1983 NCAA Tournament
The 1983 Tournament was based on the final AP rankings. Last year's champion Nebraska was knocked out in the Elite 8 by eventual champion Brigham Young. There were only two lower seeds winning in the opening round. #9 Ohio State beat #8 Michigan and #12 SMU upset #5 Texas.
National Semi Final #1 (Georgia Bulldogs at Miami Hurricanes)
December 31, 1983 @ The Orange Bowl, Temp 58, Clear, No Wind
The Georgia Bulldogs scored 13 points in the 4th quarter to rally from behind and stun the top seeded Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, 16-13 and take their spot in the championship game.
The Hurricanes led the game 10-0 at the half and 13-3 after three quarters. However, they could not deliver a knockout punch in the 4th, and instead the Bulldogs pulled off the comeback and upset. The Hurricanes blocked a Kevin Butler field goal attempt on the Bulldogs opening drive of the game. Just before the end of the first quarter, Glenn Dennison caught a 7yd TD pass from Bernie Kosar to put Miami up 7-0. Both defenses controlled the game in the 2nd quarter. Just after the two minute warning the Hurricanes added three points on a Jeff Davis 34yd field goal to make it 10-0. The Bulldogs were lucky to make it to the half at that score as the narrowly escaped disaster in the waning moments. Georgia QB John Lastinger gambled instead of being conservative. He tried a pass that was intercepted by Miami's Jay Brophy. Brophy set up the Hurricane offense at the Georgia 38yd line. However, Davis missed a 19yd field goal just before the end of the half. Miami received to start the 2nd half and put together a nice five minute drive. Davis connected on an 18yd field goal to put the Hurricanes up 13-0. Everything seemed to be going just fine for the 'Canes. Late in the 3rd quarter Georgia finally got on the board on a 45yd field goal by Butler cutting Miami's lead to 13-3. Then on the ensuing drive, Miami Running Back Albert Bentley fumbled and Georgia's Donald Chumley recovered at the Miami 34yd line, putting Georgia in great shape as the 4th quarter starts. The Bulldogs called three running plays for a total of two yards and then called on Butler for a long 50yd field goal attempt. He drilled it through to make the score 13-6. Georgia kicked off and then dejavu struck Miami. Bentley fumbled again. Tommy Thurson recovered at the Hurricane 48yd line. Georgia drove to the Miami 18yd line before stalling. Butler came on and hit his third field of the game to make it 13-9 with just under eight minutes left to play. Georgia kicked off, and on the first play of the drive, Miami gave the ball to Speedy Neal. Neal then did the unthinkable. He fumbled! Thurson again fell on the ball for Georgia at the Hurricane 18yd line. A stunned Miami defense took the field and this time they didn't have it them to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone. Two plays later Scott Williams ran in from five yards out and Georgia now had a 16-13 lead. Three straight fumbles resulted in 13 Georgia points in the span of six minutes. The teams exchanged punts and Miami got the ball back one last time with 1:46 on the clock. Two incompletions and then John Smatana intercepted Kosar to end the game. MVP: Tommy Thurson (Georgia), 11Tkl, 3 PD, 2 FF, 2 REC For Georgia: Montgomery 57yd rushing...Lastinger 15/22, 75, INT...Archie 20yd receiving...Thurson 11Tkl, 2FF, 2 Fum Rec. For Miami: Bentley 68yd rushing, 4 Fmb-2 Lst...Kosar 15/29, 114, TD, INT...Dennison 38yd receiving, TD...Brophy 14Tkl, INT...Sisk 11Tkl |
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National Semi Final #2 (Brigham Young Cougars at Auburn Tigers)
December 31, 1983 @ Jordan-Hare Stadium, Temp 41, Cloudy, No wind
Brigham Young and Auburn hooked up for one of the most entertaining semi-final games in tournament history. In the end, BYU had just a shade more offense to come up with a 48-42 win and earn a spot in the championship game against Georgia.
