Super Bowl IX - Game Summary

Game Summary

As many predicted, the game was low scoring; both teams failed to score a touchdown or a field goal until the third quarter and ended up with the second lowest total of combined points in Super Bowl history.

The first quarter of the game was completely dominated by both teams' defenses. The Vikings were limited to 20 passing yards, zero rushing yards, and one first down. The Steelers did slightly better with 18 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and four first downs. Pittsburgh even managed to get close enough for their kicker Roy Gerela to attempt two field goals. But Gerela missed his first attempt, and a bad snap prevented the second one from getting off the ground.

In the second quarter, the Vikings got an opportunity to score when they recovered a fumble from fullback Rocky Bleier at the Steelers 24-yard line. But they could only move the ball two yards in their next three plays, and then Vikings kicker Fred Cox missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. The first score of the game occurred later in the period, when fullback Dave Osborn fumbled a pitch from Tarkenton in Minnesota's own end zone. Tarkenton quickly dove on the ball to prevent a Steeler touchdown, but he was downed by Dwight White for a safety, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. It was the first safety ever scored in a Super Bowl. The Vikings later threatened to score when Tarkenton led them on a 55-yard drive to the Steelers 20-yard line. With 1:17 left in the half, Tarkenton threw a pass to receiver John Gilliam at the 5-yard line, but Steelers safety Glen Edwards hit him just as he caught the ball. The ball popped out of his hands and right into the arms of Mel Blount for an interception.

The half ended with the Steelers leading 2-0, the lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history and lowest possible, barring a scoreless tie.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Minnesota's Bill Brown lost a fumble, and the Steelers recovered the ball at the Vikings' 30-yard line. Then, Franco Harris moved the ball to the 6-yard line with a 24-yard run. Harris was then tackled for a 3-yard loss on the next play, but then made up for it with a 9-yard touchdown run after that, giving the Steelers a 9-0 lead.

After an exchange of punts, Minnesota got the ball back on their own 20-yard line. On the second play of drive, Tarkenton's pass was deflected behind the line of scrimmage by Pittsburgh defensive lineman L. C. Greenwood, and bounced back right into the arms of Tarkenton, who then threw 41-yard completion to Gilliam. However, officials ruled Tarkenton's first pass attempt was a completion to himself, and thus his second attempt was an illegal forward pass. The penalty brought up third down and 11 yards to go, but Minnesota got the first down with running back Chuck Foreman's 12-yard run. Three plays later, Tarkenton completed a 28-yard pass to tight end Stu Voigt at the Steelers 45-yard line. However, White deflected Tarkenton's next pass attempt and Greene intercepted the ball, ending the Vikings' best offensive scoring opportunity.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings got another scoring opportunity when Minnesota safety Paul Krause recovered a fumble from Harris on the Steelers 47-yard line. On the next play, a 42-yard pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh defensive back Mike Wagner moved the ball up to the 5-yard line. But once again, the Steelers stopped them from scoring when Greene forced and recovered a fumble from Foreman. However, Pittsburgh failed to get a first down on their next possession and was forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Minnesota defender Matt Blair burst through the line to block the punt, and Terry Brown recovered the ball in the end zone for touchdown. Cox missed the extra point, but the Vikings had cut their deficit to 9-6 and were just a field goal away from a tie.

But on the ensuing drive, the Steelers put the game out of reach with a 66 yard, 11 play scoring drive that took 6:47 off the clock and featured three successful third down conversions. The first was a key 30-yard pass completion from Terry Bradshaw to tight end Larry Brown. Brown fumbled the ball as he was being tackled, and two officials initially ruled the ball recovered for the Vikings, but head linesman Ed Marion overruled their call, stating (correctly as noted in television replays) that Brown was downed at the contact before the ball came out of his hands. Another third down pass to Bleier advanced the ball to the Vikings 5-yard line. The Steelers gained just one yard with their next two plays, but on third down Bradshaw's 4-yard touchdown pass to Brown gave the Steelers a 16-6 lead with only 3:31 remaining.

Vikings running back Brent McClanahan returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the 39-yard line, but on the first play of the drive, Tarkenton's pass was intercepted by Wagner. The Steelers then executed 7 consecutive running plays, taking the game clock all the way down to 38 seconds remaining before turning the ball over on downs.

Harris finished the game with 34 carries for a Super Bowl record 158 yards and a touchdown. Bleier had 65 rushing yards, and two receptions for 11 yards. Bradshaw completed nine out of 14 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Foreman was the Vikings' top offensive contributor, finishing the game as the team's leading rusher and receiver with 18 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.