by an Ole Miss Punter, during the October 16, 1976 football game played between South Carolina and Ole Miss at Williams-Brice Stadium (WB). It has become my QUEST to actually read an article that describes the details of the punt accurately. I saw the punt and it was by far a punt of a life time. The 2nd best punt I have ever seen would not come close to this punt in terms of both height and length. The play by play announcer for the Gamecocks, Bob Fulton, has long passed away. So therefore, I obviously can't get any information there. I am trying to get in touch with the radio color guy for South Carolina but have not yet been able to get his e-mail address or phone number. My brother-in-law who attended the game with me has also passed away. I have researched a couple of newspapers to no avail. After all of these years I have been unable to find anyone (although I am sure there are some fans around) that actually remember the punt. I am going to take some time and just go to Columbia and see if I can find anything about the punt in the paper. Again, I want to read something that really describes the punt.
Below are the details I actually remember:
In 1976, I witnessed the punt of all punts in WB when USC was playing Ole Miss. Jimmy Miller, a barefooted punter for the Rebels, punted the ball higher and longer than I had ever seen before or since. The punt was just not long but it was incredibily high. The line of scrimmage was the Ole Miss 18 yard line, when Miller punted the ball it was seemingly as high as the lights are at WB. In 1976 of course, there was no East Upper, only the West Upper but it appeared the ball was as high as the lights in the West Upper Deck. The ball hit somewhere in the North End zone and bounced out of the end zone.
I have seen punts as long as that punt but after watching a life time of football since then I have never seen a punt as high and as long as that one punt in 1976.
Below is a write up I found on wikepedia, the article says the game was played in 1977 but I know it was played in 1976 because I looked up some Ole Miss records and it showed the 1977 Ole Miss / USC game being played in Oxford, Miss.
"Miller attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he played for the Ole Miss Rebels football team from 1976 to 1977. He was a barefoot punter. He led the NCAA in punting average in 1977. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.[1] Miller set a school record when he kicked a punt for 82 yards against South Carolina in 1977".
Again, the line of scrimmage was the Ole Miss 18 yard line. I can still see our punt returner backing up frantically shortly after the ball left Miller's foot. He backed up for a while and then saw that it was no use to even try and field the punt. Now, to be honest I can't remember where the ball hit in the end zone but I know it didn't go out of bounds before it hit the end zone because it couldn't have went out of bounds and still been an 82 yard punt. I'm thinking it hit into the end zone and rolled out at the back of the end zone, which if the line of scrimmage had been on the 8 yard line, the punt would have covered 92 yards.
Jim Carlen, the Head Football Coach for the Gamecocks at the time, said on his show the next day, the punt made by Miller was the most incredible punt he had ever seen in his entire career as a player and a coach.
Now, this is where I need the Ole Miss fans help. Is there any publication, newspaper or whatever that any of you can find that details the actual punt? I would love to show it to my friends and long time Gamecock fans, instead of just having to tell them about it and remember the details from 1976. I will check back on this board from time to time to see if anyone can find anything that would help me.
Thanks in advance.
This post was edited on 1/14 10:44 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
This post was edited on 1/14 8:53 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
This post was edited on 1/14 9:10 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
Below are the details I actually remember:
In 1976, I witnessed the punt of all punts in WB when USC was playing Ole Miss. Jimmy Miller, a barefooted punter for the Rebels, punted the ball higher and longer than I had ever seen before or since. The punt was just not long but it was incredibily high. The line of scrimmage was the Ole Miss 18 yard line, when Miller punted the ball it was seemingly as high as the lights are at WB. In 1976 of course, there was no East Upper, only the West Upper but it appeared the ball was as high as the lights in the West Upper Deck. The ball hit somewhere in the North End zone and bounced out of the end zone.
I have seen punts as long as that punt but after watching a life time of football since then I have never seen a punt as high and as long as that one punt in 1976.
Below is a write up I found on wikepedia, the article says the game was played in 1977 but I know it was played in 1976 because I looked up some Ole Miss records and it showed the 1977 Ole Miss / USC game being played in Oxford, Miss.
"Miller attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he played for the Ole Miss Rebels football team from 1976 to 1977. He was a barefoot punter. He led the NCAA in punting average in 1977. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.[1] Miller set a school record when he kicked a punt for 82 yards against South Carolina in 1977".
Again, the line of scrimmage was the Ole Miss 18 yard line. I can still see our punt returner backing up frantically shortly after the ball left Miller's foot. He backed up for a while and then saw that it was no use to even try and field the punt. Now, to be honest I can't remember where the ball hit in the end zone but I know it didn't go out of bounds before it hit the end zone because it couldn't have went out of bounds and still been an 82 yard punt. I'm thinking it hit into the end zone and rolled out at the back of the end zone, which if the line of scrimmage had been on the 8 yard line, the punt would have covered 92 yards.
Jim Carlen, the Head Football Coach for the Gamecocks at the time, said on his show the next day, the punt made by Miller was the most incredible punt he had ever seen in his entire career as a player and a coach.
Now, this is where I need the Ole Miss fans help. Is there any publication, newspaper or whatever that any of you can find that details the actual punt? I would love to show it to my friends and long time Gamecock fans, instead of just having to tell them about it and remember the details from 1976. I will check back on this board from time to time to see if anyone can find anything that would help me.
Thanks in advance.
This post was edited on 1/14 10:44 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
This post was edited on 1/14 8:53 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
This post was edited on 1/14 9:10 PM by Freddie.B.Cocky
