WHAT HAPPENED AT THE 1972 SUPER BOWL?

Super Bowl VI Overview

Following an owner’s meeting that was held in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 23, 1971, Super Bowl VI was awarded to New Orleans.

Super Bowl VI was played between the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) and the Miami Dolphins (AFC) at the Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 16, 1972. It was the second time in the Super Bowl’s short history that the game had been played in Louisiana.

Prior to Super Bowl VI, Dallas had earned itself a reputation for faltering during major playoffgames, as had been the case in Super Bowl V. However, in what transpired to be a great performance, they recovered from the previous year’s disappointment with an impressive score of 24-3.

Notable for:

  • Despite being played in New Orleans, a southerly part of the United States, the weather was unseasonably cold. The temperature was just 39 °F (4 °C) at the time of kickoff, meaning that Super Bowl VI is officially the coldest Super Bowl ever played.
  • The Miami Dolphins failed to score a touchdown in the final, making them the only team in Super Bowl history to do so.
  • Super Bowl VI was the last blacked out game. Prior to this game, the NFL had enforced strict rules that the game would not be broadcast locally. However, following Super Bowl VI, the rules were changed such that the game could be broadcast locally if all tickets were sold out.
  • Rumor has it that head coach Don Shula received a call from the then President of the United States Richard Nixon at 1:30 a.m. on the day of the game. Apparently, Nixon shared a play idea with Shula that involved a specific pass play to Warfield. Although Shula did call the play in the 1st quarter, it was busted by Mel Renfro.

Having narrowly missed out on winning the title in Super Bowl V, the Cowboys started the game very positively, setting a Super Bowl record for the most rushing yards (252). They successfully prevented Miami from scoring a touchdown throughout the game and outgained their rivals by 352 yards versus 185

In the first quarter, Larry Csonka committed his first fumble of the season, allowing the Cowboys to get the ball downfield for Mike Clark to execute a 9-yard field goal, putting Dallas three points ahead. However, the Cowboy’s defensive issues soon became apparent and a botched pass led to Bob Griese being sacked by Bob Lilly for a 29-yard loss.

Toward the end of the second quarter, the Cowboys executed an impressive 76-yard drive to increase their lead to 10-0. All but one of the plays in the drive had gained more than five yards, and the effort was rewarded with a Lance Alworth touchdown.

There was still sufficient time remaining in the second quarter for Miami to close the gap with Yepremian’s 31-yard field goal. However, as well as marking the end of the quarter, it also marked the end of Miami’s scoring.

The Cowboys extended their lead by receiving the second-half kickoff for Duane Thomas to score a touchdown on a 3-yard dash. The Cowboys then closed ranks on the Dolphins, limiting them to just 13 yards within 8 plays. Dallas’ final touchdown came in early in the final period, when Roger Staubach passed 7 yards to Mike Ditka.

The MVP award was given to Staubach, who had successfully completed 12 out of 19 passes during the game, gaining 119 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys (NFC) – 24 vs. Miami Dolphins (AFC) – 3
Date: January 16, 1972
Stadium: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
MVP: Roger Staubach, Quarterback
Favorite: Cowboys by 6
Referee: Jim Tunney
Attendance: 81,023

National anthem: U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale
Coin toss: Jim Tunney
Halftime show: “Salute to Louis Armstrong” with Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, Al Hirt and the U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team