1978 Stanford Cardinals football team

The 1978 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Bill Walsh, the Cardinals were 7–4 in the regular season (4–3 in Pac-10, tied for fourth) and played their home games on campus at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Their four losses were by a combined total of sixteen points.[1]

1978 Stanford Cardinals football
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 16
APNo. 17
Record8–4 (4–3 Pac-10)
Head coach
Home stadiumStanford Stadium
(c. 85,500, grass)
1978 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 USC $ 6 –1 –012 –1 –0
No. 14 UCLA 6 –2 –08 –3 –1
Washington 6 –2 –07 –4 –0
Arizona State 4 –3 –09 –3 –0
No. 17 Stanford 4 –3 –08 –4 –0
California 3 –4 –06 –5 –0
Arizona 3 –4 –05 –6 –0
Oregon 2 –5 –02 –9 –0
Oregon State 2 –6 –03 –7 –1
Washington State 1 –7 –03 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

In the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl on New Year's Eve, Stanford rallied from a 22-point deficit in the second half to defeat #11 Georgia 25–22.[2][3] and finished with an 8–4 record and a top twenty ranking.[4]

Less than two weeks later, Walsh departed for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers,[5] and receivers coach Rod Dowhower was promoted.[6] Walsh won three Super Bowls in ten seasons with the Niners, took three years off, and returned to Stanford as head coach in 1992.

Season

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 9No. 4 Oklahoma*
L 29–3558,883
September 16San Jose State*
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA (rivalry)
W 38–942,500
September 23at Illinois*
W 35–1043,143
September 30Tulane*No. 20
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
W 17–1440,111[7]
October 7at No. 16 UCLANo. 17
L 26–2754,106
October 14WashingtonNo. 18
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
L 31–3458,079
October 21at Washington State
W 43–2727,411
October 28Oregon State
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
W 24–639,214
November 4No. 6 USC
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA (rivalry)
L 7–1384,084
November 11at Arizona State
W 21–1451,000
November 18at California
W 30–1077,880
December 31vs. No. 11 Georgia*
W 25–2234,084
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

Personnel
1978 Stanford Cardinal football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Billy Anderson
RB Gordon Banks
TE Pat Bowe
RB Jim Brown
QB Steve Dils
OL Gene Engle
FB Phil Francis
OL Paul Hibler
OL Brian Holloway
WR James Lofton
OL John Macauley
WR Ken Margerum
WR Vince Mulroy
RB Darrin Nelson
TE Mitch Pleis
OL Brent Saylor
QB Turk Schonert
TE Marty Smith
OL Jim Stephens
WR Andre Tyler
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB Kevin Bates
LB Bo Boxold
LB Steve Budinger
DB Keith Burcham
LB Gordy Ceresino
DB Robby Chapman
DL Chuck Evans
DL Dan Floyd
DB Steve Foley
LB Tom Hall
LB Milt McColl
DB Rick Parker
DB John Pigott
LB Terry Rennaker
DL Doug Rogers
DB Kent Stalwick
DB Savann Thompson
DL Dean Wilson
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P Brad Fox
K Ken Naber
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Awards and honors

All-conference
Main article: 1978 All-Pacific-10 Conference football team

Two sophomores were named to the All-Pac-10 team, halfback Darrin Nelson and wide receiver Ken Margerum, along with senior linebacker Gordy Ceresino.

NFL draft

Two Cardinals were selected in the 1979 NFL draft.

PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
Steve DilsQuarterback497Minnesota Vikings
Phil FrancisRunning back7166San Francisco 49ers
Source:[9]

References
  1. "Nelson has a big Big game at Cal". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1978. p. 4B.
  2. "Dils, Cards catch fire". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1979. p. 20.
  3. "Georgia tries for a victory, Cards get it". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. January 1, 1979. p. 1C.
  4. "AP's Top 20". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). Associated Press. January 4, 1979. p. 1D.
  5. "Walsh gets pact worth $1 million from the 49ers". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. January 10, 1979. p. 1C.
  6. "Dowhower wants Stanford exciting". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. January 10, 1979. p. 3C.
  7. "Nelson-paced Cards rally past inspired Tulane". The Modesto Bee. October 1, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Touchdown Club Awards". www.touchdownclubofcolumbus.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  9. "1978 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007.
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