The 1980 Sugar Bowl featured the second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, and the sixth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama defeated Arkansas, 24-9, winning their third national championship of the decade.[1]
Setting
Arkansas
The Razorbacks entered the game at 10-1, sharing the Southwest Conference title with Houston. Greg Kolenda was an All-American offensive tackle. Arkansas' defense gave up 9.8 points per game on the year, the sixth-best scoring defense.
Alabama
Alabama entered the game undefeated, and had won two national championships already in the decade. The Tide did have three close calls however, including a 3-0 win at LSU.
Game Summary
Arkansas scored first in the first quarter, on a 34 yard Ish Ordonez field goal, to give the Razorbacks a 3-0 advantage. Alabama running back Major Ogilvie scored on touchdown runs of 22 and 1 yard as Alabama led 14-3 at the end of the 1st quarter. In the second quarter, Alan McElroy kicked a 25-yard field goal giving the Crimson Tide a 17-3 advantage. In the third quarter, Kevin Scanlon threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Robert Farrell as the score became 17-9. In the fourth quarter, Steve Whitman scored on a 12-yard run as Alabama won by a 24-9 margin.
Major Ogilvie was named Sugar Bowl MVP. He also rushed for a touchdown in three consecutive Sugar Bowls.
| Scoring summary |
| Quarter |
Time |
Drive |
Team |
Scoring information |
Score |
|---|
| Plays |
Yards |
TOP |
UA |
ARK |
| 1 |
12:54 |
|
3 |
8 |
ARK |
34-yard field goal by Ish Ordonez |
0 |
3
|
| 1 |
6:37 |
|
82 |
7 |
UA |
Major Ogilvie 22-yard touchdown run, Alan McElroy kick good |
7 |
3
|
| 1 |
3:48 |
|
22 |
4 |
UA |
Major Ogilvie 1-yard touchdown run, Alan McElroy kick good |
14 |
3
|
| 2 |
0:25 |
|
|
|
UA |
25-yard field goal by Alan McElroy |
17 |
3
|
| 3 |
11:37 |
|
80 |
11 |
ARK |
Robert Farrell 3-yard touchdown reception from Kevin Scanlon, 2-point run no good |
17 |
9
|
| 4 |
8:59 |
|
98 |
9 |
UA |
Steve Whitman 12-yard touchdown run, Alan McElroy kick good |
24 |
9
|
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. |
24 |
9 |
|
References
- ↑ "46th Annual Sugar Bowl Classic ~ January 1, 1980." Article. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ESPN College Football Encyclopedia
1979–80 NCAA football bowl game season |
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- Garden State (Dec. 15)
- Independence (Dec. 15)
- Holiday (Dec. 21)
- Tangerine (Dec. 22)
- Liberty (Dec. 22)
- Sun (Dec. 22)
- Fiesta (Dec. 25)
- Gator (Dec. 28)
- Hall of Fame Classic (Dec. 29)
- Bluebonnet (Dec. 31)
- Peach (Dec. 31)
- Sugar (Jan. 1)
- Cotton (Jan. 1)
- Orange (Jan. 1)
- Rose (Jan. 1)
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Pound sign (#) denotes national championship game. |
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