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The Steelers made their first appearance in the Super Bowl and captured their first NFL Championship with a 16-6 victory.

The veteran Vikings, meanwhile, had been to the Super Bowl twice before. The Vikings had a savvy leader in quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

The Steelers had a strong defense but their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, was unproven.

The first half was dominated by both defenses.

Pittsburgh concentrated on the middle of the Minnesota defensive line. One defensive tackle, Ernie Holmes, played over Vikings' center Mick Tingelhoff, while the other tackle, Joe Greene, lined up at an angle pointed directly at Tingelhoff. Holmes sometimes took on the Vikings' center directly, allowing Greene to knife through and pursue Tarkenton. At other times, Greene would smash into Tingelhoff while Holmes looped behind him.

The only score in the first half was a safety registered by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fran Tarkenton fumbled a handoff to Dave Osborn, scrambled to recover the ball in the end zone, and was downed by Pittsburgh defensive end Dwight White 7:49 into the second period.

Leading 2-0, Pittsburgh kicked to Minnesota to open the second half and forced another break and took advantage when Minnesota's Bill Brown fumbled and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh on the Vikings 30.

 

The Steelers took four plays to go score.

After Rocky Bleier failed to gain on first down, Franco Harris carried three consecutive times for 24 yards, a loss of three, and a 9-yard touchdown and a 9-0 lead.

Harris was named game MVP. He ran for 158 yards on 34 tries, both new highs for the Super Bowl, and Rocky Bleier added 65 yards on 17 carries. Minnesota, meanwhile, managed only 17 yards rushing.

Denied on the ground, the Vikings weren't much better in the air.

Tarkenton, under constant pressure from Greene, Holmes, White, and L.C. Greenwood, completed only 11-of-26 attempts for 102 yards—an average of fewer than four yards per pass.

Though its offense was completely stymied by Pittsburgh's defense, Minnesota managed to move into a threatening position after 4:27 of the final period when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden's punt and Terry Brown recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

Fred Cox's point after attempt failed and the Steelers led 9-6. Pittsburgh wasted no time putting the victory away.

After that touchdown, Pittsburgh put the game on ice with a drive that began on its 34. The Steelers took the ensuing kickoff and marched 66 yards in 11 plays. The big play of the drive was a 30-yard toss from Bradshaw to Larry Brown, climaxed by Terry Bradshaw's 4-yard scoring pass to Larry Brown with 3:31 left.

Soon after the ensuing kickoff, Pittsburgh's Mike Wagner intercepted a Tarkenton pass, and the Steelers held possession until the game was nearly over.

Pittsburgh's defense permitted Minnesota only 119 yards total offense, including a Super Bowl low of 17 rushing yards.

The Steelers, meanwhile, gained 333 yards, including Harris's record 158 yards on 34 carries.

SUPER BOWL IX MVP : Franco Harris RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

To earn the first of its six Super Bowl championships, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to workhorse running back Franco Harris.

In defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16 - 6, Pittsburgh won its first-ever NFL championship.

Franco Harris rushed 34 times for 158 yards, breaking the record Larry Csonka set one year earlier.

After a baseball-like 2-0 halftime score in favor of Pittsburgh, the Steelers took advantage of a Minnesota fumble on the second-half kickoff. Harris ran the ball in from 9 yards for the touchdown.

Franco Harris' running and the powerful Steeler defense combined to make that lead stand.

 

Super Bowl IX

 

SUPER BOWL IX SCORING	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Pittsburgh Steelers	0	2	7	7	16
Minnesota Vikings	0	0	0	6	6

 

2nd Quarter

PIT safety White 0, 7:49

3rd Quarter

PIT Harris 9 run (Gerela kick), 1:35

4th Quarter

MIN T. Brown 0 blocked punt return (kick failed), 4:27

PIT Brown 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick),11:29

 

