1980 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

American college football season

1980 North Carolina Tar Heels football

ACC champion
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion

Astro–Bluebonnet Bowl, W 16–7 vs. Texas

Conference| Atlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
Coaches| No. 9
AP| No. 10
Record| 11–1 (6–0 ACC)
Head coach|

* Dick Crum (3rd season)

Captain| Rick Donnalley, Steve Streater, Lawrence Taylor, Ron Wooten
Home stadium| Kenan Memorial Stadium

Seasons

<- 1979

1981 ->

1980 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 10 North Carolina $  | 6  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
Maryland | 5  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 4  | - | 0
NC State | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Clemson | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Wake Forest | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Virginia | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Duke | 1  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1980 North Carolina Tar Heels football team was an American football team that represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third year under head coach Dick Crum, the Tar Heels compiled an 11–1 record (6–0 in conference games), kept six opponents from scoring a touchdown, and outscored all opponents by a total of 281 to 123. They won the ACC championship, were ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll, and defeated Texas in the Astro–Bluebonnet Bowl.[1] The 11 wins tied a program record set during the 1972 season.

Senior linebacker Lawrence Taylor had 16 sacks, was a consensus selection on the 1980 All-America college football team and won ACC player of the year honors.[2][3] Crum was named ACC coach of the year.[4]

The team had two backs who gained over 1,000 rushing yards: Amos Lawrence (1,118 yards, 90 points) and Kelvin Bryant (1,039 yards, 72 points). Quarterback Rod Elkins led the team with 1,002 passing yards.[5]

The team played its home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
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|
|
|

September 6| 1:00 p.m.| Furman*| No. 14|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC

| | W 35–13| 50,100| [6]
September 13| 8:30 p.m.| at Texas Tech*| No. 15|

* Jones Stadium
* Lubbock, TX

| | W 9–3| 37,797| [7]
September 27| 1:00 p.m.| No. 19 Maryland| No. 14|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC

| | W 17–3| 51,400| [8]
October 4| 1:00 p.m.| Georgia Tech*| No. 10|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC

| | W 33–0| 49,750| [9]
October 11| 1:00 p.m.| at Wake Forest| No. 8|

* Groves Stadium
* Winston-Salem, NC (rivalry)

| | W 27–9| 37,411| [10]
October 18| 1:00 p.m.| NC State| No. 8|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC (rivalry)

| | W 28–8| 51,845| [11]
October 25| 1:00 p.m.| East Carolina*| No. 7|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC

| | W 31–3| 48,100| [12]
November 1| 2:30 p.m.| at No. 16 Oklahoma*| No. 6|

* Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
* Norman, OK

| ESPN| L 7–41| 74,852| [13]
November 8| 1:00 p.m.| at Clemson| No. 14|

* Memorial Stadium
* Clemson, SC

| | W 24–19| 62,500| [14]
November 15| 1:00 p.m.| Virginia| No. 15|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry)

| | W 26–3| 49,500| [15]
November 22| 1:00 p.m.| Duke| No. 15|

* Kenan Memorial Stadium
* Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell)

| | W 44–21| 51,389| [16]
December 31| 8:00 p.m.| vs. Texas*| No. 13|

* Astrodome
* Houston, TX (Astro–Bluebonnet Bowl)

| Mizlou| W 16–7| 36,669| [17]

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Eastern time

[18]

## Roster

[edit]

1980 North Carolina Tar Heels football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

RB | `1` | Travis Freeman | Sr
FB | `1` | Billy "Freight Train" Johnson | Sr
QB | `10` | Rod Elkins | So
WR | `19` | Jon Richardson | Jr
WR | `41` | Wayne Tucker | Sr
RB | `20` | Amos Lawrence | Sr
C | `51` | Rick Donnalley | Sr
OT | `54` | Dave Drechsler | So
G | `78` | Ron Wooten | Sr
OL | `` | Kevin Wilson | Fr
WR | `85` | Mike McCormick | Sr
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

FS | `5` | Steve Streater | Sr
SS | `28` | Bill Jackson | Jr
LB | `29` | Darrell Nicholson | Jr
NG | `34` | Paul Davis | Sr
DT | `76` | Donnell Thompson | Sr
OLB | `84` | Mike Wilcher | So
OLB | `93` | Calvin Daniels | Jr
OLB | `98` | Lawrence Taylor | Sr
DB | `unk` | Larry Winters | So
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

|
|
|

P | `5` | Steve Streater | Sr

Head coach

* Dick Crum

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Denny Marcin, Larry Marmie, Cleve Bryant

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

* * *

Roster

## Rankings

[edit]

Main article: 1980 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking| Week

|

Poll| Pre| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| Final
AP| 14| 15| 13| 14| 10| 8| 8| 7| 6| 14| 15| 15| 13| 12| 13| 10
Coaches| 17| 13| 13| 15| 11| 8| 8| 7| 6| 14| 15| 13| 11| 11| 11| 9

## Game summaries

[edit]

### Maryland

[edit]

See also: 1980 Maryland Terrapins football team

[19]

### At Oklahoma

[edit]

See also: 1980 Oklahoma Sooners football team

[20]

### Duke

[edit]

See also: 1980 Duke Blue Devils football team and Victory Bell (Duke–North Carolina)

### Vs. Texas (Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl)

[edit]

North Carolina vs. Texas  |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Tar Heels | 6 | 7| 3| 0 | 16
Longhorns | 0 | 7| 0| 0 | 7

* Date: December 31
* Location: Astrodome, Houston, Texas
* Game attendance: 36,669
* Referee: Jim Harper, Jr.
* TV announcers (Mizlou): Ray Scott, John Unitas, and Howard David

Main article: 1980 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl

See also: 1980 Texas Longhorns football team

[21]

## Statistics

[edit]

The Tar Heels gained an average of 297.7 rushing yards and 104.1 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up 138.0 rushing yards and 144.1 passing yards per game.[5]

Two North Carolina backs tallied over 1,000 rushing yards:

* Amos Lawrence tallied 1,118 rushing yards on 229 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He also caught nine passes for 80 yards and led the team in scoring with 90 points on 15 touchdowns.[5]
* Kelvin Bryant gained 1,039 rushing yards on 177 carries for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught 12 passes for 194 yards and scored 72 points on 12 touchdowns.[5]

Billy Johnson ranked third with 433 yards on 103 carries for a 4.2 yard average.[5]

Quarterback Rod Elkins completed 181 of 160 passes (50.6%) for 1,002 yards with 11 touchdowns, nine interceptins, and a 114.7 quarterback rating. The team's leading receivers were Mike Chatham (20 receptions, 239 yards), Victor Harrison (16 receptions, 210 yards), Jon Richardson (15 receptions, 206 yards), and Kelvin Bryant (12 receptions, 194 yards).[5]

## Awards and honors

[edit]

Linebacker Lawrence Taylor won the award as the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year.[22]

Three North Carolina players received All-America honors. Taylor was a consensus pick, receiving first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and United Press International (UPI). Guard Ron Wooten received first-team honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF), second-team honors from the UPI, and third-team honors from the AP. Center Rick Donnalley received second-team honors from the AP.

Eight North Carolina players received first-team honors on the 1980 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team: guard Ron Wooten; center Rick Donnalley; running backs Amos Lawrence and Kelvin Bryant; Lawrence Taylor (at defensive line); linebacker Darrell Nicholson; Steve Streater (honored both as defensive back and punter).[23]

## 1981 NFL draft

[edit]

Main article: 1981 NFL draft

The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.

Player | Position | Round | Pick | Franchise

|
|
|
|

Lawrence Taylor | Linebacker | 1 | 2 | New York Giants
Donnell Thompson | Defensive tackle | 1 | 18 | Baltimore Colts
Rick Donnalley | Center | 3 | 73 | Pittsburgh Steelers
Amos Lawrence | Running back | 4 | 103 | San Diego Chargers
Ron Wooten | Guard | 6 | 157 | New England Patriots
Harry Stanback | Defensive tackle | 6 | 164 | Atlanta Falcons

