December 16, 1978

[Tango Two]

The wild story of how Rutgers football hit the 'big time,' 40 years later | Remembering the 1978 Garden State Bowl

Rutgers had never played in a bowl game until 40 years ago this Sunday, Dec. 16, 1978 (12/16/78) in the Meadowlands. This is the story of that day -- a 34-18 loss to Arizona State in the inaugural Garden State Bowl.

www.nj.com

 

[Source]

1978
9-3-0 Coach: Frank Robert Burns

L - 9-9-1978 (#3/NR) Penn State 26 Rutgers 10 University Park, PA Beaver Stadium 77,154

W - 9-23-1978 Rutgers 27 Bucknell 13 Lewisburg, PA Memorial Stadium 9,500

W - 9-30-1978 Rutgers 24 Princeton 0 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium 25,307

W - 10-7-1978 Rutgers 28 Yale 27 New Haven, CT Yale Bowl 21,000

W - 10-14-1978 Rutgers 10 Connecticut 0 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 13,500

W - 10-21-1978 Rutgers 24 Villanova 9 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 18,500

W - 10-28-1978 Rutgers 69 Columbia 0 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium 7,765

W - 11-4-1978 Rutgers 21 Massachusetts 11 Amherst, MA Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium 9,800

W - 11-11-1978 Rutgers 13 Temple 10 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 22,000

W - 11-18-1978 Rutgers 31 Holy Cross 21 Worcester, MA Fitton Football Stadium 14,829

L - 11-25-1978 Colgate 14 Rutgers 9 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 17,300

1st Garden State Bowl (1978-81)*​

L - 12-16-1978 Arizona State 34 Rutgers 18 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium* 33,402

*Rutgers vs. Arizona State in the inaugural Garden State Bowl (1978-81) and broadcast by Mizlou Television Sports to 105 stations nationwide. This is the first bowl game in Rutgers history and first national broadcast appearance.

 

[Antnee79]

I was fortunate enough to broadcast that game for WRSU my senior year. I attended the media day that week and met ASU's crazy-ass coach, Frank Kush, as well as Sonny Werblin, who was instrumental in creating the bowl game. The bonus from that media day were photo ops with the ASU cheerleaders, each were blonder and more beautiful than the next.

I was also fortunate enough to witness only one home loss at Rutgers Stadium my four years on the banks - and of course it was the last game they played that season, a close loss to Colgate.

 

[Kbee3]

1978
9-3-0 Coach: Frank Robert Burns

L - 9-9-1978 (#3/NR) Penn State 26 Rutgers 10 University Park, PA Beaver Stadium 77,154

W - 9-23-1978 Rutgers 27 Bucknell 13 Lewisburg, PA Memorial Stadium 9,500

W - 9-30-1978 Rutgers 24 Princeton 0 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium 25,307

W - 10-7-1978 Rutgers 28 Yale 27 New Haven, CT Yale Bowl 21,000

W - 10-14-1978 Rutgers 10 Connecticut 0 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 13,500

W - 10-21-1978 Rutgers 24 Villanova 9 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 18,500

W - 10-28-1978 Rutgers 69 Columbia 0 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium 7,765

W - 11-4-1978 Rutgers 21 Massachusetts 11 Amherst, MA Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium 9,800

W - 11-11-1978 Rutgers 13 Temple 10 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 22,000

W - 11-18-1978 Rutgers 31 Holy Cross 21 Worcester, MA Fitton Football Stadium 14,829

L - 11-25-1978 Colgate 14 Rutgers 9 Piscataway, NJ Rutgers Stadium 17,300

1st Garden State Bowl (1978-81)*​

L - 12-16-1978 Arizona State 34 Rutgers 18 East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium* 33,402

*Rutgers vs. Arizona State in the inaugural Garden State Bowl (1978-81) and broadcast by Mizlou Television Sports to 105 stations nationwide. This is the first bowl game in Rutgers history and first national broadcast appearance.

friggin' Mark Malone.

 

[Westcoast]

friggin' Mark Malone.

Did you know Mark Malone and Tom Selleck have never been seen in the same place at the same??

 

[1devotedfan]

Did you know Mark Malone and Tom Selleck have never been seen in the same place at the same??

I was a freshman for the 75-76 BB team and a Sophomore for the 76 football team.
Great times.
Attended the Garden State Bowl in 78 and ....... yes I was at the St. Bonaventure game in the Barn in 76!

 

[Shelby65]

Maligned Malone once compared to Larry Bird as good bounce passers.

 

[RU at the shore]

Wow , we’d get fried for having that schedule today…