Once I knocked the cobwebs off this blog as the firing of Scott Cross started to become a more distant memory, the Department's wading into a political spectrum faded, COVD restrictions appeared gone and my enthusiasm increased, I've began thinking about my annual series of This Day in UTA Football History. It's one of my more popular regular entries with more page views than other posts. It's also something I enjoy doing, as the information I have gathered and researched put in has been extensive. There wasn't information readily available like other sports at the school or other programs still running where you can grab the current media guide to get a lot of the information. What a have comes from hours stretching to days to weeks at the library getting old newspaper articles, cobbling what I could from websites and snatching old media guides of the internet.
I was concerned that after a four-year hiatus that I would be back into seasons that have been covered previously, as I have done five volumes before today. For those who may be newer, I select football games that occurred on the corresponding Saturday from prior years. I try to pick a meaningful game or milestone and try to represent as many games as possible within a singular season. It can be a daunting task at times, as a great season could coincide with a poor one a decade later that doesn't meet the meaningful or milestone category.
I don't have that issue today. UTA rarely started the season this early, and in the 27 years of playing University football, they played on this date once. There are four really great seasons lined up this year, but just one played on the third of September.
The 1977 season was an optimistic team. UTA had rebounded from a poor start in the early 1970's by 1976, finishing near the top of the Southland Conference, one game behind first. McNeese State went to the Independence Bowl at 4-1, with the lone loss coming to UTA. Had UTA beaten Arkansas State (UTA lost 14-13 at home as they missed their point after touchdown try early in the fourth quarter), there would have been a three-way tie with Southwestern Louisiana. UTA would have received the Independence Bowl berth and played in a bowl game for the second time in program history at a time when Bowl appearance were harder to come by in general. 1976 was also the first time UTA scored more points than they gave up since 1969.
UTA was returning 14 starters, including nine of defense. Senior Dwight Carey was back on the defensive line. Some felt he was robbed of an all-conference spot the year prior. Senior David Flake played next to Carey on the line and was a returning all-conference first team player. Sophomore linebacker Willie Thomas was coming of his own first-team all-SLC performance and would anchor the formidable linebacking corps his entire time at UTA. Senior Bill Bradshaw was coming off an all-SLC appearance of his own at the safety position. It appeared UTA's D was well represented in each of the three areas.
Only five offensive starters were returning, but in the mix was All-American Derrick Jensen, who finished 1976 eighth in the entire NCAA in rushing. He is the best fullback in UTA history and was an all-around playmaker. In his eight-year NFL career, he was a versatile player and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XVIII on a blocked punt, for example. Roy Dewalt entered the starting lineup this year at quarterback. It is hard to gauge where he is all-time based purely on numbers, as he was the starter in a wishbone attack, versus Mike Baylor, Scott Logan or David Bates in a more-balanced offense. What he did do was make plays. The coaching staff knew what kind of player they had. It can be hard to measure an offensive lineman other than base observations, but Junior Dewey Wakefield would earn all-conference recognition at the end of this season while playing guard.
And of course, Harold "Bud" Elliott was coaching. I've mentioned him in various capacities over the course of this blog, as he roamed the sidelines longer than anyone else in UTA's four-year history. He started in 1974 and went 1-10. 1975 saw improvement at 4-7 and another upward record in 1976 at 5-6, including one-play away from 6-5 with a bowl berth. UTA fans and staff had legitimate hopes that this could be the year.
To start the schedule, UTA opened against Northwestern State. The Athletic Department would get familiar with the Demons in the late '80's when they joined the SLC after UTA dropped football, but they were an independent in the 1970's and there wasn't much rivalry with them at the point, as this would be the first of four eventual meetings. The main feature of this game for Northwestern State was their stadium, as this was the opening of Turpin Stadium, a venue they still play in to this day.
For those that follow this blog, or followed the program then, this game would represent a lot of my problems with the Coach Elliot era, as it was a sloppy one. Maybe that was due to the earlier start time than normal as they had one week less practice then otherwise. Either way, the headline from the Fort Worth Star Telegram will give it all away.
On this Date in UTA Football History, the Mavericks travel to Natchitoches, Louisiana to open Turpin Stadium against the Northwestern State Demons.
Taken from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, September 4, 1977.
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