Super Bowl VI Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16 , 1972 , at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans , Louisiana to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion following the 1971 regular season . The National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion Dallas Cowboys ( 14 – 3 ) defeated the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Miami Dolphins ( 12 – 4 – 1 ) , 24 – 3 , to win their first Super Bowl game . The Cowboys dominated the game , setting Super Bowl records for the most rushing yards ( 252 ) , the most first downs ( 23 ) , and the least points allowed ( 3 ) . The Cowboys are currently the only team ever to prevent their opponent from scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl . The game would be the only loss for Miami during the calendar year 1972 , as it preceded the team ' s undefeated season the next fall . The game featured 17 future Hall of Famers , a Super Bowl record . The Cowboys ' Quarterback , former Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach , completed 12 out of 19 passes for 119 yards , threw 2 touchdown passes , and rushed 5 times for 18 yards , and was named the Super Bowl ' s Most Valuable Player . Background . Dallas Cowboys . The Cowboys entered the season still having the reputation of " not being able to win the big games " and " next year ' s champion " . The Super Bowl V loss added more fuel to that widely held view . As in the previous season , Dallas had a quarterback controversy as Staubach and Craig Morton alternated as starting quarterback ( in a loss to the Bears in game 7 , Morton and Staubach alternated " plays " ) . The Cowboys were 4 - 3 at the season midpoint , including a 24 - 14 loss to the New Orleans Saints at Tulane Stadium . But after head coach Tom Landry settled on Staubach , the Cowboys won their last seven regular season games to finish with an 11 – 3 record . Staubach finished the regular season as the NFL ' s top rated passer ( 101 . 8 ) by throwing for 1 , 882 yards , 15 touchdowns , and only 4 interceptions . He was also a terrific rusher , gaining 343 yards and 2 touchdowns on 41 carries . Dallas also had an outstanding trio of running backs , Walt Garrison , Duane Thomas , and Calvin Hill , who rushed for a combined total of 1 , 690 yards and 14 touchdowns during the season . Garrison led the team in receptions during the season . ( Thomas , upset that the Cowboys would not renegotiate his contract after his excellent rookie year , had stopped talking to the press and to almost everyone on the team ) . Wide Receivers Bob Hayes and Lance Alworth also provided a deep threat , catching a combined total of 69 passes for 1 , 327 yards and 10 touchdowns . The offensive line , anchored by all - pro tackle Rayfield Wright , Pro Bowl ers John Niland and Ralph Neely , and future hall of famer Forrest Gregg , was also a primary reason for their success on offense ( Neely had broken his leg in November in a dirt - bike accident , and was replaced first by Gregg and then by Tony Liscio , who came out of retirement . The Dallas defense ( nicknamed the " Doomsday Defense " ) had given up only one touchdown in the last 25 quarters prior to the Super Bowl . Their defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bob Lilly , who excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and breaking up running plays . Dallas also had an outstanding trio of linebackers : Pro Bowler Chuck Howley , who recorded 5 interceptions and returned them for 122 yards ; Dave Edwards 2 interceptions ; and Lee Roy Jordan , who recorded 2 interceptions . The Cowboys secondary was led by 2 future hall of fame cornerbacks Herb Adderley ( 6 interceptions for 182 return yards ) and Mel Renfro ( 4 interceptions for 11 yards ) . Safeties Cliff Harris and Pro Bowler Cornell Green also combined for 4 interceptions . They were also helped out by weak side linebacker D . D . Lewis . Miami Dolphins . The Dolphins were based primarily around their league - leading running attack , led by running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick . Csonka rushed for 1 , 051 yards , averaging over five yards per carry , and scored seven touchdowns . Versatile Jim Kiick rushed for 738 yards and three touchdowns , and was second on the Dolphins in receiving with 40 receptions for 338 yards . They fumbled once ( by Kiick ) between the two of them during the regular season . But Miami also had a threatening passing game . Quarterback Bob Griese , the AFC ' s leading passer and most valuable player , put up an impressive performance during the season , completing 145 passes for 2 , 089 yards and 19 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions . Griese ' s major weapon was wide receiver Paul Warfield , who caught 43 passes for 996 yards ( a 23 . 