[24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1980 North Carolina Tar Heels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
2. ^ Whitley, David. L.T. was reckless, magnificent, espn.com, accessed January 29, 2007.
3. ^ "UNC's Taylor Piles Up Honors For His Defense". Winston-Salem Journal. December 20, 1980. p. 22 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ >"Crum named ACC coach of the year". The Plain Dealer. December 3, 1980. p. 5F - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ a b c d e f "1980 North Carolina Tar Heels Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
6. ^ "Carolina topples Furman". The News and Observer. September 7, 1980. Retrieved November 30, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "North Carolina tops Tech". The Tyler Courier-Times. September 14, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Tar Heels' defense stops Maryland, 17–3". The Tampa Tribune. September 28, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "North Carolina rolls over Georgia Tech". The Victoria Advocate. October 5, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Tar Heels dominate Wake in 27–9 victory". The Daily Progress. October 12, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "UNC looks like the class of the ACC against State". The Roanoke Times & World-News. October 19, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "No. 7 Tar Heels clip East Carolina 31–3". News-Press. October 26, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Sooners demolish sixth-rated Tarheels". Wisconsin State Journal. November 2, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "Goal line stand saves Tar Heels". The Danville Register. November 9, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Tar Heels earn Bluebonnent berth with 26–3 victory over Virginia". Suffolk News-Herald. November 16, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "Bryant's running helps Tar Heels KO Blue Devils' rally". The Charlotte Observer. November 23, 1980. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "North Carolina runs over Longhorns, 16–7". San Angelo Standard-Times. January 1, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
18. ^ "Carolina Football : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive".
19. ^ "UNC Deals Maryland 1st Defeat, 17-3". The Washington Post. September 28, 1980. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
20. ^ "Hey, Not Everyone Can Be Perfect". Sports Illustrated. November 10, 1980. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
21. ^ "N. CAROLINA DEFEATS TEXAS, 16-7". The New York Times. January 1, 1981. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
22. ^ "Tar Heels' Lawrence Taylor named best player in ACC". The Salisbury Post. December 1, 1980. p. 1B - via Newspapers.com.
23. ^ "Tar Heels Dominate All-ACC Team". The Robesonian. November 30, 1980. p. 2B.
24. ^ "1981 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.

* v
* t
* e

North Carolina Tar Heels football

Venues|

* Emerson Field (1916–1926)
* Kenan Memorial Stadium (1927–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Duke: Victory Bell
* NC State
* South Carolina
* Virginia: South's Oldest Rivalry
* Wake Forest

Culture & lore|

* First forward pass
* Rameses
* The Marching Tar Heels
* 2010 football scandal
* 2011 academic-athletic scandal

People|

* Head coaches
* All-Americans
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
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* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
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* 1993
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* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
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* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
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* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* v
* t
* e

Atlantic Coast Conference football champions

* Duke & Maryland (1953)
* Duke (1954)
* Duke & Maryland (1955)
* Clemson (1956)
* NC State (1957)
* Clemson (1958)
* Clemson (1959)
* Duke (1960)
* Duke (1961)
* Duke (1962)
* North Carolina & NC State (1963)
* NC State (1964)
* Clemson & NC State (1965)
* Clemson (1966)
* Clemson (1967)
* NC State (1968)
* South Carolina (1969)
* Wake Forest (1970)
* North Carolina (1971)
* North Carolina (1972)
* NC State (1973)
* Maryland (1974)
* Maryland (1975)
* Maryland (1976)
* North Carolina (1977)
* Clemson (1978)
* NC State (1979)
* North Carolina (1980)
* Clemson (1981)
* Clemson (1982)
* Maryland (1983)
* Maryland (1984)
* Maryland (1985)
* Clemson (1986)
* Clemson (1987)
* Clemson (1988)
* Duke & Virginia (1989)
* Georgia Tech (1990)
* Clemson (1991)
* Florida State (1992)
* Florida State (1993)
* Florida State (1994)
* Florida State & Virginia (1995)
* Florida State (1996)
* Florida State (1997)
* Florida State & Georgia Tech (1998)
* Florida State (1999)
* Florida State (2000)
* Maryland (2001)
* Florida State (2002)
* Florida State (2003)
* Virginia Tech (2004)
* Florida State (2005)
* Wake Forest (2006)
* Virginia Tech (2007)
* Virginia Tech (2008)
* Georgia Tech (2009) vacated
* Virginia Tech (2010)
* Clemson (2011)
* Florida State (2012)
* Florida State (2013)
* Florida State (2014)
* Clemson (2015)
* Clemson (2016)
* Clemson (2017)
* Clemson (2018)
* Clemson (2019)
* Clemson (2020)
* Pittsburgh (2021)
* Clemson (2022)
* Florida State (2023)
* Clemson (2024)

National championships in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number