Speaking of punters and Ole Miss, did anyone see the USC vs Ole Miss game of 1976?

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Preface: There are a few spectacular plays in football that you will only see one time regardless of how many games you attend or watch on TV.

Such was the case for me when I saw the most outstanding punt I had ever seen before or since in a game. The game was extremely tight, man it kept everyone on the edge of their seats for the entire game.

Anyway, the punt:
Jimmy Miller was a barefooted punter for Ole Miss. It was 4th down and Ole Miss had to punt the ball. The line of scrimmage for Ole Miss was their own 18 yard line. Miller punted the ball, and it was so high it looked like it was even with the lights in the West Upper. If I remember correctly the ball actually hit in the end zone on the first bounce and rolled out of the back of the end zone. I do know it rolled out of the back of the end zone,regardless of where it initially hit the turf. When our punt returner first saw the ball he started backing up and then realized there was no way he could field the ball and then just turned around and watched the ball hit and the roll out of the back of our end zone.

I have seen a lifetime of football since that game in 1976 and I have never seen any other punt come close to that one punt in terms of height and distance. Coach Carlen said the next day on his show he had never seen a punt in all of his career like the one by Miller that Saturday night. I can't even remember what the 2nd best punt I have ever seen but it would be no where near the punt kicked by Miller that night. I guess one of the best punts I ever witnessed, in terms of great results for the Gamecocks, was the one by Jay Feltz against quempsum. My best friend and I sat in the South End Zone for that game.

But I wish someone on the board that saw the Ole Miss game of 1976 would also comment about the punt. It was amazing. I have been thinking about trying to get Tommy Suggs' e-mail address and ask him what he remembers about that punt. There aren't many people I know today that attended the game. Sadly many of my friends and relatives that saw the game have passed away.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who remembers the punt please feel free to describe what you remember about that punt.

 

[CockIN73]

Weil I am here and still happy to report that i witnessed that punt by MISTER MILLER !! Graduated in 77 so got to see the Carlen years while in school..

I dont remember how far i sat up in the stands but remember looking up and the ball from my perspective was above the top of the stadium.

It was an amazing punt and to think he did it barefooted.. Not sure anybody does that anymore.. I can recall several over time that did that.. but that is what makes it even more remarkable.

My high school coach, coached Ray Guy in high school and always heard stories about him, but don't think Ray could match that one. especially barefooted.

Glad to have a fellow ALUM that recalls a great play..

 

[CockIN73]

was curious.. found this about Ray Guy.. actually at 93 yarder against Ole MISS !!!

He was also a placekicker at Southern Mississippi, once kicking a then-record 61-yard field goal in a snowstorm during a game in Utah. In 1972, he kicked a 93-yard punt in a game against the University of Mississippi. After his senior season at Southern Miss,

 

[boatingsportscock]

I didn't see Miller's punt. I did see Jay Feltz' punt aganst clemp. As I recall Feltz' punt measured 80 yards and that doesn't include how far behind the line of scrimmage he was when he kicked it. And it was a major factor in USC beating clemp that day!

 

[jeff2001]

I didn't see Miller's punt. I did see Jay Feltz' punt aganst clemp. As I recall Feltz' punt measured 80 yards and that doesn't include how far behind the line of scrimmage he was when he kicked it. And it was a major factor in USC beating clemp that day!

Whatever happen to him. He was the coach over at Eastside a few years ago. And then left.

 

[boatingsportscock]

Feltz kicked the ball from the 6 yard line and it was downed inside the clemp 10

 

[gr8spur]

Feltz kicked the ball from the 6 yard line and it was downed inside the clemp 10

View embedded media

Loved hearing Bob's voice. Those were the glory days for me.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Weil I am here and still happy to report that i witnessed that punt by MISTER MILLER !! Graduated in 77 so got to see the Carlen years while in school..

I dont remember how far i sat up in the stands but remember looking up and the ball from my perspective was above the top of the stadium.

It was an amazing punt and to think he did it barefooted.. Not sure anybody does that anymore.. I can recall several over time that did that.. but that is what makes it even more remarkable.

My high school coach, coached Ray Guy in high school and always heard stories about him, but don't think Ray could match that one. especially barefooted.

Glad to have a fellow ALUM that recalls a great play..

I'm extremely glad you saw the punt to back up my account, it is becoming harder and harder to find anyone that was at the game. The game was not televised so obviously only the fans at the stadium that night actually witnessed the punt. Plus, the East Upper had not been added in 1976. So, the attendance would have only been around 56,000 at most. That's why I am going to try and e-mail Suggs because he was doing color even back then.

I goggled Jimmy Miller and Wikipedia said he was teaching PE at a middle school in Miss. I e-mailed him to ask specifically where the ball hit the turf, example did it initially hit in the end zone? I did not get a reply so I wrote him a letter and still got no reply. But, I would give anything to see a re-play of that punt. Because like I said, I've never seen another punt like that one in my entire life or even one that remotely comes close to that punt by Miller in terms of height and distance.

Unfortunately, I am not an Alum of USC, just a longtime fan.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

was curious.. found this about Ray Guy.. actually at 93 yarder against Ole MISS !!!

He was also a placekicker at Southern Mississippi, once kicking a then-record 61-yard field goal in a snowstorm during a game in Utah. In 1972, he kicked a 93-yard punt in a game against the University of Mississippi. After his senior season at Southern Miss,

In the 1976 game against Ole Miss, the punt by Miller would have been a 99 yard punt had the line of scrimmage been the 1 yard line.

