Oklahoma State University Athletics
#TBT - Oklahoma State and Pitt's Shared Special Season
September 15, 2016 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Pittsburgh and Oklahoma State meet for the first time when the two teams tangle in Boone Pickens Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. While the two schools have never faced each other on the field, they do have some history in common – namely, both are recognizing the 40-year anniversary of a memorable 1976 season.
For Oklahoma State, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of a Big Eight championship. For Pitt, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of a national championship.
Both of those teams were led by running backs. For Oklahoma State, Terry Miller finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, while Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett was the Heisman winner that year. Fueled by a staggering 14 rushing scores in the last four games of the season, Miller led the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns in 1976, while Dorsett was second nationally with 22.
Other stars for OSU that year included All-America defensive tackle Phillip Dokes and All-America center Derrel Gofourth and eventual All-America linebacker John Corker.
Coached by Jim Stanley, Oklahoma State finished the 1976 season with a 9-3 overall record that included a 5-2 mark in Big Eight play. The Cowboys started the season unranked, and losses in two of their first five games didn't help matters. However, the turning point came in week six, when the Pokes traveled to Norman to hand No. 5 Oklahoma a 31-24 loss. OSU claimed its second win over a top-10 opponent in as many games when it dropped No. 10 Missouri, 20-19, as part of Homecoming festivities in Stillwater the next week.
After those two signature wins, the Cowboys skyrocketed to No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and took on No. 9 Nebraska in Lincoln with much at stake. While the Huskers managed a 14-10 win that day, OSU was still alive in the conference title hunt, but the Cowboys had work to do with a closing stretch that included a trip to Kansas State and a showdown with No. 14 Iowa State in Stillwater.
The Pokes obliterated the Wildcats by a 45-21 score, with Miller leading the way by carrying 37 times for 221 yards and five touchdowns. That win set up the Big Eight finale with the highly-regarded Cyclones with the conference title on the line for OSU.
The Cowboys held a 21-14 lead at halftime of that game, but dominated the second half to secure a 42-21 victory. Miller and Corker were the stars of the game, with Miller carrying 25 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns and Corker bagging 19 tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes.
With the Big Eight title secured, the Cowboys steamrolled through non-conference foe UTEP, 42-13, to close out the regular season before hammering BYU by a 49-21 margin in the Tangerine Bowl to put a cap on a memorable 1976 season – one that was also memorable for this week's opponent, Pittsburgh.
For Oklahoma State, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of a Big Eight championship. For Pitt, 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of a national championship.
Both of those teams were led by running backs. For Oklahoma State, Terry Miller finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, while Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett was the Heisman winner that year. Fueled by a staggering 14 rushing scores in the last four games of the season, Miller led the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns in 1976, while Dorsett was second nationally with 22.
Other stars for OSU that year included All-America defensive tackle Phillip Dokes and All-America center Derrel Gofourth and eventual All-America linebacker John Corker.
Coached by Jim Stanley, Oklahoma State finished the 1976 season with a 9-3 overall record that included a 5-2 mark in Big Eight play. The Cowboys started the season unranked, and losses in two of their first five games didn't help matters. However, the turning point came in week six, when the Pokes traveled to Norman to hand No. 5 Oklahoma a 31-24 loss. OSU claimed its second win over a top-10 opponent in as many games when it dropped No. 10 Missouri, 20-19, as part of Homecoming festivities in Stillwater the next week.
After those two signature wins, the Cowboys skyrocketed to No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and took on No. 9 Nebraska in Lincoln with much at stake. While the Huskers managed a 14-10 win that day, OSU was still alive in the conference title hunt, but the Cowboys had work to do with a closing stretch that included a trip to Kansas State and a showdown with No. 14 Iowa State in Stillwater.
The Pokes obliterated the Wildcats by a 45-21 score, with Miller leading the way by carrying 37 times for 221 yards and five touchdowns. That win set up the Big Eight finale with the highly-regarded Cyclones with the conference title on the line for OSU.
The Cowboys held a 21-14 lead at halftime of that game, but dominated the second half to secure a 42-21 victory. Miller and Corker were the stars of the game, with Miller carrying 25 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns and Corker bagging 19 tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes.
With the Big Eight title secured, the Cowboys steamrolled through non-conference foe UTEP, 42-13, to close out the regular season before hammering BYU by a 49-21 margin in the Tangerine Bowl to put a cap on a memorable 1976 season – one that was also memorable for this week's opponent, Pittsburgh.
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