1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

{{short description|Postseason college football game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the UMass Minutemen}}

{{about|the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game|the Division I-A (now FBS) champions|1978 NCAA Division I-A football season}}

{{infobox college football game

| game_name = NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship

| subheader = I-AA National Championship Game
Pioneer Bowl

| football_season = 1978

| football_division = NCAA Division I-AA

| year_game_played = 1978

| date_game_played = December 16

| visitor_school = Florida A&M University

| visitor_name_short = Florida A&M

| visitor_nickname = Rattlers

| visitor_record = 11–1

| visitor_conference = SIAC

| visitor_coach = Rudy Hubbard

| visitor_rank_AP = 3

| visitor_1q = 0

| visitor_2q = 14

| visitor_3q = 7

| visitor_4q = 14

| home_school = University of Massachusetts

| home_name_short = UMass

| home_nickname = Minutemen

| home_record = 9–3

| home_conference = Yankee Conference

| home_coach = Bob Pickett

| home_rank_AP = 4 (tie)

| home_1q = 3

| home_2q = 3

| home_3q = 9

| home_4q = 13

| stadium = Memorial Stadium

| city = Wichita Falls, Texas

| attendance = 13,604{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf |title=Division I Championship |publisher=NCAA |date=2013 |page=14 |accessdate=May 11, 2019 |via=ncaa.org}}

| us_network = ABC Sports

| us_announcers = Bill Flemming (play-by-play), Frank Broyles (color){{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31516964/abc_still_owes_the_rattlers_one/ |title=ABC still owes the Rattlers one |first=Brian |last=Richardson |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=5D |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}

| first_game_ever_played = yes

| different_next = 1979

}}

The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the UMass Minutemen. The game was played on December 16, 1978, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Florida A&M, 35–28.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/17/archives/umass-toppled-in-bowl-3528-angelo-state-34-elon-14.html |title=UMass Toppled in Bowl, 35-28 |agency=AP |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019}}

This was the first season of I-AA play, and the first championship game for the newly formed division. The game was also known as the Pioneer Bowl,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28224327/iaa_finals_set_at_pioneer_bowl/ |title=I-AA Finals Set At Pioneer Bowl |first=David |last=Climer |newspaper=The Tennessean |location=Nashville, Tennessee |page=20 |date=July 22, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}} a name that had been used starting in 1971 for various NCAA playoff games held in Wichita Falls.

Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1978 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a four-team bracket.

=Florida A&M Rattlers=

In 1978, Florida A&M was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), a Division II conference. The university had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31514902/florida_am_granted_divison_1_status/ |title=Florida A&M granted Division 1 status |first=Barry |last=Cooper |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=1B |date=August 31, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}

Florida A&M finished their regular season with a 9–1 record; their only loss was to Tennessee State.{{cite web |url=http://cfbinfo.com/team/florida-am-rattlers/1978 |title=Florida A&M Rattlers 1978 Schedule |website=cfbinfo.com |accessdate=May 13, 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Ranked third in the final AP Poll for I-AA,{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31516364/reno_gets_playoff_berth/ |title=Reno gets playoff berth |agency=AP |newspaper=Billings Gazette |location=Billings, Montana |page=1-B |date=November 21, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}} and then having defeated Grambling State in the Orange Blossom Classic played on December 2, the Rattlers were the at-large selection to the four-team playoff. They defeated Jackson State, the South selection, by a score of 15–10 to reach the final.

=UMass Minutemen=

UMass finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–0 in conference)—all of their losses were to Division I-A programs; Villanova, Harvard, and Rutgers.{{cite web |url=http://cfbinfo.com/team/massachusetts-minutemen/1978 |title=Massachusetts Minutemen 1978 Schedule |website=cfbinfo.com |accessdate=May 13, 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Tied with Western Kentucky for fourth in the final AP Poll for I-AA, the Minutemen were the East selection to the playoff. They defeated Nevada, the West selection, by a 44–21 score to reach the final.

Game summary

The game was played in a strong wind, estimated at {{convert|20|-|25|mph|kph}}. It was a factor, especially with Florida A&M, as Sammy Knight punted six times for only 45 total yards; he also had two punts blocked. UMass led early, going ahead 6–0 on two field goals. Florida A&M held a 14–6 lead at halftime, but trailed twice in the second half, as UMass had leads of 15–14 and 22–21. Two fourth quarter touchdowns by fullback Mike Solomon then provided Florida A&M with the winning margin. Florida A&M won without completing a pass from scrimmage, as quarterback Albert Chester went 0-for-7 with two interceptions; he did successfully pass for a two-point conversion, and ran for two touchdowns.

Florida A&M placekicker Vince Coleman, who was 3-for-3 on extra points, would go on to play 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-12-8501290837-story.html |title=Cards' Rookie Looks Like a Steal |first=Jody |last=Homer |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 12, 1985 |accessdate=May 14, 2019}}

Note: contemporary news reports listed attendance as 14,000 (estimated); NCAA records indicate 13,604.

