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1979 Miami Hurricanes football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Kim Helton (1st season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator Rick Lantz (3rd season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Miami Orange Bowl
Seasons
←  1978
1980 →
1979 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Florida State       11 1 0
No. 7 Pittsburgh       11 1 0
UNLV       9 1 2
No. 17 Temple       10 2 0
Tulane       9 3 0
Rutgers       8 3 0
Tennessee State       8 3 0
East Carolina       7 3 1
No. 20 Penn State       8 4 0
South Carolina       8 4 0
Navy       7 4 0
Notre Dame       7 4 0
Southern Miss       6 4 1
Syracuse       7 5 0
Colgate       5 4 1
Boston College       5 6 0
Holy Cross       5 6 0
Memphis State       5 6 0
Miami (FL)       5 6 0
North Texas State       5 6 0
Villanova       5 6 0
Virginia Tech       5 6 0
West Virginia       5 6 0
Georgia Tech       4 6 1
Louisville       4 6 1
William & Mary       4 7 0
Illinois State       3 8 0
Northeast Louisiana       3 8 0
Army       2 8 1
Air Force       2 9 0
Cincinnati       2 9 0
Richmond       0 11 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Howard Schnellenberger, the Hurricanes played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Miami finished the season with a record of 5–6.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 15 LouisvilleW 24–1241,129
September 22at No. 14 Florida StateL 23–4047,679
September 29 Louisiana Tech
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
W 6–020,069 [1]
October 6at Florida A&ML 13–1634,743
October 13at San Diego StateL 20–3140,126
October 20 Boston Collegedagger
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
W 19–815,013 [2]
October 27at SyracuseL 15–257,729
November 3at No. 19 Penn StateW 26–1077,532
November 17at No. 1 Alabama ABCL 0–3054,500 [3]
November 2411:00 p.m.vs. Notre DameL 15–4062,674 [4]
December 1 Florida
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL ( rivalry)
W 30–2428,051 [5]
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

1979 Miami Hurricanes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB Gregory Anderson
OL Don Bailey
TE Andy Baratta
OL Clem Barbarino
WR Rocky Belk
RB Albert Bentley
RB James Bigbie
RB Gary Breckner
WR Larry Brodsky
OL John Canaei
OL John Fenton
OL Frank Frazier
OL Steve Grady
RB Chris Hobbs
WR 13 Jim Joiner Jr
OL Art Kehoe
QB 12 Jim Kelly Fr
OL Jim Pokorney
RB Smokey Roan
QB Mike Rodrique
RB Mark Rush
WR Malcolm Simmons
RB Taylor Timmons
WR Pat Walker
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB Mozell Axson
LB Jay Brophy
DL Jim Burt
DL Tony Chickillo
DB Gene Coleman
LB Charles Cook
DL Johnny Daniels
DL Tim Flanagan
DL Barry Gonzalez
DB David Jefferson
DB 31 Fred Marion So
DT 91 Bob Nelson So
LB Scott Nicolas
DB 11 Mark Smith Jr
DB 2 John Swain Jr
DL Lester Williams
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P Greg LaBelle
K Dan Miller
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Game summaries

Alabama

Period 1 2 34Total
Miami (FL) 0 0 000
Alabama 10 0 71330

at Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Game information

Statistics

Passing

Player Comp Att Yards TD INT
Rodrique 94 201 1,197 2
Kelly 48 104 721 5

Rushing

Player Att Yds TD
Hobbs 105 406
Roan 97 307
Breckner 47 179

Receiving

Player Rec Yards TD
Brodsky 30 495
Walker 24 625
Joiner 24 293

[6]

References

  1. ^ "Hurricanes win lackluster game on 2 field goals". The Palm Beach Post. September 30, 1979. Retrieved July 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Miami Gets Job Done". The Palm Beach Post-Times. October 21, 1979. p. E1, E4 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Bowl-bound(?) Bama demolished Hurricanes". The Palm Beach Post. November 18, 1979. Retrieved February 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Irish run to victory over Miami". The Kokomo Tribune. November 26, 1979. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Coleman picks off Gators, 30–24". The Miami Herald. December 2, 1979. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Broyles, Bob and Paul Guido. 50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport.