The 1982 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference in the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Paul Wiggin, the Cardinal had an overall record of 5–6 (3–5 in Pac-10, seventh).
Quick Facts Stanford Cardinal football, Conference ...
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More information Conf, Overall ...
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This was the first football season for Stanford's new singular nickname Cardinal; from 1972 to 1981, it was the plural Cardinals.[1]
Both represented the color.
With consensus All-American John Elway at quarterback, the 1982 Cardinal were exciting - seven of its eleven games were decided in the fourth quarter - but maddeningly erratic:
- After an impressive opening road win at Purdue, the Cardinal dropped a 35–31 decision at home to unranked San Jose State, coached by Elway's father Jack, who became Stanford's head coach in 1984.
- In week 3 at #12 Ohio State, Stanford won on a last-minute eighty-yard drive, scoring the decisive TD with 34 seconds remaining.[2]
- In week 5 at #11 Arizona State, Stanford scored a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute, only to lose on a Sun Devil TD with eleven seconds left on the clock.[2]
- In week 7 at Washington State, the Cardinal scored the winning touchdown with 22 seconds left.[2]
- In week 8 at home, Stanford scored thirty consecutive points to decisively defeat previously unbeaten #2 Washington 43–31,[3] which put Elway on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[4][5]
- In week 9, at home against unranked Arizona, it gave up 28 unanswered fourth quarter points to lose by fourteen.[6]
After a hard-fought 38–35 loss at Rose Bowl-bound and 12th-ranked UCLA in week 10, the Cardinal traveled to Berkeley for its final scheduled game.
Elway's last football game at Stanford was one of the most famous games of all time, the 1982 Big Game versus rival California. It ended with "The Play," a kickoff return for a touchdown with four backward lateral passes and one forward lateral pass that allowed Cal to win the game as time expired.
After that game, Elway congratulated the Stanford Band trombone player that got run over in the end zone. Although Elway never led Stanford to a bowl game, he had an accomplished college career. In his four seasons (1979–1982), he completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns. Stanford had a 20–23–1 (.466) record during his tenure. Elway's 24 touchdown passes in 1982 led the nation, and he left with nearly every Stanford and Pacific-10 career record for passing and total offense.
He won Pac-10 Player of the Year honors for the second time in 1982, and was a consensus All-American. In addition, he finished second in Heisman Trophy balloting.
Schedule
More information Date, Opponent ...
Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 11 | at Purdue* | | | W 35–14 | 64,381 |
September 18 | San Jose State* | | CBS | L 31–35 | 57,027 |
September 25 | at No. 13 Ohio State* | | ABC | W 23–20 | 89,436 |
October 2 | Oregon State | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| | W 45–5 | 39,400 |
October 9 | at No. 11 Arizona State | | | L 17–21 | 70,823 |
October 16 | No. 14 USC | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA (rivalry)
| CBS | L 21–41 | 73,859 |
October 23 | at Washington State | | | W 31–26 | 26,806 |
October 30 | No. 2 Washington | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| ABC | W 43–31 | 55,213 |
November 6 | Arizona | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| | L 27–41 | 45,290 |
November 13 | at No. 12 UCLA | | | L 35–38 | 78,452 |
November 20 | at California | | USA | L 20–25 | 75,662 |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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More information Players, Coaches ...
1982 Stanford Cardinal football team roster |
Players |
Coaches |
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
Pos. | # | Name | Class |
PK |
8 |
Mark Harmon |
So |
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
- Injured
- Redshirt
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- Source:[7][8]
- Head coach – Paul Wiggin (Stanford '57)
- Associate head coach – Ray Handley (Stanford '66)
- Offensive coordinator – Jim Fassel (USC '70)
- Defensive coordinator – Larry Mac Duff (CSU-Fullerton '71)
- Running backs – Jim Anderson (Cal Western '70)
- Defensive backs – Chuck Detwiler (Utah State '68)
- Offensive line – Dick James (UC Davis '62)
- Receivers and tight ends – Dave Ottmar (Stanford '74)
- Defensive line – Fred von Appen (Linfield '64)
- Asst. coach – offensive line – Pete Mangurian (Louisiana State '77)
- Asst. coach – secondary – Mike Nolan (Oregon '80)
At Ohio State
More information Total, Scoring summary ...
Stanford at Ohio State
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Cardinal |
0 |
0 | 13 | 10 |
23 |
No. 13 Buckeyes |
3 |
10 | 0 | 7 |
20 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
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| 1 | 4:22 | OSU | Spangler 31-yard field goal | OSU 3–0 |
| 2 | 14:58 | OSU | Broadnax 1-yard run (Spangler kick) | OSU 10–0 |
| 2 | 0:13 | OSU | Spangler 24-yard field goal | OSU 13–0 |
| 3 | 10:56 | STAN | Harmon 23-yard field goal | OSU 13–3 |
| 3 | 6:26 | STAN | Harmon 24-yard field goal | OSU 13–6 |
| 3 | 3:30 | STAN | Dotterer 11-yard pass from John Elway (Harmon kick) | Tied 13–13 |
| 4 | 8:47 | OSU | Spencer 2-yard run (Spangler kick) | OSU 20–13 |
| 4 | 4:15 | STAN | Harmon 47-yard field goal | OSU 20–16 |
| 4 | 0:34 | STAN | Harry 18-yard pass from Elway (Harmon kick) | Stanford 23–20 |
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John Elway threw for 407 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner to Emile Harry with 34 seconds remaining.[9]
Washington
More information Total ...
Washington at Stanford
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No. 2 Huskies |
10 |
7 | 7 | 7 |
31 |
• Cardinal |
7 |
17 | 13 | 6 |
43 |
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- Source:[5]
At California
More information Total, Scoring summary ...
Stanford at California
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Cardinal |
0 |
0 | 14 | 6 |
20 |
• Golden Bears |
0 |
10 | 0 | 15 |
25 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
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| 2 | 9:22 | CAL | Joe Cooper 31-yard field goal | Cal 3–0 |
| 2 | 2:42 | CAL | Mariet Ford 29-yard pass from Gale Gilbert (Joe Cooper kick) | Cal 10–0 |
| 3 | 5:29 | STAN | Vincent White 2-yard pass from John Elway (Mark Harmon kick) | Cal 10–7 |
| 3 | 1:42 | STAN | Vincent White 43-yard pass from John Elway (Mark Harmon kick) | Stanford 14–10 |
| 4 | 13:28 | CAL | Joe Cooper 31-yard field goal | Stanford 14–13 |
| 4 | 11:24 | CAL | Wes Howell 32 yard pass from Gale Gilbert (pass failed) | Cal 19–14 |
| 4 | 5:32 | STAN | Mark Harmon 22-yard field goal | Cal 19–17 |
| 4 | 0:04 | STAN | Mark Harmon 35-yard field goal | Stanford 20–19 |
| 4 | 0:00 | CAL | Kevin Moen 25-yard kickoff return after numerous laterals (Kick failed) | Cal 25–20 |
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[10][11][12]