September 13, 1980
Southern Cal at Tennessee
With a 20-game unbeaten streak & 17-game Belt title reign, the Southern Cal Trojans of coach John Robinson opened the 1980 season ranked 5th nationally. The Trojans still had All-American DB Ronnie Lott & All-American OT Keith Van Horne. Coach Johnny Majors’ Tennessee Volunteers had the first shot of the new season at unseating the champions. Tennessee had opened the season one week earlier with a 1-point loss to SEC foe Georgia. Southern Cal’s PK Eric Hipp connected on a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Trojans a 20-17 win. Hipp hit a 45-yard field goal for the only points of the 1st quarter & when All-Pac 10 RB Marcus Allen scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter, the Trojans had a 10-0 lead they held through halftime. The Volunteers got on the board in the 3rd quarter with a 49-yard field goal by PK Alan Duncan. On the ensuing kick-off, Tennessee’s TE Avery Huff recovered a fumble by Southern Cal’s WR Greg Brady at the Southern Cal 34-yard line. Volunteers’ RB James Berry finished the 5-play scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10-10. The Trojans regained a 7-point lead in the 4th quarter when RB Michael Harper scored on a 1-yard touchdown run putting Southern Cal ahead 17-10. Tennessee responded quickly as WR Willie Gault returned the kick-off 45 yards to the Tennessee 49-yard line then, after a holding penalty against the Volunteers, QB Steve Alatorre hit WR Anthony Hancock for a 56-yard touchdown pass with 3:57 left in the game. With the game tied at 17-17, the Volunteers forced a Trojans’ punt before Southern Cal’s CB Jeff Fisher intercepted an Alatorre pass at the Tennessee 44-yard line with 1:18 left. The Trojans drove to the Tennessee 30-yard line before Hipp hit the 47-yard field goal which won the game as time expired. Southern Cal’s QB Gordon Adams threw for 170 yards while Allen rushed for 132 yards with his touchdown. Alatorre threw for 90 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception while Hancock had 4 catches for 135 yards with a touchdown in the loss. Southern Cal finished the season 8-2-1; ranked 11th nationally while the Volunteers finished 5-6. Tennessee would play for The Belt again in 1985.
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