Pitt honours 1976 national champions 50 years on
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 18:19 · Archive
Pitt University is honouring its 1976 football national championship team, which went undefeated and featured Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett.
Pitt University is marking the fiftieth anniversary of its 1976 football national championship team, which went undefeated and featured the Panthers' only Heisman Trophy winner, running back Tony Dorsett. The 1976 squad won 12 games without defeat, winning the national championship despite significant adversity.
The team overcame season-ending injuries to key players. Starting quarterback Robert Haygood suffered a knee injury in the second game against Georgia Tech. Backup Matt Cavanaugh then broke his foot around the fifth game, forcing third-string quarterback Tommy Yewcic into action. The team ultimately ran the table to the Sugar Bowl, where Cavanaugh returned.
Former tight end Jim Corbett, a team captain in 1976, reflected on how the team handled the adversity. 'I never thought about the quarterback situation costing us a game. Everybody stepped up. The defense stepped up, played great, everybody blocked a little harder and did the things we had to do, and we won.' Corbett noted that the bonds formed among the 1976 players remain strong fifty years later. Pitt honoured the legendary 1976 team at a recent game against North Carolina at Acrisure Stadium, with several alumni in attendance.
How it is being reported
- Pitt honors legendary 1976 squad as current team hopes to show similar perseveranceLooking at the long history of Pitt football, the 1976 squad arguably sits atop the tallest pedestal.TribLIVE · 10 Oct, 17:41
- 50 years later, the legacy of Pitt’s 1976 football national championship enduresPittsburgh Post-Gazette · 10 Oct, 14:50
In this story: Pitt · Tony Dorsett · Robert Haygood · Matt Cavanaugh · Tommy Yewcic · Jim Corbett · North Carolina · Acrisure Stadium
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