1979 Pittsburgh Panthers football | |
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Fiesta Bowl champion Eastern champion | |
Fiesta Bowl, W 16–10 vs. Arizona | |
Conference | Independent |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 6 |
AP | No. 7 |
Record | 11–1 |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Wally English (1st season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple pro-style |
Defensive coordinator | Foge Fazio (1st season) |
Base defense | Multiple front |
Home stadium | Pitt Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 Florida State | – | – | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 Pittsburgh | – | – | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UNLV | – | – | 9 | – | 1 | – | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Temple | – | – | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulane | – | – | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rutgers | – | – | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee State | – | – | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Carolina | – | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Penn State | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | – | – | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Navy | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notre Dame | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Miss | – | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Syracuse | – | – | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colgate | – | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boston College | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Holy Cross | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memphis State | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami (FL) | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
North Texas State | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Villanova | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Virginia Tech | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Virginia | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia Tech | – | – | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisville | – | – | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
William & Mary | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois State | – | – | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northeast Louisiana | – | – | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Army | – | – | 2 | – | 8 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Air Force | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cincinnati | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richmond | – | – | 0 | – | 11 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings from AP Poll |
The 1979 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. The independent Panthers competed in the Fiesta Bowl and were awarded the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy as the champion of the East.
In the Backyard Brawl, Pittsburgh was led by true freshman quarterback Dan Marino, making his second collegiate start. He directed Pitt to a 24–17 victory in the last college football game played at old Mountaineer Field. [1] [2]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 15 | 1:30 p.m. | Kansas | No. 16 | W 24–0 | 41,545 | [3] [4] | ||
September 22 | 1:00 p.m. | at North Carolina | No. 13 | L 7–17 | 50,500 | |||
September 29 | 7:30 p.m. | at Temple | W 10–9 | 34,039 | ||||
October 6 | 1:30 p.m. | Boston College |
| W 28–7 | 37,146 | |||
October 13 | 10:00 a.m. | Cincinnati |
| W 35–0 | 31,620 | |||
October 20 | 4:30 p.m. | at No. 12 Washington | No. 17 | W 26–14 | 52,485 | [5] | ||
October 27 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 17 Navy | No. 12 |
| W 24–7 | 51,332 | [6] [7] | |
November 3 | 12:30 p.m. | Syracuse | No. 12 |
| ABC | W 28–21 | 43,500 | [8] |
November 10 | 1:30 p.m. | at West Virginia | No. 12 | W 24–17 | 38,681 | [2] [9] | ||
November 17 | 1:30 p.m. | at Army | No. 11 | W 40–0 | 31,689 | [10] | ||
December 1 | 12:30 p.m. | at No. 20 Penn State | No. 11 | ABC | W 29–14 | 76,958 | [11] | |
December 25 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Arizona | No. 10 | NBC | W 16–10 | 55,347 | ||
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1979 Pittsburgh Panthers football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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1979 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff | |||||||||
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Coaching staff
| Support staff
| Strength and conditioning staff
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Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
Jo Jo Heath | Defensive back | 6 | 141 | Cincinnati Bengals |
Bob Gruber | Tackle | 10 | 276 | Los Angeles Rams |
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