Couldn't believe we lost this game. Capped off a very dissappointing year. This game has stayed in my memory because within a few years Pitt had sank well below a national powerhouse and SMU got the death Penality. Nearly 30 years later they will meet again. Being a diehart Pittt fan I'm going to attend being that I live a couple hours away.
Man, Pitt was loaded that year at least 5 future pro bowlers (Marino, Covert,Fralic, Lewis, Doleman,) as starters on this team, and a couple more who made it too I think (Maas and Sweeney) but they had a new head coach and no running game.
@Luke7304 geez you're right! and it wasn't even close 42 -21 All the more reason why SMU should have been named the champs. but you know joe pee I mean joe pa had to get the sympathy votes.
@rustyshadow7 what about in 93 when Penn State went undefeated won the Rose Bowl and they gave it to Nebraska. SMU wasn't undefeated the tied Arkansas that year.
They had it all from 1980 to 1983 and then the excess doomed SMU. With that season if they didn't tie against Arkansas, the would have been #2 and won the National Championship since Georgia who was #1 lost that night to Penn State.
Still SMU had it all and just threw it down toilet with those illegal payments. Even after the Death Penalty it wasn't until 2009 when June Jones took that team from horrible 3 win team the year before to winning a bowl game.
RGVPony, great to see these old videos of the Pony Express on the Youtube. Do you have any other videos you can upload from the Texas SMU game in 82, like Craig James pass catch to close out the game, or the Jitter Field's deflection to Bobby Leach? If you know anyone that has the 1980 Texas SMU highlights, including Craig James 50 yard run for a TD, please load that up too!
Thanks okla 1982. It would be nice to get the game stopping interception of Marino at the end of the game. Also, any decent runs from Dickerson or James during the game would be nice to see.
Thanks for posting these old SMU videos on YouTube. I lived down the street from SMU in the 1980s, and there was a lot of excitement locally about the Mustangs. Pre-death penalty SMU football was exciting to watch, especially in the Dickerson/James/McIlhenny days (I'm too young to have seen Doak Walker, Kyle Rote or Don Meredith play, but those must have been some great days for SMU, too). Now It's kind of hard to believe they once had an elite football program there.
For all the cheating that SMU did in the early 80's, it still haunts them today. Instead of doing it right and building a proud program, they hurt themselves for almost 26 yrs.
Man, the real irony is how the only team that got busted to the extent they did was SMU. Georgia and Clemson won titles in 1980 and 1981 with programs just as bad, but no Death Penalty.
aint it the truth. Shhmuuu took it on the chin for everybody!!! ... It's sad, their legacy was some good football; Bobby Wilson, the Doaker, Layne, Rote, Meredith, Levias, Lagrone, Morris, Maxon, and many more.. then one brief era cracks 'em down forever .. in the big picture SMU is the sacrificial lamb of the SWC, and all of College Football.
I agree with ya. Clemson and Georgia may have broken more recruiting rules back then, but just barely got a slap on the wrist from the NCAA with lighter sanctions (probation for Clemson) compared to what they did to SMU and the Death Penalty. BTW, wasn't "Necessary Roughness" loosely based off what happened to SMU? Anyway, one day SMU will fully recover from the aftereffects of the Death Penalty and be annually competitive once again.
Yeah...I mean West Texas State...the Death Penalty. It was loosely based on SMU. And Georgia and Clemson WON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS with rampant cheating and recruiting violations, but no punishments. It boggles my mind
Actually, Clemson was placed on 2 years probation by the NCAA following the 1982 season (Which they won the ACC Championship that year) for it's recruiting violations and were ineligible for the ACC title for both 1983 and 1984 and did not regain eligibility for the conference championship until 1985, but the NCAA still allowed them to field a team those years under strict guidelines.
SMU got the "death penalty" not becuase of the violations reported in the TV report but because under NCAA rules they were deemed to be a repeat violator as they were already on NCAA probation at that time with some of the strictest penalties ever put in place. But because they board at SMU continued to make payments to players that were already promised they got nailed.
(P.S.) The chair of the SMU Board was Bill Clements who in November of 1986 was elected governor of Texas
Couldn't believe we lost this game. Capped off a very dissappointing year. This game has stayed in my memory because within a few years Pitt had sank well below a national powerhouse and SMU got the death Penality. Nearly 30 years later they will meet again. Being a diehart Pittt fan I'm going to attend being that I live a couple hours away.
stlerspens 2 months ago
Looks like the rematch happens in January! lol
BlackNGoldRules 2 months ago
Man, Pitt was loaded that year at least 5 future pro bowlers (Marino, Covert,Fralic, Lewis, Doleman,) as starters on this team, and a couple more who made it too I think (Maas and Sweeney) but they had a new head coach and no running game.
rankinnwc 2 months ago
penn st lost to pitt, SMU beats pitt and they GIVE the national championship to penn st. What a disgrace!
rustyshadow7 1 year ago
@rustyshadow7
penn state lost to bama in 1982, they beat Pitt 19-10. Agree that SMU should have got at least a share of the championship.
Luke7304 1 year ago
@Luke7304 geez you're right! and it wasn't even close 42 -21 All the more reason why SMU should have been named the champs. but you know joe pee I mean joe pa had to get the sympathy votes.
rustyshadow7 1 year ago
@rustyshadow7 Yeah, the lifetime achievement award for Joe Paterno. Give me a break.
mbrooks415 6 months ago
@rustyshadow7 what about in 93 when Penn State went undefeated won the Rose Bowl and they gave it to Nebraska. SMU wasn't undefeated the tied Arkansas that year.
stlerspens 2 months ago
30 for 30 does not mention that the George W Bush library is being built at SMU (Laura Bush was an alum)
vitoduval 1 year ago
@vitoduval and? the library has nothing to do w/ the football team.
