ST PETERSBURG BOWL

| BOWL HISTORY | 1980 SUN BOWL
#17 MISSISSIPPI STATE 17
#8 NEBRASKA 31
December 27, 1980 • Sun Bowl • El Paso, Texas
The scene was the same as six years earlier in the Sun Bowl when Mississippi
State engaged a team that had as much talent as any football power in the nation.
This bowl trip proved to be less successful, however, as coach Tom Osborne’s
Huskers prevailed in a 31-17 contest.
Mississippi State had won five consecutive regular-season games to enter the
contest with a 9-2 record under coach Emory Bellard, but Nebraska was just a bit
too deep and powerful as the Huskers took a 17-0 halftime lead.
State’s high-powered offensive attack, which set school records for total offense
and rushing offense, later cut the margin to 24-17 behind the option play of
freshman quarterback John Bond of Valdosta, Ga. He ran for one touchdown
on a 1-yard sneak and hit all-SEC tailback Michael Haddix of Walnut, Miss., for
an 11-yard TD pass and MSU’s final touchdown.
The day, however, belonged to Nebraska’s defense, which held Bond to minus-
8 yards rushing on 16 carries, and to seven completions in 19 attempts with two
interceptions.
Sophomore kicking specialist Dana Moore from Baton Rouge, La., booted a
47-yard field goal and had a 64-yard punt, enabling him to achieve an MSUrecord,
50-yard punting average for the afternoon.
“I am proud of our team and the season we had,” Bellard said. “We just flat
out gave Nebraska too many opportunities. Our defense played well enough to
win. Looking at what we have, we will be back next year.”
Mississippi State 0 0 3 14 = 17
Nebraska 7 10 7 7 = 31
UN — Brown 23 run (Seibel kick), 12:30 1st
UN — Seibel 22 FG, 3:23 2nd
UN — Finn 8 pass from Quinn (Seibel kick), 1:57 2nd
MSU — Moore 47 FG, 7:12 3rd
UN — Franklin 2 run (Seibel kick), 2:16 3rd
MSU — Bond 1 run (Morgan kick), 11:44 4th
UN — McCrady 52 pass from Quinn (Seibel kick), 3:21 4th
MSU — Haddix 11 pass from Bond (Morgan kick), 1:00 4th
MSU UN
First Downs 15 16
Rushes-Yards 53-93 54-159
Passing Yards 102 159
Passes (C-A-I) 7-19-2 9-19-1
Total Offense 195 318
Fumbles-Lost 5-4 1-1
Penalties-Yards 4-30 4-37
RUSHING: (MSU) King 23-96, Haddix 4-14, Wonsley 1-8, McDole 5-7, Collins
1-2, Parenton 2-(-4), Bond 16-(-8), Moore 1-(-21); (UN) Franklin 17-67 1TD,
Redwine 13-42, Brown 1-23 1TD, Craig 5-13, Steels 2-9, Kotera 2-7, Johnson 3-3,
Quinn 11-(-5).
PASSING: (MSU) Bond 7-19-102-2 1TD; (UN) Quinn 9-19-151-1 2TD.
RECEIVING: (MSU) McDole 4-69, Price 1-25, Haddix 1-11 1TD, Doss 1-7;
(UN) McCrady 2-107 1TD, Brown 2-16, Steels 2-14, Davies 1-9, Finn 1-8 1TD,
Kotera 1-5.
Attendance: 34,723.
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