There teams combined for 21 possessions in the game and scored points on 14 of them. Add in two turnovers (both by BYU), three punts and the end of half and end of game. BYU never punted and scored touchdowns on six straight drives. Auburn scored TD's on four of their first five drives and two of their last three. Auburn took the opening kick and went right down the field cashing in on a Bo Jackson 3yd TD run. BYU answered with a Lee Johnson 26yd field goal to make it 7-3. Auburn struck quick when Lionel James ran 68yds for a score to make it 14-3. BYU then turned the ball over when Kirk Pendleton hauled in a pass from Steve Young, but then fumbled. Jimmie Warren recovered for Auburn at the BYU 34yd line. Bo Jackson scored his second TD of the game and the Tigers were up 21-3 at the end of the first quarter. BYU started the second quarter with an Eddie Stinnett 2yd TD run to make it 21-10. Auburn was then the first team to punt and BYU scored three plays later when Waymon Hamilton rumbled in for a 33yd TD run cutting the Auburn lead to 21-17. Auburn then got the ball back and took their time with a seven minute drive, capped by Tommie Agee's four yard run. Tigers now lead 28-17. BYU wasn't done yet. They go right back down the field and then QB Steve Young ran in on a five yard keeper to make it 28-24 at halftime. The teams went to the locker room to catch their breath, as did the fans! BYU took the opening kick of the second half and five minutes later had their first lead of the game. Young tossed a 27yd TD pass to Adam Haysbert to put the Cougars up 31-28. Auburn punted and the Cougars found the endzone again with an 8yd TD run by Casey Tiumalu to make the score 38-28. Again Auburn's offense stumbled and the Tigers punted the ball away as the game heads to the 4th quarter. The Cougars added to their lead when Young connected with Glen Kozlowski on a 6yd TD pass. It was now 45-28 BYU in the lead. Auburn needed to make something happen and fast. Enter Bo Jackson. Jackson took off on an 80yd TD run on the first play of their next possession to make it a 45-35 game. BYU got the ball back and again drove down the field as they have done all game, but this time Young got greedy and from the Auburn 13yd line he tried to force in a pass to Bill McNabb. Danny Robinson picked off the pass to keep the Tigers in the game. Jackson again provided instant scoring as he found paydirt for the fourth time today. This time a 56yd run to cut the Cougar lead to 45-42 with just under six minutes to play. BYU got the ball back and Young guided them into scoring position again. Johnson kicked a 29yd field goal to make it 48-42 with 1:30 left in the game. Still, Auburn could win with a touchdown. Auburn got past midfield with 25 seconds remaining. BYU then made things worse for themselves by getting called for a roughing the passer penalty, moving the ball to the 33yd line. Jackson ran for 10yds and got out of bounds with 11 seconds left. James then took a pitch and ran around the end going out of bounds at the 14yd line. However, the clock did run out and the would be the end of the game. MVP: Steve Young (BYU) 460yd, 2 TD, 193 Rating, 9yds rushing, TD For BYU: Tiumalu 71yd rushing, TD...Hamilton 69yd rushing, TD...Young 30/38, 460yd, 2TD, INT...Pendleton 149yd receiving For Auburn: Jackson 242yds rushing, 4TD...James 115yd rushing, TD...Agee 71yd rushing, TD...Campbell 4/7, 42yd...Victor Beasley 14Tkl, FF |
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National Championship (Brigham Young Cougars v Georgia Bulldogs)
January 7th, 1984 @ The Cotton Bowl, Temp 38, Cloudy, Wind 5 mph
The Brigham Young Cougars built up a 17-0 halftime lead and then held on to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs 17-14 and win their first championship.
The Cougars came into the game after an offensive explosion against Auburn in the semi-finals. It was still clicking in the first half, but the Georgia figured it out at halftime and kept them from scoring the rest of the game. Meanwhile Georgia's offense never could get itself going until it was too late. Not surprisingly, BYU scored on the opening drive of the game. Eddie Stinnett ran in from 5yds out to put the Cougars up 7-0. After Georgia punted, the Cougars got a 26yd field goal from Lee Johnson to make it 10-0. In the second quarter, Waymon Hamilton scored on a 7yd TD run to put the Cougars up 17-0. Just before halftime, BYU looked to have scored to go up 24-0, but Stinnett's 9yd TD run was wiped out on a holding call. At the half, it's 17-0 BYU in front. At halftime the Georgia defense found whatever it was that was needed to slow BYU down and held the Cougars two possessions and two punts. Unfortunately, they did the same, but had possession as the game headed to the 4th quarter with BYU still up 17-0. Georgia continued their drive from the 3rd quarter and broke through for their first points of the game on a 5yd run by Kevin Montgomery. It's now 17-7 with 13:39 to play. BYU was forced into a three and out, and the Dogs struck quickly as Montgomery scored his second TD of the game on a 27yd run. It's now 17-14 with just over 11 minutes to play. The teams exchanged punts and then Georgia's Andre Holmes snuffed out a BYU drive by picking off Young at the Georgia 13yd line. The teams exchanged punts again and Georgia got the ball back with 2:36 on the clock. Lastinger found Carence Kay for a big 28yd gain and with just under two minutes to play, Georgia was at the BYU 28yd line. On the very next play running back Barry Young ran four yards but was stirpped of the ball. Marv Allen recovered for the Cougars a their 24 yard line. The Cougars killed the clock and celebrated their first championship. MVP: Eddie Stinnett (BYU) 85yd rushing, TD, 5 catches, 20yds For BYU: Tiumalu 104yd rushing, Stinnett 85yd rushing, TD...Young 24/33, 162, 2INT, 97yd rushing...Marv Allen 10Tkl For Georgia: Montgomery 85yd rushing, 2 TD...Lastinger 10/17, 123yd...Archie 42yd receiving...Knox Culpepper 13Tkl...Thurson 12Tkl, INT |
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