through 1972. He scored a touchdown for the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.-References:...
at the Cowboys 15-yard line. Baltimore gained 4 yards on their next 2 plays, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Morrall's pass was intercepted by Howley in the end zone.
After forcing the Cowboys to punt, Baltimore got the ball back on their own 18-yard line. On first down, Morrall's pass was incomplete. Then on the next play, Morrall fumbled the snap. Fortunately for the Colts, he managed to recover the fumble and throw the ball away, preventing a loss of yards or a turnover. On third down, Morrall threw his third consecutive incompletion, which would have forced Baltimore to punt from deep in their own territory, but Renfro was called for a 13-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover Hinton, giving the Colts a first down.
Aided by a 23-yard completion from Morrall to receiver Roy Jefferson
Roy Jefferson
Roy Lee Jefferson is a former American football wide receiver who played twelve seasons in the National Football League...
, the Colts drove to Dallas' 30-yard line and attempted to fool the Cowboys with a flea-flicker
Flea flicker (American football)
A flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...
play. Running back Sam Havrilak
Sam Havrilak
Samuel Charles Havrilak is a former American football running back who played in the NFL from 1969 to 1974. He attended Monessen High School near Pittsburgh. Havrilak earned a Super Bowl ring in January 1971 at Super Bowl V...
took a handoff from Morrall and was supposed to throw it back to Morrall, but a charging Jethro Pugh
Jethro Pugh
Jethro Pugh, Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.-College career:...
disrupted the pattern. Havrilak (who had been a quarterback in college) instead threw a pass intended for Mackey. Hinton cut in front of Mackey to make the catch and then took off for the end zone, but he lost a fumble at the 10-yard line while being tackled by defensive back Cornell Green. After several players from both teams tried to recover it, the ball rolled through and out of the end zone for a touchback, giving the Cowboys the ball at their 20-yard line.
Three plays after the turnover, Morton threw a pass that was intercepted by safety Rick Volk
Rick Volk
Richard Robert Volk is a former American football player.Volk played college football for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of the 1964 team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl...
and returned 30 yards to the Cowboys 3-yard line (Morrall later referred to play as the play of the game). Two plays later, Nowatzke scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and O'Brien's extra point was good to tie the game, 13 – 13. (O'Brien says he was much calmer and more confident on this extra point than on the first one, which was blocked.) Dallas was forced to punt on their ensuing drive, and Widby managed to pin the Colts deep in their own territory with a 40-yard punt that was downed on Baltimore's 5-yard line. Dallas' defense forced Baltimore to punt after 3 plays, and got the ball back with great starting field position after receiving David Lee's 38-yard punt at the Colts 48-yard line with less than 2 minutes left in the game. It looked as though it would become the first super bowl to go into overtime.
On the first play of the drive, Thomas was tackled for a 1-yard loss by Colts defensive tackle Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
. On the next play, Dallas committed a 15-yard holding penalty on the 42-yard line, which was a spot foul, pushing the team all the way back to their own 27-yard line (the NFL did not reduce the penalty for offensive holding to 10 yards until 1974). Then on second down and 35 to go, Morton threw a pass that went through the hands of running back Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
and into the arms of linebacker Mike Curtis, who returned the ball 13 yards to the Cowboys 28-yard line. Two plays later, O'Brien kicked the go ahead 32-yard field goal, giving Baltimore a 16-13 lead with 5 seconds left in the game. O'Brien says he was "on automatic" and was so calm and concentrating so hard that he didn't hear anything and saw only the ball. In an enduring image from Super Bowl V, after O'Brien's game-winning field goal Bob Lilly
Bob Lilly
Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.-College career:...
took off his helmet and hurled it through the air in disgust.
The Cowboys got the ball back on their 40-yard line with a few seconds remaining after O'Brien's ensuing squib kick, but Morton's pass to Garrison was intercepted by Logan at the Baltimore 29-yard line, and time expired.