2 yards per catch average ) and a league - leading 11 touchdowns . The Dolphins also had an excellent offensive line to open up holes for their running backs and protect Griese on pass plays , led by future Hall of Fame guard Larry Little . Miami ' s defense was a major reason why the team built a 10 – 3 – 1 regular season record , including eight consecutive wins . Future Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti was a major force reading and stopping plays , while safety Jake Scott recorded 7 interceptions . Playoffs . Before this season , the Dolphins had never won a playoff game in franchise history , but they surprised the entire NFL by advancing to the Super Bowl with wins against the two previous Super Bowl champions . First Miami defeated the Kansas City Chiefs ( winners of Super Bowl IV ) , 27 - 24 , in the longest game in NFL history with kicker Garo Yepremian ' s game - winning field goal after 22 minutes and 40 seconds of overtime play . Later , Miami shut out the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Colts , 21 - 0 , in the AFC Championship Game , with safety Dick Anderson intercepting 3 passes from Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and returning one of them for a 62 - yard touchdown . Meanwhile , the Cowboys marched to the Super Bowl with playoff wins over the Minnesota Vikings , 20 - 12 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs , and the San Francisco 49ers , 14 - 3 in the NFC Championship Game , only giving up one touchdown in the two games . Super Bowl pregame news and notes . Soon after the Dolphins ' win in the AFC Championship Game , Shula received a phone call at his home from President Richard M . Nixon at 1 : 30 in the morning . Nixon had a play he thought would work , a particular pass to Warfield . ( That particular play , which was called late in the first quarter , was broken up by Mel Renfro . ) When asked about the Dolphins ' defensive team prior to Super Bowl VI , Landry said that he could not recall any of the players ' names , but they were a big concern to him . This remark immediately led to the nickname " No - Name Defense " . According to Tom Landry , the Cowboys were very confident . " When they talked among themselves they said there was no way they were going to lose that game . " On Media Day , Duane Thomas refused to answer any questions and sat silently until his required time was up . Roger Staubach surmises that Duane Thomas would have been named MVP if he had cooperated with the press prior to the game . In the Cowboys ' locker room after the game , flustered CBS reporter Tom Brookshier asked Duane Thomas a long - winded question , the gist of which was " You ' re fast , aren ' t you ? " Thomas , who had shunned the press all season , simply said " Evidently . " Thomas became the first player to score touchdowns in back - to - back Super Bowls , having a receiving touchdown in Super Bowl V . Dolphins safety Jake Scott entered Super Bowl VI with a broken left hand . He broke his right wrist during the game but never came out . With both hands in casts for three months , he said " When I go to the bathroom , that ' s when I find out who my real friends are . " This game was originally scheduled to be the last to be played in Tulane Stadium . It was hoped the Louisiana Superdome would be ready in time for the 1972 NFL season . However , political wrangling led to a lengthy delay in construction , and groundbreaking did not take place until August 11 , 1971 , five months before this game . The Superdome was not completed until August 1975 , forcing Super Bowl IX to be moved to Tulane Stadium . That Super Bowl proved to be the final NFL game in the stadium , which was demolished in late 1979 . Television and entertainment . The game was broadcast in the United States by CBS with play - by - play announcer Ray Scott and color commentator Pat Summerall . Although Tulane Stadium was sold out for the game , unconditional blackout rules in the NFL prohibited the live telecast from being shown in the New Orleans area . This would be the last Super Bowl to be blacked out in the TV market in which the game was played . The following year , the NFL allowed Super Bowl VII to be televised live in the host city ( Los Angeles ) when all tickets were sold . In 1973 , the NFL changed its blackout policy to allow games to be broadcast in the home team ' s market if sold out 72 hours in advance . The Kilgore College Rangerettes drill team performed during the pregame festivities . Later , the United States Air Force Academy Chorale sang the national anthem . The halftime show was a " Salute to Louis Armstrong " featuring jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald , actress and singer Carol Channing , trumpet er Al Hirt and the U . S . Marine Corps Drill Team . Armstrong , a New Orleans native , died in July 1971 . Despite being the second Super Bowl after the AFL - NFL merger , Super Bowl VI was the first one to have the NFL logo painted at the 50 - yard line . The NFL would do this for all but one Super Bowl after this until Super Bowl XXXI . Game summary . According to Roger Staubach , the Cowboys ' game plan was to neutralize the Dolphins ' key offensive and defensive players — Paul Warfield and Nick Buoniconti . Warfield was double - teamed by Green and Renfro . " They pretty much shut him down , " wrote Staubach . Since the running game was the key to the Cowboys ' offense , they wanted to take the quick - reacting Buoniconti out of each play . Two linemen , usually Niland and center Dave Manders , were assigned to block Buoniconti . Combined with counterplays and the excellent cutback running of Thomas , this tactic proved very successful . Miami ' s defense was designed to stop Staubach ' s scrambling . According to Staubach , although his scrambing was shut down this did not work to the Dolphins ' benefit because it opened things up for the other backs . Miami won the coin toss and elected to receive . Neither team could mount a drive on its first possession . On the first play of the Dolphins ' second possession , Csonka , on his first carry of the game , gained 12 yards on a sweep . That would be his longest gain of the day . On the next play , Csonka fumbled a handoff from Griese – his first fumble of the season – and it was recovered by linebacker Chuck Howley at the Cowboys 48 - yard line . Twelve plays later , Dallas kicker Mike Clark kicked a 9 - yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 3 – 0 lead . On the third play of the Dolphins ' next possession at their own 38 - yard line , Griese was sacked by Lilly for a Super Bowl record 29 - yard loss ( A picture of Griese being chased by Larry Cole , Bob Lilly and Jethro Pugh is the game ' s most famous photograph ) . Early in the second quarter , Miami drove to the Cowboys 42 - yard line with the aid of a 20 - yard reception by receiver Howard Twilley , but the drive stalled and ended with no points after kicker Garo Yepremian missed a 49 - yard field goal attempt . Later in the period , Dallas drove 76 yards in nine plays , including a 21 - yard reception by Alworth , and then scored on a 7 - yard touchdown pass from Staubach to Alworth to increase their lead , 10 – 0 . Miami started the ensuing drive with just 1 : 15 left in the half , and quarterback Bob Griese completed three consecutive passes , two to receiver Paul Warfield and one to running back Jim Kiick , for 44 total yards to reach the Dallas 24 – yard line . On the next play Griese threw to Warfield , who was open at the 2 - yard line , but the ball was deflected by Green and bounced off Warfield ' s chest . Miami had to settle for Yepremian ' s 31 - yard field goal to cut the Dolphins deficit to 10 – 3 going into halftime . But Dallas dominated the second half , preventing any chance of a Miami comeback . Dallas reasoned that Miami would make adjustments to stop the Cowboys ' inside running game which had been so successful in the first half . So the Cowboys decided to run outside . The Cowboys opened the third period with a 71 - yard , 8 - play drive , which included four runs by Thomas for 37 yards , a reverse by Hayes for 16 yards , and only one pass , scoring on Thomas ' 3 - yard sweep to make the score 17 - 3 . This seemed to fire up the Dallas defense , who managed to prevent Miami from getting a single first down in the entire third quarter . The farthest advance Miami had in the third quarter was to its own 42 - yard line as Griese and the offense were , said Shula , " destroyed . " Miami did manage to advance to midfield early in the final period , but Howley ended the drive by intercepting a pass from Griese intended for Kiick in the flat . After returning the ball 41 yards , Howley tripped and fell at the Dolphins 9 - yard line with nobody near him . But three plays later , Staubach threw a 7 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Ditka , increasing the Dallas lead to 24 – 3 with twelve minutes left in the game . Miami began their next possession at their own 23 - yard line and mounted only their third sustained drive of the game , reaching the Dallas 16 - yard line in six plays . However , Griese fumbled the snap and the ball was recovered by Cowboys left end Larry Cole at the 20 - yard line . The Cowboys then mounted an eleven - play drive to the Miami 1 - yard line which featured just one pass and a fake field goal attempt on fourth - and - one at the Miami 20 - yard line . However , on first - and - goal at the 1 - yard line , Hill fumbled while attempting to dive across the goal line , and the ball was recovered at the 4 - yard line by Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez with just under two minutes left . Miami then ran four meaningless plays to end the game . Wrote Staubach , " I can say that I don ' t think I ever felt any better as an athlete than how I felt after that game . . . " Nick Buoniconti wrote , " I was knocked senseless . . . The Cowboys seemed to be moving so much faster than we were . . . We were overmatched psychologically as well as physically . " Jim Kiick said , " Dallas wasn ' t that much better , but football is momentum . We lost it in the first quarter when we fumbled and they scored , and we never got it back . " Said the Dolphins ' Howard Twilley : It ' s so hard to figure . We went in confident . We really thought we ' d win and win handily . Something happened , though , during the week . I guess it was that week . The week has its own momentum , like nothing we ' d been in before . . . [ Shula ] said we ' d been embarrassed . He said we didn ' t even compete . . . That ' s the sickest feeling I ' ve ever had . Said Cornell Green , " The difference between the Dolphins and Cowboys was that the Dolphins were just happy to be in the game and the Cowboys came to win the game . " . Griese completed the same amount of passes as Staubach ( 12 ) , and threw for 15 more yards ( 134 ) , but threw no touchdown passes and was intercepted once . Csonka and Kiick , were held to just 80 combined rushing yards ( 40 yards each ) , no touchdowns , and lost 1 fumble on 19 carries . Warfield was limited to just 4 receptions for 39 yards . Thomas was the top rusher of the game with 19 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown . He also caught 3 passes for 17 yards . Dallas running back Walt Garrison added 74 rushing yards and caught 2 passes for 11 yards . Final statistics . Source : " The NFL ' s Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football " , ( 1973 ) , p . 153 , Macmillan Publishing Co . New York , NY , LCCN 73 - 3862 Officials . " Note : A seven - official system was not used until 1978 "