Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 Miami Dolphins 21
Sunday 21 September 1997 at Houlihan’s Stadium
SCORING
TB
9:30-1Q
Alstott 3 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick
TB
7:34-2Q
Alstott 1 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick
MIA
0:22-2Q
McDuffie 10 pass from Marino (Mare kick)
TB
9:46-3Q
Husted FG22
TB
3:35-3Q
Anthony 38 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
MIA
14:10-4Q
Abdul-Jabbar 1 run (Mare kick)
TB
9:18-4Q
Dunn 58 pass from Dilfer (Husted kick)
MIA
3:25-4Q
Barnett 1 pass from Marino (Mare kick)
The Bucs became the only undefeated team in the NFL with a dominating Sunday Night televised victory over their
state rivals. This was the first time in franchise history that they did not punt a single time as Trent Dilfer threw four
touchdown passes and the Tampa defense kept Dan Marino in check. The game was sealed when Warrick Dunn took
a screen pass for a long touchdown on 3rd and 29 in the fourth quarter.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
BUCS: Alstott 18-95, Dunn 11-17, Dilfer 3-(-3).
DOLPHINS: Abdul-Jabbar 16-45, McPhail 1-3.
PASSING
BUCS: Dilfer 24-18-248-1-4.
DOLPHINS: Marino 37-24-235-0-2.
RECEIVING
BUCS: Dunn 6-106, Alstott 4-20, Copeland 3-39, Anthony 2-50,
Harris 2-20, Williams 1-13.
DOLPHINS: McDuffie 6-55, Barnett 5-50, Drayton 3-45, McPhail 3-
28, Abdul-Jabbar 3-22, Jordan 1-19, Manning 1-11, Dotson 1-4,
Parmalee 1-1.
INTERCEPTIONS
BUCS: none.
DOLPHINS: Thomas 1-10.
KICK RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 2-47, White 1-0.
DOLPHINS: Spikes 4-102.
PUNT RETURNS
BUCS: Williams 3-30.
DOLPHINS: none.
SACKS
BUCS: none.
DOLPHINS: none.
STARTERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
LT
74 Gruber
LDE
72 Ahanotu
LG
60 Pyne
DT
77 Culpepper
C
61 Mayberry
DT
78 Jones
RG
64 Diaz
RDE
91 Upshaw
RT
70 Odom
WLB
55 Brooks
TE
80 Harris
MLB
56 Nickerson
WR
85 Anthony
SLB
50 Gooch
WR
88 Copeland
LCB
21 Abraham
QB
12 Dilfer
SS
47 Lynch
FB
40 Alstott
FS
25 Johnson
RB
28 Dunn
RCB
27 Parker
PLAYED
4 Walsh, 5 Husted, 6 Barnhardt, 22 Mincy, 23 Bouie, 26 Rusk,
29 Gant, 37 Ellison, 45 Legette, 51 Singleton, 52 Bellisari, 53
Quarles, 69 Pierson, 71 Wunsch, 73 Middleton, 82 Hape, 83
Moore, 84 Thomas, 86 Williams, 90 Maniecki, 94 White, 97
Jackson
DID NOT PLAY
32 Rhett
INACTIVES
13 Milanovich, 20 Barber, 24 Robinson, 59 Porter, 65 Dogins,
75 Curry, 87 Davis, 99 Sapp
COMMENTARY CREW
Verne Lundqvist, Pat Haden and Mark May
GAME REPORTS
Rick Stroud reports from a delirious Houlihan's Stadium
Hubert Mizell hitches a ride on the Buccaneer bandwagon
Click here for Pat Yasinskas' take on the game
Click here for David Whitley's views
Click here for how the Miami press viewed the encounter
Click here for the gamebook and the play-by-play
GAME HIGHLIGHTS Click on the boxes below to view the clips
Mike Alstott had the first two touchdowns on almost identical play-action fakes to the back
Reidel Anthony hauled in this long touchdown pass in the third quarter
Who can ever forget Warrick Dunn’s screen pass score to cap this memorable night in Tampa?