37 years ago today: Gophers upset Warren Moon led Washington Huskies

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

per Minnesota Football fb page:

This Day in Gopher Football History: The Gophers beat eventual Rose Bowl champion Washington 37 years ago. Catch up on more Maroon and Gold history here: z.umn.edu/fbhistory

 

[Schnauzer]

ohhhhhh. Love it. Thanks for sharing. Warran Moon vs Marion Barber. I realize Memorial Stadium had a bigger capacity than current day TCF Bank Stadium. However, despite all the losing between 1977 and now, I would think there'd be more people in the seats for a game against Washington now than there obviously was then. Or, at least a higher percentage of seats sold... at the very least.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

I was there to see a great defensive effort by the Gophers. A week earlier earlier they shut down UCLA, Washington's main competition for the Pac title - and, of course, they beat Washington's Rose Bowl opponent, Michigan, 16-0, another victory in Memorial Stadium. This '77 record caused Cal Stoll to say on 'CCO, "I really am a defensive coach." He was right that year as they held five opponents to 1 touchdown or less, blanking two of them.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

I was only 10 at the time, but my earliest memories of MBll running wild really got me started as a Golden Gophers football fan. It's hard to believe that team only won 7 games with wins over Washington, UCLA, and Michigan that year.

 

[highwayman]

Still the only team in NCAA history to beat both Rose Bowl participants in the same season.

 

[metrolax]

That team could have been even better......

One thing they lacked was true strength at the QB position, alternating between Wendall Avery, Marc Trestman, and Mark Carlson. When Stoll
recruited Tony Dungy, he wanted to redshirt him his freshman year in 1973, which would have made him a senior n 1977. However, injuries at
the QB position in 1973 forced him onto the field. Had the Gophers had Dungy at the helm in 1977, the Gophers would have won 9 games, and
Stoll would have coached at the U another 10 years.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

That team could have been even better......

One thing they lacked was true strength at the QB position, alternating between Wendall Avery, Marc Trestman, and Mark Carlson. When Stoll
recruited Tony Dungy, he wanted to redshirt him his freshman year in 1973, which would have made him a senior n 1977. However, injuries at
the QB position in 1973 forced him onto the field. Had the Gophers had Dungy at the helm in 1977, the Gophers would have won 9 games, and
Stoll would have coached at the U another 10 years.

It would have been interesting if Dungy was leading that team. Possibly a Rose Bowl rematch.

 

[WAGopher]

I was only 10 at the time, but my earliest memories of MBll running wild really got me started as a Golden Gophers football fan. It's hard to believe that team only won 7 games with wins over Washington, UCLA, and Michigan that year.

And the wins were all at home. For whatever reason, they could not win on the road, even losing to Maryland at the Hall of Fame Bowl game in Birmingham, AL for a final record of 7-6.

 

[metrolax]

And the wins were all at home. For whatever reason, they could not win on the road, even losing to Maryland at the Hall of Fame Bowl game in Birmingham, AL for a final record of 7-6.

Right- they finished 7-4 in the regular season, 7-5 after the bowl.

The Gophers back then really did enjoy a solid homefield advantage at the Brickhouse. Even against OSU and Michigan, who dominated
the league back then, the Gophs always played them tough at home but got creamed on the road.

UCLA, Washington, and Michigan were all solid home wins.

 

[mplsbadger]

Still the only team in NCAA history to beat both Rose Bowl participants in the same season.

While a great achievement, I'm afraid that's not accurate.

Notre Dame swept USC and Michigan in the '89 and '90 seasons. Michigan defeated USC in the '90 Rose Bowl and USC defeated Michigan in the '91 Rose Bowl.

 

[STPGopher]

+1 MBII was my favorite Gopher and the reason I always wanted 41 growing up. Not Dave Osborne!. Nothing wrong with Dave, but I loved MBII. Great Gopher!

 

[WAGopher]

Right- they finished 7-4 in the regular season, 7-5 after the bowl.

Thank you for the correction. It was obviously a typo, you know, with the 6 key being so close to the 5. Lol.

 

[dpodoll68]

While a great achievement, I'm afraid that's not accurate.

Notre Dame swept USC and Michigan in the '89 and '90 seasons. Michigan defeated USC in the '90 Rose Bowl and USC defeated Michigan in the '91 Rose Bowl.

Not only that, but it's kind of a silly stat because how many times has a team played both Rose Bowl participants in the same season?