1978 Gator Bowl

1978 Gator Bowl
Ohio State Buckeyes Clemson Tigers
(7–3–1) (10–1)
15 17
Head coach: 
Woody Hayes		 Head coach: 
Danny Ford
APCoaches
20NR
APCoaches
78
1234 Total
Ohio State 0906 15
Clemson 01070 17
Date December 29, 1978
Season 1978
Stadium Gator Bowl Stadium
Location Jacksonville, Florida
MVP Steve Fuller (QB, Clemson) & Art Schlichter (QB, Ohio State)[1]
Referee James M. Artley (SEC)
Attendance 72,011
United States TV coverage
Network ABC
Announcers Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian

The 1978 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers on December 29, 1978. Clemson won the game 17-15, and it is most remembered for an incident in which long time Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes punched a Clemson player after a play, leading to Hayes' firing the next day.

Woody Hayes incident

With just over two minutes left in the game, Ohio State had the ball near midfield trailing 17–15. Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter threw a short pass that was intercepted by Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman. Bauman avoided several tackles and was finally shoved out of bounds on the Ohio State sideline. After Bauman got up, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes grabbed his jersey, punched him in the throat, and had to be restrained from hitting him again. Bauman was unaffected by Hayes' attack, but the incident sparked a brief but intense bench-clearing fight between players of both teams.

Ohio State was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the referee could not explain the penalty to the crowd in the stadium or the TV audience because they did not have microphones at the time, and the ABC sports TV announcer Keith Jackson had not seen the punch right away. Hayes stormed onto the field and pulled on an official's shirt a few plays later, drawing another penalty for his team. Meanwhile, Clemson was able to run out the clock and won 17–15.[2][3]

After it became clear that Hayes had punched an opposing player, Ohio State's athletic director fired Hayes the next morning, ending his 28 season tenure as the Buckeyes head coach.[4]

Future rematches

Ohio State and Clemson would meet again in the 2014 Orange Bowl and the semifinal for the College Football Playoff in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, with Clemson winning both times.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.taxslayerbowl.com/1978-2/
  2. ↑ Fineman, Alex. "Hayes produced champions, controversy". ESPN Classic. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  3. ↑ https://www.si.com/college-football/2016/12/23/woody-hayes-punch-clemson-ohio-state
  4. ↑ "Woody Hayes KO'd himself in 1978 Gator Bowl". The Washington Times. December 27, 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-19.


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