=Scoring summary=

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart |VisitorName=FAMU|HomeName=MASS|state=}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=1

| Time=10:18

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=9

| DriveLength=40

| DriveTime=

| Type=FG

| yards=20

| Kicker=Sandro Vitiello

| Visitor=0

| Home=3

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=10:14

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=4

| DriveLength=(-2)

| DriveTime=

| Type=FG

| yards=20

| Kicker=Vitiello

| Visitor=0

| Home=6

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=8:30

| Team=FAMU

| DrivePlays=

| DriveLength=55

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Albert Chester

| yards=1

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Vince Coleman

| Visitor=7

| Home=6

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=4:22

| Team=FAMU

| DrivePlays=

| DriveLength=49

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Chester

| yards=4

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Coleman

| Visitor=14

| Home=6

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=6:54

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=3

| DriveLength=8

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Cliff Pedro

| yards=1

| 2pt type=pass

| 2pt result=incomplete

| Visitor=14

| Home=12

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=1:57

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=

| DriveLength=37

| DriveTime=

| Type=FG

| yards=29

| Kicker=Vitiello

| Visitor=14

| Home=15

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=3

| Time=

| Team=FAMU

| DrivePlays=2

| DriveLength=71

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Mike Solomon

| yards=65

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Coleman

| Visitor=21

| Home=15

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=12:56

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=3

| DriveLength=13

| DriveTime=

| Type=RecTD

| Receiver=Pedro

| QB=Mike McEvilly

| yards=9

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Vitiello

| Visitor=21

| Home=22

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=8:14

| Team=FAMU

| DrivePlays=1

| DriveLength=28

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Solomon

| yards=28

| 2pt type=pass

| 2pt result=good (Emanuel White from Chester)

| Visitor=29

| Home=22

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=3:15

| Team=FAMU

| DrivePlays=8

| DriveLength=55

| DriveTime=

| Type=RushTD

| Runner=Solomon

| yards=20

| 2pt type=pass

| 2pt result=failed

| Visitor=35

| Home=22

}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=0:00

| Team=MASS

| DrivePlays=

| DriveLength=

| DriveTime=

| Type=RecTD

| Receiver=Chris Kurtz

| QB=McEvilly

| yards=34

| 2pt type=pass

| 2pt result=failed

| Visitor=35

| Home=28

}}

{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31547045/famu_captures_a_national_title/ |title=FAMU captures a national title |first=Barry |last=Cooper |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=1A |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31547114/famu_contd/ |title=FAMU (cont'd) |first=Barry |last=Cooper |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=7A |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31516987/am_figures/ |title=A&M figures |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |location=Tallahassee, Florida |page=5D |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}

=Game statistics=

{{Linescore Amfootball|

|Road=Rattlers

|R1=0 |R2=14 |R3=7 |R4=14

|Home=Minutemen

|H1=3 |H2=3 |H3=9 |H4=13

}}

File:Rudy Hubbard - Tallahassee, Florida.jpg]]

{{AmFootballGameStatistics

| Visitor = Florida A&M Rattlers

| VisitorDisplay = FAMU

| Home = UMass Minutemen

| HomeDisplay = MASS

| VisFirsts = 20

| VisPlaysYds = 83–470

| VisRushing = 76–470

| VisPassYds = 0

| VisPassing = 0–7–2

| VisTOP =

| HomeFirsts = 11

| HomePlaysYds = 69–241

| HomeRushing = 45–116

| HomePassYds = 125

| HomePassing = 8–24–1

| HomeTOP =

}}

{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers

| Visitor = Florida A&M Rattlers

| VisitorDisplay = Florida A&M

| Home = UMass Minutemen

| HomeDisplay = UMass

| VisPasser = Albert Chester

| VisPassStats = 0–7, 2 INT

| VisRusher = Mike Solomon

| VisRushStats = 27 car, 207 yds, 3 TD

| VisReceiver = none

| VisReceivingStats = —

| HomePasser = Mike McEvilly

| HomePassStats = 8–24, 125 yds, 2 TD 1 INT

| HomeRusher = Hank Sareault

| HomeRushStats = 16 car, 71 yds

| HomeReceiver = Chris Kurtz

| HomeReceivingStats = 2 rec, 46 yds, 1 TD

}}

{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31516882/famu_wins_it_all_3528/ |title=FAMU Wins It All, 35-28 |first=Brian |last=Schmitz |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida |page=1C |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31516834/famu_rattlers_strike_back_for_iaa/ |title=FAMU Rattlers Strike Back For I-AA Championship |first=Brian |last=Schmitz |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida |page=10C |date=December 17, 1978 |accessdate=May 13, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}

1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

Teams

=Florida A&M Rattlers=

=UMass Minutemen=

Game summary

=Scoring summary=

=Game statistics=

See also

References

Further reading