# 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the UMass Minutemen. The game was played on December 16, 1978, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Florida A&M, 35–28.
This was the first season of I-AA play, and the first championship game for the newly formed division. The game was also known as the Pioneer Bowl, a name that had been used starting in 1971 for various NCAA playoff games held in Wichita Falls.

## Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1978 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a four-team bracket.

### Florida A&M Rattlers

In 1978, Florida A&M was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), a Division II conference. The university had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.
Florida A&M finished their regular season with a 9–1 record; their only loss was to Tennessee State. Ranked third in the final AP Poll for I-AA, and then having defeated Grambling State in the Orange Blossom Classic played on December 2, the Rattlers were the at-large selection to the four-team playoff. They defeated Jackson State, the South selection, by a score of 15–10 to reach the final.

### UMass Minutemen

UMass finished their regular season with an 8–3 record (5–0 in conference)—all of their losses were to Division I-A programs; Villanova, Harvard, and Rutgers. Tied with Western Kentucky for fourth in the final AP Poll for I-AA, the Minutemen were the East selection to the playoff. They defeated Nevada, the West selection, by a 44–21 score to reach the final.

## Game summary

The game was played in a strong wind, estimated at 20–25 miles per hour (32–40 km/h). It was a factor, especially with Florida A&M, as Sammy Knight punted six times for only 45 total yards; he also had two punts blocked. UMass led early, going ahead 6–0 on two field goals. Florida A&M held a 14–6 lead at halftime, but trailed twice in the second half, as UMass had leads of 15–14 and 22–21. Two fourth quarter touchdowns by fullback Mike Solomon then provided Florida A&M with the winning margin. Florida A&M won without completing a pass from scrimmage, as quarterback Albert Chester went 0-for-7 with two interceptions; he did successfully pass for a two-point conversion, and ran for two touchdowns.
Florida A&M placekicker Vince Coleman, who was 3-for-3 on extra points, would go on to play 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Note: contemporary news reports listed attendance as 14,000 (estimated); NCAA records indicate 13,604.

### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | FAMU | MASS |
| 1 | 10:18 | 9 | 40 | | MASS | 20-yard field goal by Sandro Vitiello | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 10:14 | 4 | (-2) | | MASS | 20-yard field goal by Vitiello | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | 8:30 | | 55 | | FAMU | Albert Chester 1-yard touchdown run, Vince Coleman kick good | 7 | 6 |
| 2 | 4:22 | | 49 | | FAMU | Chester 4-yard touchdown run, Coleman kick good | 14 | 6 |
| 3 | 6:54 | 3 | 8 | | MASS | Cliff Pedro 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass incomplete | 14 | 12 |
| 3 | 1:57 | | 37 | | MASS | 29-yard field goal by Vitiello | 14 | 15 |
| 3 | | 2 | 71 | | FAMU | Mike Solomon 65-yard touchdown run, Coleman kick good | 21 | 15 |
| 4 | 12:56 | 3 | 13 | | MASS | Pedro 9-yard touchdown reception from Mike McEvilly, Vitiello kick good | 21 | 22 |
| 4 | 8:14 | 1 | 28 | | FAMU | Solomon 28-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good (Emanuel White from Chester) | 29 | 22 |
| 4 | 3:15 | 8 | 55 | | FAMU | Solomon 20-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed | 35 | 22 |
| 4 | 0:00 | | | | MASS | Chris Kurtz 34-yard touchdown reception from McEvilly, 2-point pass failed | 35 | 28 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 35 | 28 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Minutemen | 3 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 28 |
| Statistics | FAMU | MASS |
| First downs | 20 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 83–470 | 69–241 |
| Rushes–yards | 76–470 | 45–116 |
| Passing yards | 0 | 125 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 0–7–2 | 8–24–1 |
| Time of possession | | |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Florida A&M | Passing | Albert Chester | 0–7, 2 INT |
| Florida A&M | Rushing | Mike Solomon | 27 car, 207 yds, 3 TD |
| Florida A&M | Receiving | none | — |
| UMass | Passing | Mike McEvilly | 8–24, 125 yds, 2 TD 1 INT |
| UMass | Rushing | Hank Sareault | 16 car, 71 yds |
| UMass | Receiving | Chris Kurtz | 2 rec, 46 yds, 1 TD |