1977 Texas Longhorns football team
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin
in the 1977 college football season
.
player at the University of Texas at Austin
, Earl Campbell won the Heisman Trophy
in 1977 and led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards. In 1977, he became the first recipient of the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy which was awarded to the most outstanding player in the now-defunct Southwest Conference. He was selected as the Southwest Conference running back of the year in each of his college seasons and finished with 4,444 career rushing yards.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in the 1977 college football season
1977 college football season
The 1977 college football season was one in which the top five teams all finished with records of 11-1-0. Notre Dame, which beat a #1 ranked Texas team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, became the national champion. The year 1977 was the last before NCAA's Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA...
.
Regular season
The Longhorns finished the regular season with a 11-0-0 record. As a collegiate footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Earl Campbell won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1977 and led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards. In 1977, he became the first recipient of the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy which was awarded to the most outstanding player in the now-defunct Southwest Conference. He was selected as the Southwest Conference running back of the year in each of his college seasons and finished with 4,444 career rushing yards.
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Longhorns points | Opponents | Record |
| 1 | Sept. 10 | Boston College | Loss | 14 | 1-0 | |
| 2 | Sept 17 | Virginia | Win | 68 | 0 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Oct. 1 | Rice | Win | 72 | 15 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Oct 8 | vs. #2 Oklahoma (Red River Rivalry Red River Rivalry The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered... ) |
Win | 13 | 6 | 4-0 |
| 5 | Oct 15 | @ #8 Arkansas | Win | 13 | 9 | 5-0 |
| 6 | Oct 22 | @ Southern Methodist | Win | 30 | 14 | 6-0 |
| 7 | Oct 29 | #14 Texas Tech | Win | 26 | 0 | 7-0 |
| 8 | Nov 5 | @ Houston | Win | 35 | 21 | 8-0 |
| 9 | Nov 12 | Texas Christian | Win | 44 | 14 | 9-0 |
| 10 | Nov 19 | Baylor | Win | 29 | 7 | 10-0 |
| 11 | Nov 26 | @ #12 Texas A&M | Win | 57 | 28 | 11-0 |
| 12 | Jan 1, 1978 | vs. #5 Notre Dame (Cotton Bowl Classic) | Loss | 10 | 38 | 11-1 |
1977 team players in the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise |
| Earl Campbell Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame... |
Running Back | 1 | 1 | Houston Oilers 1978 Houston Oilers season The 1978 season was the Houston Oilers 19th season and their ninth in the NFL. The franchise scored 283 points while the defense gave up 298 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared twice on Monday Night Football... |
| Brad Shearer Brad Shearer Brad Shearer is a former American football player. He played for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1978–81. He played college football for Texas. As a senior at Texas, he won the Outland Trophy.... |
Defensive Tackle | 3 | 74 | Chicago Bears 1978 Chicago Bears season The 1978 Chicago Bears season was their 59th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 7-9 record in the first year of Coach Neill Armstrong, yet another below .500 record in the 1970s.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
| Alfred Jackson | Wide Receiver | 7 | 167 | Atlanta Falcons 1978 Atlanta Falcons season The 1978 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's 13th season. It was the first postseason appearance in franchise history.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:... |
Awards and honors
- Earl CampbellEarl CampbellEarl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial... - Earl Campbell, Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy
- Earl Campbell, Consensus All-American
- Brad ShearerBrad ShearerBrad Shearer is a former American football player. He played for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1978–81. He played college football for Texas. As a senior at Texas, he won the Outland Trophy....
, Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in... - Brad Shearer, Consensus All-American