1975 Orange Bowl

The 1975 Orange Bowl was the 41st edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1974 bowl game season, it matched the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a rematch of the previous season's Sugar Bowl. In a game dominated by both defenses, underdog Notre Dame held on to upset the Tide, 13–11.[3][4][5][6]

1975 Orange Bowl
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Alabama Crimson Tide
(9–2) (11–0)
13 11
Head coach: 
Ara Parseghian		 Head coach: 
Bear Bryant
APCoaches
98
APCoaches
21
1234 Total
Notre Dame 7600 13
Alabama 0308 11
DateJanuary 1, 1975
Season1974
StadiumOrange Bowl
LocationMiami, Florida
MVPWayne Bullock, Notre Dame FB
FavoriteAlabama by 9 to 10 points[1][2]
Attendance71,801
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersJim Simpson and John Brodie

Teams

Alabama
See also: 1974 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Alabama finished the regular season with an 11–0 record and were conference champions. Following their victory over Mississippi State, Orange Bowl officials announced Alabama accepted an invitation to play against Notre Dame in a rematch of the previous year's Sugar Bowl.[7] The appearance marked the seventh for Alabama in the Orange Bowl, and their 28th overall bowl game appearance.[8]

Undefeated Alabama was first in the UPI coaches poll (#2 in AP poll) and favored by nine to ten points.[1][2]

Notre Dame
See also: 1974 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Notre Dame went 9–2 in the regular season, with losses to Purdue and USC. Following their victory over Navy, Orange Bowl officials announced an invitation to Notre Dame and Alabama.[7] The appearance marked the second for Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, and their sixth overall bowl game appearance. It was notable as Ara Parseghian's final game as Notre Dame head coach, as he announced his resignation from the position December 15.[9] He was succeeded by Dan Devine, the head coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers for four seasons, and previously led Missouri (1958–1970) and Arizona State (1955–1957).

Game summary

Earlier in the evening in California, fifth-ranked USC won the Rose Bowl by a point over #3 Ohio State. Top-ranked Oklahoma was bowl ineligible, and #4 Michigan was also idle, as this was the final season that the Big Ten Conference (and Pac-8) allowed just one bowl team.

The final game of New Year's Day, the Orange Bowl kicked off at night; midway through the first quarter, Alabama's Willie Shelby fumbled a punt that was recovered by Notre Dame's Al Samuel at the Crimson Tide 16-yard line.[10] Five plays later, the Irish scored on a 4-yard Wayne Bullock touchdown run to take a 7–0 lead.[10] Their lead was extended to 13–0 midway through the second quarter after Mark McLane scored on a 9-yard touchdown run to cap a 17-play, 77-yard drive.[10] A 21-yard field goal by Danny Ridgeway cut the lead to 13–3 at the half.[10]

After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide scored a late touchdown on a 48-yard Richard Todd touchdown pass to Russ Schamun, and with a successful two-point conversion closed the gap to 13–11.[10] After a defensive stop, Alabama got the ball back at its own 38 with under two minutes remaining, needing only a field goal to win. After two completions, the ball was on the Irish 38; Todd missed an open Ozzie Newsome and threw an interception to Reggie Barnett, effectively ending the comeback for the Tide.[10][11]

In an era of few postseason games, this was Alabama's sixteenth consecutive bowl appearance, but was the eighth straight without a victory (0–7–1). Their last postseason win was in January 1967;[3] starting with the next season, the Tide won six consecutive bowl games.

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Notre Dame Alabama
1 6:41 5 plays, 16 yards 1:30 Notre Dame Wayne Bullock 4-yard touchdown run, Dave Reeve kick good 7 0
2 8:29 17 plays, 77 yards 7:21 Notre Dame Mark McLane 9-yard touchdown run, Dave Reeve kick no good 13 0
2 1:45 10 plays, 36 yards 4:01 Alabama 21-yard field goal by Danny Ridgeway 13 3
4 3:13 4 plays, 53 yards 1:16 Alabama Russ Schamun 48-yard touchdown reception from Richard Todd, 2-point pass good 13 11
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 13 11

References
  1. "Irish hurting physically for Ara's finale at ND". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. January 1, 1975. p. 50.
  2. "Game of the year for Crimson Tide". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. January 1, 1975. p. 15.
  3. McKenzie, Mike (January 2, 1975). "Mistakes spell defeat for Tide". Tuscaloosa News. p. 13.
  4. Underwood, John; Jares, Joe (January 13, 1975). "Top of the ladder, with a boost". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  5. "Memory of USC defeat spurs Irish to upset Alabama". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. January 2, 1975. p. 11, part 2.
  6. "Emotion-charged Notre Dame jolts 'Bama in Orange Bowl". Toledo Blade (Ohio). Associated Press. January 2, 1975. p. 24.
  7. McKenzie, Mike (November 5, 1974). "Bama takes Orange bid, Bear silent". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 11.
  8. "Alabama Crimson Tide". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  9. "Notre Dame's Ara Parseghian ends 25-year coaching career". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). United Press International. December 16, 1974. p. 13. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  10. McKenzie, Mike (January 2, 1975). "Mistakes spell defeat for Tide". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 13. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  11. "End of Ara era: Irish stem Tide". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1975. p. 41.
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