Former Occidental football head coach Dale Widolff said he was in his office Sept. 26, 1982, preparing for his team’s next game against the University of San Diego Toreros (USD), when his phone rang.
“I got a call from CBS that said, ‘Would you guys be interested in playing on TV next [Sunday]?’” Widolff said. “And, you know, we weren’t going to say no.”
According to Widolff, the call came in the midst of the 1982 National Football League players’ strike, which left CBS with no NFL games to air on Sunday. The game between USD and Occidental was selected as the West Coast matchup.
“There were four regional games, and they would all start in their region at [around] one o’clock,” Widolff said.
Kelvin McClaskey ’86, an inside linebacker for Occidental that season, said he found out about the news in the training room.
“Someone said, ‘Did you hear the news? We’re not playing on Saturday,'” McClaskey said. “I said, ‘Well, what do you mean we’re not playing on Saturday?’ [They said], ‘We’re going to play on Sunday!’”
Vance Mueller ’86 said he was a first-year running back on the team who went on to play in the NFL for the then-Oakland Raiders.
“The whole school was excited about [the game], the community was excited about it,” Mueller said. “It was a really fun day for the entire campus.”
Widolff said it was only his fourth game as head coach but that he knew, despite the excitement and coverage, the undefeated USD Toreros were the clear favorite.
“Their offensive line was probably fifty pounds bigger than ours,” McClaskey said. “It was like David and Goliath.”
Jon “Spike” Crowley ’84 said he was a junior during the 1982 season, playing center for Occidental, and that USD was an ominous team to see on the schedule.
“They had a much bigger roster than we had,” Crowley said. “They were bigger, stronger, and faster.”
According to Widolff, however, Occidental had a wildly talented first-year class.
“Everybody came from a winning [high school] program,” McClaskey said. “The guys showed up with an attitude of ‘We’re gonna win.’”
Widolff said the week’s preparations went smoothly despite the distractions, which included interviews with broadcasters and practice with the CBS crew in attendance.
“CBS came with their NFL crew, and they treated it like a serious thing,” Widolff said. “They met with the coaches and players prior to the game, and we went through every player on the roster so they could make notes.”
According to former offensive tackle and team captain John Carroll ’83, Occidental had played USD in each of the three previous seasons. Carroll said he could tell early in the season that the 1982 Occidental football team was the best team he played with in his time at the college.
“Both Cal Lutheran and Trinity had much larger players than we did, and we hung in with both and played well,” Carroll said. “We were progressing each game in our timing and execution. So we went into that game thinking that we had a real shot to win.”
Carroll said come game day, the stands at Jack Kemp Stadium, then located on the west side of the field, were packed with fans.
“It was obvious from the start,” Carroll said. “It was the largest crowd I ever played [for] at Oxy.”
According to the CBS News broadcast, Occidental took a surprising early lead as quarterback Daniel Osborn ’84 hit Mueller on a short pass in the first quarter for an eight-yard touchdown. Occidental’s special teams unit also contributed, aided by Osborn, who was also the team’s punter.
“Twice we punted and the ball hit on the one-yard line, bounced straight up, and we pinned [USD] inside the one,” Widolff said.
Occidental extended the lead as new quarterback Jeff Monteroso ’85 subbed in, passing the ball to Mueller again. The freshman halfback broke three USD tackles for a 62-yard touchdown. Occidental ended the half leading 14-7 and threatening an upset.
“Kids were watching [the game] in their rooms,” Widolff said. “As we’re playing well, especially after halftime, the crowd gets bigger and bigger.”
Widolff said USD tied the game with a touchdown after the half, but Occidental had a trick up their sleeve.
“We had this trick play where we’d throw it to a wide receiver, and he’d throw it again,” Widolff said.
Occidental’s players executed the play, producing a 58-yard touchdown pass to Craig Roth ’86. USD managed to knot up the score again early in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers’ next drive saw a 58-yard catch-and-run by Jeff Goldstein ’86 followed by another Mueller touchdown, this time a 25-yard run.
“The thing I remember most is the team energy,” Mueller said. “We were having so much fun, and everybody was playing great.”
Occidental recorded a 34-20 victory, scoring again and allowing no more points.
Widolff said the win marked a turning point for Occidental, who ended the season 5-5, breaking a streak of losing seasons that started in 1977.
“We won [SCIAC] championships the next three years,” Widolff said. “So [the win] really laid the groundwork.”
According to the Occidental Football Archives, Occidental went on to win another eight SCIAC titles during Widolff’s tenure.
Widolff said much of the Occidental football team’s history is lost or being forgotten since the discontinuation of the program.
“I feel bad for all the guys who played through the years,” Widolff said. “You can’t find a roster. If you go on the archive, there’s nothing there, and that speaks volumes about how little they care about the legacy of a program that was over 100 years old.”
Contact Whittaker Perrin at wperrin@oxy.edu
