GAME HIGHLIGHTS Video footage from the expansion season is limited to occasional clips from the NFL Films season highlight film as NBC who broadcast all 14 games that season, destroyed the master tapes some years later leaving none of the games available in the way other games from Buc history are. These highlights come from a CBS affiliate in Miami that I was able to obtain albeit without any commentary or sound.

The expansion Buccaneers played their "best game of the year" but still suffered a heart-breaking defeat. Despite two touchdown strikes from veteran QB Steve Spurrier, a defensive lapse and Garo Yepremian's fieldgoal with 55 seconds left cost the Bucs their first- ever victory and a chance to beat the once-proud Miami Dolphins, three point favourites against the spread. "It was the best game of the year for us" said John McKay. "I've been telling people we have been progressing and we are".

STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 71 Young LDE 78 Rudolph LG 72 Fest DT 76 Pear C 51 Ryczek DT 64 Robinson RG 67 Alward RDE 66 Toomay RT 74 Current LLB 30 Gunn TE 86 Moore MLB 52 Reese WR 85 Owens RLB 54 Wood WR 89 McKay LCB 25 Jordan FB 43 Williams SS 33 Cotney RB 32 Carter FS 28 Stone QB 18 Dickinson RCB 46 Reese PLAYED 4 Green, 5 Hanratty, 11 Spurrier, 19 Johnson, 22 McNeill, 27 Davis, 35 DuBose, 53 Ball, 55 Hunt, 56 Cooper, 61 Selmon, 63 Selmon, 77 Little, 79 Wilson, 80 Novak, 82 Pagac, 88 Smith DID NOT PLAY 70 Young, 84 Douglas INACTIVES 26 Davis, 40 Washington, 44 Moore, 58 Peterson

SCORING MIA 6:48-1Q Yepremian FG28 TB 1:06-1Q Owens 18 pass from Dickinson (Green kick) MIA 11:34-2Q Malone 6 run (Yepremian kick) MIA 4:08-2Q Nottingham 1 run (Yepremian kick) MIA 5:31-3Q Yepremian FG24 TB 3:39-3Q Owens 20 pass from Spurrier (kick failed) TB 7:16-4Q Owens 7 pass from Spurrier (Green kick) MIA 0:55-4Q Yepremian FG29

GAME REPORTS Ron Martz of the St.Petersburg Times - how he saw the game Mike Tierney of the St.Petersburg Times - his game column Ray Holliman of the St.Petersburg Times - how he saw the game Hubert Mizell of the St.Petersburg Times - his game column The St.Petersburg Times - a game report Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS BUCS: Carter 15-51, B.Moore 1-22, Dickinson 3-21, McNeil 4-18, Williams 3-18, Spurrier 1-7, Johnson 3-6. DOLPHINS: Malone 22-118, Nottingham 10-32, Moore 1-21, WInfrey 5- 21, Griese 2-4, Sieple 1-4, Solomon 1-0. PASSING BUCS: Dickinson 4-4-51-0-1, Hanratty 2-2-9-0-0, Spurrier 21-13-143-1- 2, Carter 1-0-0-0-0. DOLPHINS: Griese 15-8-132-1-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Owens 6-88. Johnson 4-32, Williams 3-13, B.Moore 2-27, Carter 1-19, Pagac 1-10, McKay 1-8, McNeill1-6. DOLPHINS: Moore 2-36, Seiple 2-35, Solomon 1-19, Winfrey 1-16, Mandich 1-13, Tillman 1-13. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Cotney 1-0. DOLPHINS: Anderson 1-42. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Johnson 4-77, McNeil 1-19. DOLPHINS: Harris 4-112. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Reece 1-(-3). DOLPHINS: Harris 2-23, Solomon 1-8. SACKS BUCS: Rudolph 2-14, Jordan 1-10, D.Selmon 1-3, L.Selmon 1-8, Toomay 1-7. DOLPHINS: Towle 1-12.