Nbuck55 6 months ago
They had it all from 1980 to 1983 and then the excess doomed SMU. With that season if they didn't tie against Arkansas, the would have been #2 and won the National Championship since Georgia who was #1 lost that night to Penn State.
Still SMU had it all and just threw it down toilet with those illegal payments. Even after the Death Penalty it wasn't until 2009 when June Jones took that team from horrible 3 win team the year before to winning a bowl game.
redmustang03 1 year ago
I just saw a great movie about the Southern Methodist Football Program on ESPN
FRSFreeStatePlus 1 year ago
@FRSFreeStatePlus yeah.. pony excess.. its like the most highly regarded, and best 30:30 film they have made
Frick34 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Frick34
Worth watching again
FRSFreeStatePlus 1 year ago
@Frick34 That and the 30 for 30 on "The U"
ClipCoug 1 year ago
@ClipCoug SMU vs Miami would have been a great game Jim Kelly was the QB...
vitoduval 8 months ago
RGVPony, great to see these old videos of the Pony Express on the Youtube. Do you have any other videos you can upload from the Texas SMU game in 82, like Craig James pass catch to close out the game, or the Jitter Field's deflection to Bobby Leach? If you know anyone that has the 1980 Texas SMU highlights, including Craig James 50 yard run for a TD, please load that up too!
jdyoub 2 years ago
I have the full game on DVD!! I will see if I can figure how to upload it on youtube
okla1982 1 year ago
Thanks okla 1982. It would be nice to get the game stopping interception of Marino at the end of the game. Also, any decent runs from Dickerson or James during the game would be nice to see.
Cheers,
jdyoub 1 year ago
SMU should have gotten a share of the National Title in 82, rampant cheating or not.
OrigLanceR 2 years ago
Thanks for posting these old SMU videos on YouTube. I lived down the street from SMU in the 1980s, and there was a lot of excitement locally about the Mustangs. Pre-death penalty SMU football was exciting to watch, especially in the Dickerson/James/McIlhenny days (I'm too young to have seen Doak Walker, Kyle Rote or Don Meredith play, but those must have been some great days for SMU, too). Now It's kind of hard to believe they once had an elite football program there.
floridaboy44 2 years ago
Wouldn't you have thought the last college game for both Dan Marino and Eric Dickerson would have featured more scoring.
999beme 2 years ago
McIlhenny bought Marino a diet pepsi after the game
vitoduval 2 years ago
For all the cheating that SMU did in the early 80's, it still haunts them today. Instead of doing it right and building a proud program, they hurt themselves for almost 26 yrs.
edwardsre 2 years ago 2
You know, I dont know why SMU or TCU play a regular season game at the cotton bowl
12aggie12 2 years ago
My dad played in this game.
metroPCSman 3 years ago
Was this Marino's final game with Pitt?
Tiderolls67 3 years ago
Yes it was. 1982 was his senior year.
RodPower78 3 years ago
Yes, I believe it was.
edwardsre 2 years ago
PERFECT option run.
It's odd to see this team, partially built on a legacy of illegal recruiting and eligibility, which still affects SMU football in 2008.
gpciie 3 years ago
Man, the real irony is how the only team that got busted to the extent they did was SMU. Georgia and Clemson won titles in 1980 and 1981 with programs just as bad, but no Death Penalty.
cbaldwinjr 3 years ago 2
aint it the truth. Shhmuuu took it on the chin for everybody!!! ... It's sad, their legacy was some good football; Bobby Wilson, the Doaker, Layne, Rote, Meredith, Levias, Lagrone, Morris, Maxon, and many more.. then one brief era cracks 'em down forever .. in the big picture SMU is the sacrificial lamb of the SWC, and all of College Football.
DIY1977 3 years ago
I agree with ya. Clemson and Georgia may have broken more recruiting rules back then, but just barely got a slap on the wrist from the NCAA with lighter sanctions (probation for Clemson) compared to what they did to SMU and the Death Penalty. BTW, wasn't "Necessary Roughness" loosely based off what happened to SMU? Anyway, one day SMU will fully recover from the aftereffects of the Death Penalty and be annually competitive once again.
cfoster81 2 years ago
Yeah...I mean West Texas State...the Death Penalty. It was loosely based on SMU. And Georgia and Clemson WON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS with rampant cheating and recruiting violations, but no punishments. It boggles my mind
cbaldwinjr 2 years ago
Actually, Clemson was placed on 2 years probation by the NCAA following the 1982 season (Which they won the ACC Championship that year) for it's recruiting violations and were ineligible for the ACC title for both 1983 and 1984 and did not regain eligibility for the conference championship until 1985, but the NCAA still allowed them to field a team those years under strict guidelines.
cfoster81 2 years ago
@cbaldwinjr
SMU got the "death penalty" not becuase of the violations reported in the TV report but because under NCAA rules they were deemed to be a repeat violator as they were already on NCAA probation at that time with some of the strictest penalties ever put in place. But because they board at SMU continued to make payments to players that were already promised they got nailed.
(P.S.) The chair of the SMU Board was Bill Clements who in November of 1986 was elected governor of Texas
paulsonj72 5 months ago
@paulsonj72
Well stated. Thanks my man
cbaldwinjr 5 months ago