It has been a while since this year's series of This Day in UTA Football History has looked at the 1978 squad, ten weeks to be precise. These repeat seasons were tougher to cover than the first time around and I try to avoid that. But obviously there are a limited number of games. Additionally, the 1978 team is one of the most fascinating to me. But that's the way it goes when trying to coordinate several seasons, so here's the season recap.
UT Arlington started the season with a preseason ranking of third of six in the Southland Conference. Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State were picked ahead. When the 1978 squad last appeared, they were fresh off a one touchdown loss to West Texas State to drop to 0-2 for the young season.
The annual North Texas game at Texas Stadium came in week three. North Texas raced to a 28-10 lead. Quarterback Roy Dewalt began the attempted comeback with less than six minutes left in the game as he led two quick TD drives with a combined 75 yards passing and one TD to tight end Jerry Woodard. Bill McClesky added another TD on the ground. The Mavs got an on-sides recovery, an extra point, but missed a two-point attempt, and also a quick defensive stop led to a punt to get the score to 23-28. However, when the Mavs were trying their last drive to take a lead, Dewalt threw an interception, his third of the night, to seal their fate. The Mavs lowered their fumbles lost to two (compared to four in both games prior) but couldn't overcome five total turnovers.
Sitting at 0-3, UTA hosted Louisiana Tech to open conference play. The Mavs were again charitable, giving up two fumbles (they dropped four more, but were able to get those back) and throwing three interceptions, including the final one with five minutes left in the game that was returned for the winning touchdown. The Mavericks lost to the conference favorites, 28-21. That's to say nothing of the penalties that cost Mavs opportunities.
Facing a new opponent UTA had never played before in East Carolina, the Mavs lost five out of eight fumbles and threw two interceptions in a 23-17 loss. The Mavs tied the Pirates at 14 when the halftime whistle blew, but the turnovers and 11 penalties hampered a great second half defensive effort.
Sitting at 0-5, they were losing games by an average of five points. 29 total fumbles, 17 of them lost, nine interceptions and 32 penalties for 264 yards is the reason why. Plain and simple.
Coach Harold "Bud" Elliott said this was the first time since he joined UTA in 1974 that one of his teams expected to win. He wasn't wrong but the number of mistakes they made was the equivalent of playing down a player (or even two). The Mavs had out-produced their opponents offensively and played very well defensively, but just could not overcome all those mistakes.
They turned it around on the scoreboard in a 28-17 win in Las Cruces against New Mexico State. Despite a total of four lost fumbles, the Mavs never trailed and scored a TD in every quarter.
The following week saw UTA put the ball on the ground five times, but only lost two this time as the Mavericks again never trailed in a 24-3 win when Southwestern Louisiana, now Louisiana or Louisiana-Lafayette, came to Arlington. Like the week prior, Dewalt accounted for two touchdowns each in the UTA wishbone offense.
UTA turned it over only once at Lamar and four different Mavericks scored, leading to a 37-17 win. The Movin' Mavs limited the penalties to three for 27 yards and threw zero interceptions. When UTA got out off their own way, they looked pretty good. It was the largest margin of victory that year. Amazing. UTA could have had bowl potential if they played crisper.
That solid play didn't last long as the three-game winning streak was snapped when Arkansas State came to Cravens Field on Lamar High School's campus. UTA set an SLC record for fumbles in a season as they dropped the ball eight times, covered five times by an Indian defender. An additional interception gave A State six total gifts. Two of the Indians four TD's came directly on a turnover in UTA territory. The loss shot UTA's chance of a share of the SLC title to smithereens.
UTA was again charitable the next week against Northwestern State (eight fumbles, three lost), but the Demons said hold my beer and threw six interceptions in a 30-7 UTA home win. Like much of the season, UTA dominated the stat sheet up and down.
Remember that fumble record set against Arkansas State? There were still two games left to play. Despite playing only 11 games in 1978, UTA's 65 fumbles are still an SLC record. The 34 lost fumbles stood as a record for 33 years until the current record holder lost 35, Nicholls State in 2011. Most FCS schools still plays 11 games, but occasionally play 12. The playoffs can add up to five games, but of course the theme is good teams don't lose fumbles.
With the extreme season recap set up complete, the stage is set for today's game. At 4-6, 2-2 in conference, UTA was playing for another top half finish in the SLC. They finished 3-2 among the six-team SLC for prior two years. The lone opponent missing? McNeese State.
On this day in UTA football history, UTA tries to finish third and above .500 in conference on the road against the McNeese State Cowboys.
Taken from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 19, 1978.
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