New Year’s Day bowl memories: Part 3

Nebraska Quarterback Turner Gill (#12) rallied the Cornhuskers to a come-from-behind win over LSU in the 1983 Orange Bowl.

Source: Ghosts of the Orange Bowl

(May be subject to copyright)

New Year’s Day of 1983 rolled around, I again was hyped to watch some college football. Tuning in to watch two or three, and sometimes four games always felt like a brand new world. Sometimes, teams I had seen before were back, playing either in the same bowl game or a different one. Often, they had some of the same players back, so it felt a little bit like being reacquainted with old friends.

I had that same feeling for the next few years right until I finished high school in 1987.

The 1983 games were highlighted not as much about national championship implications, but some individual players who would go on to future success.

Cotton Bowl showcase
Again, “TV Guide” had a preview of the Cotton Bowl. This year, it featured the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Southern Methodist University, or SMU, Mustangs. The Panthers were led by quarterback Dan Marino, who was considered a top prospect. The Mustangs were led by the Pony Express, the backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James.

Marino had been considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but his statistics took a dip in the 1982 season, and he really did not impress in the Cotton Bowl either. He put together some drives, but the offence could not score a touchdown, and managed one field goal. He did complete 19 of 37 passes for 181 yards. Dickerson and James would also play fairly well, as Dickerson rushed for 124 yards, but their offence scored only one major, the lone touchdown of the game. After a scoreless first half, the first since 1961, the Mustangs won the game 7-3.

Marino would go on to a record-setting, hall-of-fame career, as would Dickerson. In fact, Dickerson still holds the NFL record for rushing yards in a single season. Interestingly, SMU would be sanctioned for recruiting violations in 1987 and become the only football program issued the death penalty, meaning their football program was shut down for two seasons.

First Fiesta
The reason, I started watching the Fiesta Bowl was that, when CTV tuned in to the NBC feed for its afternoon Rose Bowl coverage, the Fiesta Bowl was still in progress.

The 1983 Fiesta Bowl was the first one I saw, and it pitted the Oklahoma Sooners, who had become my favourite college team by that point, against the Arizona State Sun Devils. This was a game I had read about in “TV Guide” as well. However, I did not pay much attention because I thought I had no access to it on peasant vision.

I was wrong.

The player I remember the “TV Guide” write-up talking about was kicker Luis Zendejas, and he did not disappoint, kicking three field goals.

The Sooners, by this time, had lost Billy Sims and J.C. Watts to graduation, but were still loaded at the runningback position with players such as Fred Sims, no relation to Billy, and Stanley Wilson. However, it was another back, Marcus Dupree, who shined. He rushed for 239 yards, setting a Fiesta Bowl record that still stands. He played just over half the game though, leaving several times with different injuries. In fact, I did not see him play, just heard about his day when he was named the game’s offensive most valuable player.

Despite Dupree’s efforts, the Sun Devils won the game by a score of 32-21.

Home at the Rose Bowl
The UCLA Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl to play their home games in the 1982 season. They capped it off with a trip to the Rose Bowl game on January 1, 1983 against the Michigan Wolverines.

The Bruins had a lot of players I distinctly remember from this team. There was quarterback Tom Ramsey, runningback Frank Cephous, tight end Paul Bergmann, and receivers JoJo Townsell, Karl Dorrell, and Mike Sherrard. On defence they had this big bald, hard-hitting defensive back named Don Rogers who seemed to be everywhere on the field. The Bruins also had an amazing place kicker named John Lee.

The Wolverines were led by quarterback Steve Smith, runningback Lawrence Ricks; receiver Anthony Carter, who was two years older from the last time I saw him, and even better; and place kicker Ali Haki-Sheikh, who was also still there from the game I saw two years earlier.

Ramsey was an excellent quarterback, spreading the ball around, and would be named offensive most valuable player of the game. Rogers was named defensive most valuable player. His biggest play was knocking out Wolverine quarterback Steve Smith with a separated shoulder. Back-up David Hall came in, and engineered a touchdown drive, but that was about all as UCLA was just too much on offence and defence, winning by a score of 24-14.

What I will always remember about that game was Tom Ramsey’s post-game interview. One of the first things he said was, “I sure hope Steve Smith is all right”.

Ramsey would go on to play for New England in the NFL. Sherrard would play for Dallas, San Francisco, the New York Giants, and Denver. Townsell suited up for for the New York Jets. Dorrell played briefly for Dallas, but would go on to coach the Bruins and the Colorado Buffaloes. Rogers would play for Cleveland, but die of a drug overdose after his second year; and Lee played a season with the Cardinals.

Steve Smith would come north and play with the Montreal Concordes and fellow quarterback Turner Gill, who you will meet shortly.

Meanwhile in Miami
The Nebraska Cornhuskers made their second of three straight appearances in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1983, going up against the Louisiana State University Tigers.

I was cheering for the Tigers in this game, because I liked their quarterback Allan Risher, runningback Dalton Hilliard, and kicker Juan Betanzos. Nebraska had a lot of players I really liked too, such as quarterback Turner Gill, runningback Mike Rozier, receiver Irving Fryar, fullback Mark Schellen, and centre Dave Rimington.

The Tigers staked themselves to a lead on the strength of several turnovers by Nebraska. Yet, they settled for a lot of of field goals, which came back to bite them, as Gill rallied he Huskers to take the lead and hold on for a 21-20 win.

There were a lot of interesting things I recall about that game.

They asked Irving Fryar what the biggest difference between Miami and Lincoln, Nebraska was on New Year’s Day. He responded, “In Miami you can start your car.”

Turner Gill had come all the way back from a serious leg injury. In fact, at the 1982 Orange Bowl against Clemson, he was in a cast, and there were some doubts he would play again. He ultimately made his way north and played in the CFL with Montreal.

Dave Rimington was already being praised as potentially the greatest centre ever. He was an All-American, Outland and Lombardi Trophy winner, and had a solid career with Cincinnati in the NFL. Oh, and the award given out to the best centre in college football is now called – the Dave Rimington Award.

Fryar would go on to be drafted first overall in the 1984 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he would play with Craig James. Mike Rozier would be drafted first overall in the 1984 USFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Maulers, after winning the Heisman Trophy in the 1983 season.

Allan Risher would also play in the USFL, while Dalton Hilliard would team up with Canadian Rueben Mayes to form a formidable backfield with the New Orleans Saints in the mid 1980s.

Parting thoughts
When I was a kid, I used to keep a notebook with me when I watched sports on TV. I would write down the names of players, their teams, and sometimes their positions or other notes. The reason I recall players such as Juan Betanzos is because I wrote their names down.

I recall thinking what a great day of college football it was.

The funny thing was, I would not give college football a second thought until New Year’s Day rolled around again in 1984.

That year had a game for the ages.