Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins 
LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Miami Dolphins 23
A blocked field goal and extra-point attempt provided the margin of victory for the Miami Dolphins.
Ex-Dolphin receiver Morris Owens came back to haunt his old team with three touchdown catches. Starting quarterback Parnell Dickinson threw the first, then was replaced by recently acquired quarterback Terry Hanratty after injuring his ankle. When Hanratty proved ineffective, Steve Spurrier, who had not practiced during the week due to a swollen knee, came off the bench to throw the final two touchdowns.
It took a final-minute, 55-yard Garo Yepremian field goal to clinch the game for the Dolphins, whose pass defense had been decimated by injuries. 192 of the Buccaneers’ 334 total yards came through the air.
John McKay would later point to this game as the high point of the Buccaneers’ season. Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti saw it differently, calling the narrow victory “a disgrace” and “the low point in Miami Dolphins’ history”.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Fred Wyzant
- UMPIRE: Tom Hensley
- LINE JUDGE: Don Orr
- HEAD LINESMAN: Leo Miles
- BACK JUDGE: Jack Steffen
- FIELD JUDGE: Fred Swearingen
SCORING
- DOLPHINS: 06:48-1Q Yepremian FG28
- BUCCANEERS: 01:06-1Q Owens 18 pass from Dickinson (Green kick)
- DOLPHINS: 11:34-2Q Malone 6 run (Yepremian kick)
- DOLPHINS: 04:08-2Q Nottingham 1 run (Yepremian kick)
- DOLPHINS: 05:31-3Q Yepremian FG24
- BUCCANEERS: 03:39-3Q Owens 20 pass from Spurrier (kick failed)
- BUCCANEERS: 07:16-4Q Owens 7 pass from Spurrier (Green kick)
- DOLPHINS: 00:55-4Q Yepremian FG29
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #89 J. McKay
- LT: #71 S. Young
- LG: #72 H. Fest
- C: #51 D. Ryczek
- RG: #67 T. Alward
- RT: #74 M. Current
- TE: #86 B. Moore
- WR: #85 M. Owens
- QB: #18 P. Dickinson
- RB: #43 E. Williams
- RB: #32 L. Carter
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #78 C. Rudolph
- LT: #76 D. Pear
- RT: #64 G. Robinson
- RE: #66 P. Toomay
- LLB: #30 J. Gunn
- MLB: #52 S. Reese
- RLB: #54 R. Wood
- LCB: #25 C. Jordan
- RCB: #46 D. Reece
- LS: #33 M. Cotney
- RS: #28 K. Stone
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 4 Green, 5 Hanratty, 11 Spurrier, 19 Johnson, 22 McNeill, 27 Davis, 35 DuBose, 53 Ball, 55 Hunt, 56 Cooper, 61 Selmon, 63 Selmon, 77 Little, 79 Wilson, 80 Novak, 82 Pagac, 88 Smith
DID NOT PLAY
- 70 Young, 84 Douglas
INACTIVE
- 26 Davis, 40 Washington, 44 Moore, 58 Peterson
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: Carter 15-51, B.Moore 1-22, Dickinson 3-21, McNeil 4-18, Williams 3-18, Spurrier 1-7, Johnson 3-6.
- DOLPHINS: Malone 22-118, Nottingham 10-32, Moore 1-21, WInfrey 5-21, Griese 2-4, Sieple 1-4, Solomon 1-0.
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Dickinson 4-4-51-0-1, Hanratty 2-2-9-0-0, Spurrier 21-13-143-1-2, Carter 1-0-0-0-0.
- DOLPHINS: Griese 15-8-132-1-0.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Owens 6-88. Johnson 4-32, Williams 3-13, B.Moore 2-27, Carter 1-19, Pagac 1-10, McKay 1-8, McNeill1-6.
- DOLPHINS: Moore 2-36, Seiple 2-35, Solomon 1-19, Winfrey 1-16, Mandich 1-13, Tillman 1-13.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: Cotney 1-0.
- DOLPHINS: Anderson 1-42.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Johnson 4-77, McNeil 1-19.
- DOLPHINS: Harris 4-112.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Reece 1-(-3).
- DOLPHINS: Harris 2-23, Solomon 1-8.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: Rudolph 2-14, Jordan 1-10, D.Selmon 1-3, L.Selmon 1-8, Toomay 1-7.
- DOLPHINS: Towle 1-12.