Morrall was the top passer of the game, with 7 out of 15 completions for 147 yards, with 1 interception. Before being knocked out of the game, Unitas completed 3 out of 9 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, with 2 interceptions. Morton completed more passes than Morrall and Unitas combined (12), but finished the game with 118 fewer passing yards (127), and was intercepted 3 times (all in the fourth quarter). Mackey was the top receiver of the game with 2 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Nowatzke was the Colts' leading rusher with 33 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a pass for 47 yards. Dallas running back Walt Garrison
Walt Garrison
Walter Benton Garrison is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
was the leading rusher of the game with 65 rushing yards, and added 19 yards on 2 pass receptions.
Referencing the numerous turnovers, Morrall said, "It really was a physical game. I mean, people were flying into one another out there." "It was really a hard-hitting game," wrote O'Brien. "It wasn't just guys dropping the ball. They fumbled because they got the snot knocked out of them." Said Tom Landry:
I haven't been around many games where the players hit harder. Sometimes people watch a game and see turnovers and they talk about how sloppy the play was. The mistakes in that game weren't invented, at least not by the people who made them. Most were forced.
"We figured we could win if our offense didn't put us into too many holes", said 35-year old Colts lineman Billy Ray Smith, who was playing in his last NFL game, "Let me put it this way, they didn't put us into any holes we couldn't get out of"http://ag.nfl.com/
Don McCafferty
Don McCafferty
Donald William McCafferty was an American football coach who, in his first year as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, led the team to a victory in Super Bowl V....
became the first rookie head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Box score
Final statistics
Source:The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football, (1973), p. 149, Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY, LCCN 73-3862Statistical comparison
| Baltimore Colts | Dallas Cowboys | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 10 |
| First downs rushing | 4 | 4 |
| First downs passing | 6 | 5 |
| First downs penalty | 4 | 1 |
| Net yards rushing | 69 | 102 |
| Passes attempted | 25 | 26 |
| Passes completed | 11 | 12 |
| Interceptions-yards | 3-57 | 3-22 |
| Net yards passing | 260 | 113 |
| Total yards | 329 | 215 |
| Punts-average | 4-41.5 | 9-41.9 |
| Fumbles-lost | 5-3 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-31 | 10-133 |
Starting lineups
Source:| Baltimore | Position | |Dallas | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||||
| Eddie Hinton Eddie Hinton (American football) Eddie Hinton is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, the Houston Oilers, and the New England Patriots.... |
33 | WR | Bob Hayes Bob Hayes Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete, he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University... |
22 |
| Bob Vogel Bob Vogel Robert Louis Vogel is a former professional American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Colts and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. He played college football at Ohio State... |
72 | LT | Ralph Neely Ralph Neely Ralph Eugene Neely is a former American football offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1977.-Early years:... |
73 |
| Glenn Ressler Glenn Ressler Glenn Emanuel Ressler was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1965 through 1974. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at Penn State University. In 2001 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.... |
62 | LG | John Niland | 76 |
| Bill Curry Bill Curry William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010... |
50 | C | Dave Manders Dave Manders David Francis Manders was an American football center in the National Football League from 1964 through 1974. He played college football at Michigan State University... |
51 |
| John Williams John Williams (tackle) John McKay Williams was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1968 through 1979. During that span he appeared in three Super Bowls: Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts; and Super Bowl XIV for the Los Angeles Rams... |
75 | RG | Blaine Nye Blaine Nye Blaine Francis Nye is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League and founder and president of Stanford Consulting Group, Inc... |
61 |
| Dan Sullivan Dan Sullivan (football player) Daniel Joseph Sullivan was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1962 through 1972. During that span he appeared Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He attended Boston Technical High School. He played college football at the Boston College.-External links:*... |
71 | RT | Rayfield Wright Rayfield Wright Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:... |
70 |
| John Mackey John Mackey (American football) John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University... |