PITTSBURGH STEELERS - TEAM STATISTICS
Total First Downs	17
Rushing	11
Passing	5
Penalty	1
Total Net Yardage	333
Total Offensive Plays	73
Avg. Gain per Offensive Play	4.6
Rushes	57
Yards Gained Rushing (Net)	249
Average Yards per Rush	4.4
Passes Attempted	14
Passes Completed	9
Had Intercepted	0
Tackled Attempting to Pass	2
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass	12
Yards Gained Passing (Net)	84
Punts	7
Average Distance	34.7
Punt Returns	5
Punt Return Yardage	36
Kickoff Returns	3
Kickoff Return Yardage	32
Interception Return Yardage	46
Fumbles	4
Own Fumbles Recovered	2
Opponent Fumbles Recovered	2
Penalties	8
Yards Penalized	122
Total Points Scored	16
Touchdowns	2
Rushing	1
Passing	1
Returns	0
Extra Points	2
Field Goals	0
Fields Goals Attempted	1
Safeties	1
Third-Down Efficiency	6/17
Fourth-Down Efficiency	0/2
Time of Possession	38:47

 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS - TEAM STATISTICS
Total First Downs	9
Rushing	2
Passing	5
Penalty	2
Total Net Yardage	119
Total Offensive Plays	47
Avg. Gain per Offensive Play	2.5
Rushes	21
Yards Gained Rushing (Net)	17
Average Yards per Rush	0.8
Passes Attempted	26
Passes Completed	11
Had Intercepted	3
Tackled Attempting to Pass	0
Yards Lost Attempting to Pass	0
Yards Gained Passing (Net)	102
Punts	6
Average Distance	37.2
Punt Returns	4
Punt Return Yardage	12
Kickoff Returns	3
Kickoff Return Yardage	50
Interception Return Yardage	0
Fumbles	3
Own Fumbles Recovered	1
Opponent Fumbles Recovered	2
Penalties	4
Yards Penalized	18
Total Points Scored	6
Touchdowns	1
Rushing	0
Passing	0
Returns	0
Extra Points	0
Field Goals	0
Fields Goals Attempted	1
Safeties	0
Third-Down Efficiency	5/12
Fourth-Down Efficiency	0/0
Time of Possession	21:13

 

PITTSBURGH STEELERS - PLAYER STATISTICS
Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Bradshaw	9/14	96	1	0
Rushing	CAR	YDS	TD	LG
Harris	34	158	1	25
Bleier	17	65	0	18
Bradshaw	5	33	0	17
Swann	1	-7	0	7
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Brown	3	49	1	30
Stallworth	3	24	0	22
Bleier	2	11	0	6
Lewis	1	12	0	12
Interceptions	INT	YDS	LG	TD
Wagner	1	26	26	0
Blount	1	10	10	0
Greene	1	10	10	0
Punting	NO	AVG	LG	BLK
Walden	6	40.5	52	1
Punt Returns	NO/FC	YDS	LG	TD
Swann	3/0	34	17	0
Edwards	2/0	2	2	0
Kickoff Returns	NO	YDS	LG	TD
Harrison	2	17	17	0
Pearson	1	15	15	0

 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS - PLAYER STATISTICS
Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Tarkenton	11/26	102	0	3
Rushing	CAR	YDS	TD	LG
Foreman	12	18	0	12
Tarkenton	1	0	0	0
Osborn	8	-1	0	2
Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Foreman	5	50	0	17
Voigt	2	31	0	28
Osborn	2	7	0	4
Gilliam	1	16	0	16
Reed	1	-2	0	2
Interceptions	INT	YDS	LG	TD
None	--	--	--	--
Punting	NO	AVG	LG	BLK
Eischeid	6	37.2	42	0
Punt Returns	NO/FC	YDS	LG	TD
McCullum	3/0	11	6	0
N. Wright	1/0	1	1	0
Wallace	0/1	0	**	0
Kickoff Returns	NO	YDS	LG	TD
McCullum	1	26	26	0
McClanahan	1	22	22	0
B. Brown	1	2	2	0

 

January 12, 1975
Tulane Stadium (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Attendance: 80.997

 

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