Super Bowl XII Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15 , 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans , Louisiana to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion following the 1977 regular season . It was the first Super Bowl played inside a dome d stadium . The National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion Dallas Cowboys ( 15 - 2 ) defeated the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Denver Broncos ( 14 - 3 ) , 27 – 10 . The Cowboys defensive team dominated most of the game , forcing 8 turnovers and allowing only 8 pass completions by the Broncos for just 61 yards . For the first and only time , two players won Super Bowl MVP honors : defensive tackle Randy White and defensive end Harvey Martin . For White , the honor was won on his 25th birthday . This was also the first time that a defensive lineman was named as the Super Bowl MVP . Background . Staubach v . Morton . The main storyline surrounding Super Bowl XII was Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach versus Broncos quarterback Craig Morton . Morton began his career playing for Dallas in 1965 . After Staubach joined the Cowboys in 1969 after spending 4 years of service in the United States Navy , however , both quarterbacks competed for the starting job . During the 1970 season , both Morton and Staubach started for about half of the regular season games . Morton was ultimately selected to lead the team through the playoffs and eventually to their Super Bowl V loss to the Baltimore Colts , 16 - 13 . He is the first quarterback to start a Super Bowl game for two different franchises ( Kurt Warner being the second with St . Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals ) . The next year , Staubach won the starting job and eventually led Dallas to defeat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI , 24 - 3 . Staubach was also named Super Bowl MVP during that game , essentially assuring him the starting spot in the future . Morton was relegated to backup status until he left the team in 1974 to join the New York Giants . Morton and the Broncos Orange Crush Defense . After spending three years with the Giants , Morton became the starting quarterback for the Broncos and helped Denver to a 12 - 2 regular season record . He did not tally a large amount of passing yards ( 1 , 929 ) during the regular season , but he threw 14 touchdown passes and only 8 interceptions , while also rushing for 125 yards and 4 touchdowns , earning him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award . Denver tight end Riley Odoms was his main target , with 37 receptions for 429 yards . Wide receiver Haven Moses was also a major deep threat , catching 27 passes for 539 yards , an average of 20 yards per catch . However , the Broncos main offensive strength was their rushing game . Denver had 3 running backs , Otis Armstrong , Lonnie Perrin , and Rob Lytle , who carried the ball equally , combining for 1 , 353 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns . On special teams , multi - talented wide receiver Rick Upchurch led the NFL with 653 punt return yards , while also catching 12 passes for 245 yards and recording 456 yards returning kickoffs . The backbone of the Broncos was their defense , a unit known as the " Orange Crush , " which used a 3 - 4 formation anchored by four superb linebackers , including Randy Gradishar ( 3 interceptions , 4 fumble recoveries ) and Tom Jackson ( 4 interceptions , 93 return yards , 1 touchdown ) . Defensive End Lyle Alzado anchored the line , while their secondary was led by defensive backs Billy Thompson ( who recorded 5 interceptions ) and Louis Wright ( who had 3 interceptions ) . Staubach and the Cowboys ' " Doomsday Defense " . With Staubach and his team ' s " Doomsday Defense " , the Cowboys won the NFC East with a 12 - 2 regular season record . Staubach threw for 2 , 620 yards and 18 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions , while also gaining 171 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground . Wide receiver Drew Pearson was the leading receiver on the team with 48 receptions for 870 yards , while Pro Bowl tight end Billy Joe Dupree recorded 28 receptions for 347 yards and provided blocking support on running plays . The Cowboys also had a new weapon on offense : rookie running back Tony Dorsett . Despite not becoming a full - time starter until the tenth game of the regular season , Dorsett led the team in rushing with 1 , 007 yards , scored 13 total touchdowns , and was the team ' s third leading receiver with 29 receptions for another 273 yards . Veteran fullback Robert Newhouse provided Dorsett with blocking , and was the team ' s second leading rusher with 721 yards , while also catching 16 passes for another 106 yards . Running back Preston Pearson contributed 341 yards rushing , caught 46 passes for 535 yards , and scored 5 touchdowns . The Cowboys ' offensive line was led by All - Pro tackle Rayfield Wright . Meanwhile , the Cowboys ' " Doomsday Defense " remained in the superb form that helped lead the Cowboys ' Super Bowl X appearance . Their defensive line consisted of Harvey Martin ( who recorded 20 sacks ) , Jethro Pugh , Ed " Too Tall " Jones and Randy White . Behind them , the