88 | TE | Pettis Norman Pettis Norman Pettis Burch Norman is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League from 1962-1973 for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers.-College career:... |
84 |
| Roy Jefferson Roy Jefferson Roy Lee Jefferson is a former American football wide receiver who played twelve seasons in the National Football League... |
87 | WR | Reggie Rucker Reggie Rucker Reginald Joseph Rucker is a former professional American football player. Rucker played in twelve National Football League seasons from 1970–1981, primarily for the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for Boston University.Rucker has been a part of the Cleveland media since his retirement... |
88 |
| Johnny Unitas Johnny Unitas John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football... |
19 | QB | Craig Morton Craig Morton Larry Craig Morton is a former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, 1965-82... |
14 |
| Norm Bulaich Norm Bulaich Norman Batton Bulaich is a former American football running back in the National Football League.-Professional Career:... |
36 | RB | Duane Thomas Duane Thomas Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974.... |
33 |
| Tom Nowatzke Tom Nowatzke Thomas Matthew "Tom" Nowatzke was a National Football League running back from 1965 through 1972. He scored a touchdown for the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.-References:... |
34 | RB | Walt Garrison Walt Garrison Walter Benton Garrison is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys... |
32 |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| Bubba Smith Bubba Smith Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team... |
78 | LE | Larry Cole Larry Cole Larry Rudolph Cole is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who played his entire professional career with the Dallas Cowboys. He played in five Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl VI and XII... |
63 |
| Billy Ray Smith Billy Ray Smith Sr. Billy Ray Smith, Sr. was a National Football League defensive lineman .-NFL career:Billy Ray Smith, Sr. began his NFL career in 1957, as the third round draft pick for the Los Angeles Rams. He was traded to the Steelers in 1958 and played for Pittsburgh until 1960... |
74 | LT | Jethro Pugh Jethro Pugh Jethro Pugh, Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.-College career:... |
75 |
| Fred Miller | 76 | RT | Bob Lilly Bob Lilly Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.-College career:... |
74 |
| Roy Hilton Roy Hilton Roy Lee Hilton was an American football defensive end in the National Football League from 1965 through 1975. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at Jackson State University.... |
85 | RE | George Andrie George Andrie George Joseph Andrie is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. Andrie prepped at Catholic Central High School.-College career:... |
66 |
| Ray May Ray May -College career:May played college football at the University of Southern California after playing at Los Angeles City College.-High school career:May prepped at Los Angeles High School.... |
56 | LLB | Dave Edwards | 52 |
| Mike Curtis | 32 | MLB | Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976... |
55 |
| Ted Hendricks Ted Hendricks Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League... |
83 | RLB | Chuck Howley Chuck Howley Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League... |
54 |
| Charlie Stukes Charlie Stukes |NFL player|Image= |DateOfBirth=|Birthplace=Chesapeake, Virginia, United States|College=Maryland Eastern Shore|Position=Cornerback|DraftedYear=1967|DraftedRound=4 / Pick 100|ProBowls=|years=1967-19721973-1974|teams=Baltimore ColtsLos Angeles Rams|PFR=... |
47 | LCB | Herb Adderley Herb Adderley Herbert Allen Adderley is a former American football cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.... |
26 |
| Jim Duncan | 35 | RCB | Mel Renfro Mel Renfro Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:... |
20 |
| Jerry Logan Jerry Logan Jerry Don Logan is a former American football player. He played as a safety for ten seasons in the NFL. He was a part of the Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V winning team.... |
20 | LS | Cornell Green | 34 |
| Rick Volk Rick Volk Richard Robert Volk is a former American football player.Volk played college football for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of the 1964 team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl... |
21 | RS | Charlie Waters Charlie Waters Charlie Tutan Waters is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970-1981 in the National Football League... |
41 |
Officials
- Referee: Norm SchachterNorm SchachterDr. Norm Schachter in Brooklyn, New York was an American football official in the National Football League for 22 years from 1954 to 1975. Over his career in the NFL, he worked three Super Bowls , 11 conference championship games, and was the referee for the first Monday Night Football game in...
(#56) - Umpire: Paul Trepinski (#22)
- Head Linesman: Ed Marion (#26)
- Line Judge: Jack Fette (#39)
- Field Judge: Fritz Graf (#34)
- Back Judge: Hugh Gamber (#70)
Note: A seven-official system was not used until 1978