Cowboys had a trio of linebackers , Thomas " Hollywood " Henderson ( 3 interceptions ) , D . D . Lewis , and Bob Breunig , who provided pass coverage and run stoppage . Dallas also had a secondary led by future hall of famer Mel Renfro and safeties Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters . Playoffs . The Cowboys earned their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years by defeating the Chicago Bears , 37 - 7 , and the Minnesota Vikings , 23 - 6 , in the playoffs . Meanwhile , the Broncos earned their first ever trip to the Super Bowl in team history by defeating the two previous league champions : the Pittsburgh Steelers , 34 - 21 , and the Oakland Raiders , 20 - 17 , in the playoffs . This was the final Super Bowl in the 14 - game schedule era . The following season , the NFL went to a 16 - game schedule , where it has remained since . Super Bowl pregame news and notes . Super Bowl XII provided an opportunity for Morton to not only beat his former team , but also to redeem himself for his Super Bowl V loss and the loss of his starting job to Staubach . For Staubach , he had a chance to win his second Super Bowl and defeat his old rival , showing that he truly was the better quarterback of the two . Tony Dorsett became the first football player in history to win an NCAA National Championship one year ( with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers ) and a Super Bowl the next . Dorsett won both championships in the same building ; Pitt clinched the 1976 national championship by defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on January 1 , 1977 . Dallas was the only NFC team to win the Super Bowl in the 1970s ( although both Baltimore and Pittsburgh were pre - merger NFL teams ) . Both Cowboy victories in the decade came in New Orleans against teams making their first Super Bowl appearance . This was the first Super Bowl between two teams who had met in regular season play . The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 14 - 6 on the final Sunday of the regular season at Texas Stadium . Both teams ' starters saw limited action in that contest , since both squads had already clinched their respective division championships and home - field advantage throughout the playoffs . Denver was 12 - 1 and Dallas 11 - 2 prior to the Dec . 18 matchup . It was the first of only two times that two teams have played each other in the Super Bowl after playing on the final weekend of the regular season ( the New York Giants and New England Patriots played in the final week of the 2007 regular season and met again in Super Bowl XLII ) . Under NFL scheduling rules put in place by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell prior to the 2010 season , the Super Bowl participants will not be able to play each other on the final weekend of the regular season , since all games on the final weekend now match division opponents . Television and entertainment . The game , the first Super Bowl to be played in prime time , was broadcast in the United States by CBS with play - by - play announcer Pat Summerall and color commentator Tom Brookshier . The game kicked off at 5 : 17 p . m . Central Standard Time . The pregame festivities featured the Southern University Band along with the cheerleader s of both teams . Later , Phyllis Kelly of Northeast Louisiana State University sang the national anthem . For the first time in a Super Bowl , someone other than the game ' s referee tossed the coin . Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Red Grange participated in the coin toss ceremony . This was the first Super Bowl to display arrows every 10 yards on the field of play to indicate the direction of the nearest goal line . The halftime show was " From Paris to Paris of America " featuring performances by the Apache Belles Drill team from Tyler Junior College , clarinetist Pete Fountain , and trumpet er Al Hirt . Game summary . Super Bowl XII did not start out well for the Cowboys , as they nearly turned over the ball three times on their first two possessions . On Dallas ' first play from scrimmage , receiver Butch Johnson fumbled the handoff on a double reverse , but recovered the ball . Dallas was then forced to punt , and the Broncos advanced to the Cowboys ' 33 - yard line before quarterback Craig Morton was sacked for an 11 - yard loss on third down . On the ensuing punt , Cowboys punt returner Tony Hill fumbled the ball at the 1 - yard line , but managed to fall on the ball before any Denver players recovered it . A few plays later , Dallas running back Tony Dorsett fumbled on his own 19 - yard line , but center John Fitzgerald quickly recovered the ball . On the Broncos ' second drive of the game , Cowboys linemen Randy White and Harvey Martin forced Morton to hurry his throw , and defensive back Randy Hughes intercepted the rushed pass at the Broncos 25 - yard line . 5 plays after the turnover , Dorsett scored on a 3 - yard touchdown run . On the Broncos ' next possession , Morton was intercepted again when his pass was tipped by linebacker Bob Breunig into the arms of defensive back Aaron Kyle , who then returned the ball 19 yards to Denver ' s 35 - yard line . Dallas then drove to the 8 - yard line , but Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach was sacked by Lyle Alzado for a 10 - yard loss on third down , forcing them to settle for a 35 - yard Efren Herrera field goal to increase their lead to 10 - 0 . In the second quarter , Dallas advanced to Denver ' s 19 - yard line , and once again barely avoided a turnover . On third down , Staubach ' s pass was intercepted in the end zone , but officials ruled that he had stepped out of bounds before he threw the ball . On the next play , Herrera added a 43 - yard field goal to increase the Dallas lead to 13 - 0 . The rest of the quarter was filled with sloppy play and turnovers by both teams . On the second play after receiving the ensuing kickoff , Morton was intercepted again , this time by Dallas defensive back Benny Barnes at his own 40 - yard line . The Cowboys then drove to the Denver 26 - yard line , but Herrera missed wide left from 43 yards out . The Broncos then committed another turnover when wide receiver Jack Dolbin fumbled , and Hughes picked it up and returned it 19 yards to the Denver 27 - yard line . However , the Cowboys once again failed to score as Herrera missed a 32 - yard field goal attempt . On the first play after the missed field goal , Hughes recovered Denver tight end Riley Odoms ' s fumble at the Broncos 28 - yard line . But on the next play , Dallas gave the ball right back to Denver after Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson recovered tight end Billy Joe Dupree ' s fumble . 5 plays later , defensive back Mark Washington intercepted another errant Morton pass and returned it 27 yards to Denver ' s 35 - yard line with just 6 seconds left in the period , but Herrera missed yet another field goal attempt , this time from 44 yards out as time expired in the first half . By halftime , the Broncos had committed 7 turnovers . Morton , who had thrown a total of only 8 interceptions throughout the entire 1977 season , had been picked off 4 times , in addition to 3 fumbles lost . Yet Denver trailed by only 13 points as the second half began , and on the opening drive of the second half , the Broncos moved the ball deep into Dallas territory . First , John Schultz returned the second half kickoff 25 yards to the 35 - yard line , and then Otis Armstrong ripped off an 18 - yard gain . Seven plays later , Jim Turner finished the drive with a 47 - yard field goal , cutting the score to 13 - 3 . But later in the period , the Cowboys scored another touchdown on a 45 - yard pass from Staubach to receiver Butch Johnson , who made a fingertip catch as he fell into the end zone . The receiver dropped the ball when he hit the ground , but the officials ruled he had caught the ball for a touchdown before it came out of his hands , and the Cowboys increased their lead to 20 - 3 . Denver kick returner Rick Upchurch returned the ensuing kickoff a super bowl record 67 yards to the Cowboys 26 - yard line . On the next play , Morton nearly threw his fifth interception , and was then immediately replaced by former Ole Miss quarterback Norris Weese . Two plays later on fourth down , Jim Jenson ' s 16 - yard run moved the ball to the 1 - yard line , and then Rob Lytle scored on a 1 - yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 20 - 10 . Midway through the fourth quarter , Weese fumbled the ball while being sacked by Martin , and Kyle recovered it on the Denver 29 yard line . On the next play , the Cowboys scored on a 29 - yard halfback option play : Staubach pitched the ball to fullback Robert Newhouse , who ran left as if it were a normal run play , but then Newhouse passed the ball to Cowboys receiver Golden Richards for a touchdown . The score gave the Cowboys a 27 - 10 lead and put the game out of reach . Newhouse became the first running back in Super Bowl history to complete a touchdown pass . Staubach finished the game with 17 out of 25 pass completions for 183 yards and a touchdown , with no interceptions . Dorsett was the leading rusher of the game , with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown . He also caught 2 passes for 11 receiving yards . In addition to his 29 yard touchdown pass , Newhouse also contributed with 55 rushing yards . Dallas tight end Billy Joe Dupree was the leading receiver of the game with 4 receptions for 66 yards . Hughes had an interception and a Super Bowl record 2 fumble recoveries . Before being taken out of the game , Denver ' s starting quarterback Craig Morton completed just 4 out of 15 passes for 39 yards and was intercepted 4 times . Upchurch recorded 125 total offensive yards ( 94 on kickoff returns , 22 on punt returns , and 9 receiving yards ) . The Cowboy ' s superb defense played a critical role in the game . White and Martin were named co - Most Valuable Players ; this award is usually bestowed on an offensive player . The voters actually wanted to name the entire 11 - man starting defensive lineup as co - MVPs , and asked the NFL if this was acceptable . The league said no , and so two players were picked for the award . The unheralded Hughes and Kyle of the Cowboy secondary each had superb games to play an important role in the victory . The two men came up with five turnovers between them , leading directly to 17 of Dallas ' points . Officials . " Note : A seven - official system was not used until the following season "