 

[CockofEarle]

Preface: There are a few spectacular plays in football that you will only see one time regardless of how many games you attend or watch on TV.

Such was the case for me when I saw the most outstanding punt I had ever seen before or since in a game. The game was extremely tight, man it kept everyone on the edge of their seats for the entire game.

Anyway, the punt:
Jimmy Miller was a barefooted punter for Ole Miss. It was 4th down and Ole Miss had to punt the ball. The line of scrimmage for Ole Miss was their own 18 yard line. Miller punted the ball, and it was so high it looked like it was even with the lights in the West Upper. If I remember correctly the ball actually hit in the end zone on the first bounce and rolled out of the back of the end zone. I do know it rolled out of the back of the end zone,regardless of where it initially hit the turf. When our punt returner first saw the ball he started backing up and then realized there was no way he could field the ball and then just turned around and watched the ball hit and the roll out of the back of our end zone.

I have seen a lifetime of football since that game in 1976 and I have never any other punt come close to that one punt in terms of height and distance. Coach Carlen said the next day on his show he had never seen a punt in all of his career like the one by Miller that Saturday night. I can't even remember what the 2nd best punt I have ever seen but it would be no where near the punt kicked by Miller that night. I guess one of the best punts I ever witnessed, in terms of great results for the Gamecocks, was the one by Jay Feltz against quempsum. My best friend and I sat in the South End Zone for that game.

But I wish someone on the board that saw the Ole Miss game of 1976 would also comment about the punt. It was amazing. I have been thinking about trying to get Tommy Suggs' e-mail address and ask him what he remembers about that punt. There aren't many people I know today that attended the game. Sadly many of my friends and relatives that saw the game have passed away.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who remembers the punt please feel free to describe what you remember about that punt.

all those 70 ole miss games were nail biters

 

[king ward]

A couple of things: (1) That punt my Feltz was perhaps the most cheered and celebrated punt in the history of college football. Did you see and hear the reaction of the fans and did you notice how the players rushed the field? When else have you ever seen that kind of reaction to a punt? (2) The greatest USC/Ole Miss game, in my opinion, was the one contested in Jackson, Miss. Carlen's first year here. We were all but dead and buried in the fourth quarter when Jeff Grantz led one of the greatest rallies in our history to steal the game for us. It was epic.

 

[king ward]

Loved hearing Bob's voice. Those were the glory days for me.

I agree. That was when he was still in his prime.

 

[jimnasium]

I didn't see Miller's punt. I did see Jay Feltz' punt aganst clemp. As I recall Feltz' punt measured 80 yards and that doesn't include how far behind the line of scrimmage he was when he kicked it. And it was a major factor in USC beating clemp that day!

I was there for both punts it was hard to believe a man could kick a football that far.

 

[jimnasium]

I agree. That was when he was still in his prime.

"He was rolled out of bounds" "First down Gamecocks alllll the way down to the 15 yard line". "The clock is beginning to be a factor" " We got a man open CAUGHT at the goal line". Nobody was better than Bob Fulton. I think I remember him doing a quarter for the Clemson Network honoring Jim Phillips who had recently passed.

 

[king ward]

The helmets were better in '79 also.

 

[tampacock]

I was there at that game. There were articles in the paper about Miller in the week leading up to the game - as he was both a weapon and a novelty.
The punt in question was not his first punt of the game. I remember when he ran out on the field for the first time, I thought how strange he looked.
You are right about our return men,they just turned and looked. My memory was the crowd went silent when the punt reached its highest point, like WTH was that?
This was a night game, and night games involved alcohol. Consequently, my memory of events later in the game and later that evening are not clear. However, I remember that punt.

 

[coxman]

Preface: There are a few spectacular plays in football that you will only see one time regardless of how many games you attend or watch on TV.

Such was the case for me when I saw the most outstanding punt I had ever seen before or since in a game. The game was extremely tight, man it kept everyone on the edge of their seats for the entire game.

Anyway, the punt:
Jimmy Miller was a barefooted punter for Ole Miss. It was 4th down and Ole Miss had to punt the ball. The line of scrimmage for Ole Miss was their own 18 yard line. Miller punted the ball, and it was so high it looked like it was even with the lights in the West Upper. If I remember correctly the ball actually hit in the end zone on the first bounce and rolled out of the back of the end zone. I do know it rolled out of the back of the end zone,regardless of where it initially hit the turf. When our punt returner first saw the ball he started backing up and then realized there was no way he could field the ball and then just turned around and watched the ball hit and the roll out of the back of our end zone.

I have seen a lifetime of football since that game in 1976 and I have never any other punt come close to that one punt in terms of height and distance. Coach Carlen said the next day on his show he had never seen a punt in all of his career like the one by Miller that Saturday night. I can't even remember what the 2nd best punt I have ever seen but it would be no where near the punt kicked by Miller that night. I guess one of the best punts I ever witnessed, in terms of great results for the Gamecocks, was the one by Jay Feltz against quempsum. My best friend and I sat in the South End Zone for that game.

But I wish someone on the board that saw the Ole Miss game of 1976 would also comment about the punt. It was amazing. I have been thinking about trying to get Tommy Suggs' e-mail address and ask him what he remembers about that punt. There aren't many people I know today that attended the game. Sadly many of my friends and relatives that saw the game have passed away.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who remembers the punt please feel free to describe what you remember about that punt.

I saw that punt from the west upper deck. It looked like it was ready to come down but it didn't, like a gust of wind carried it to the end zone. That ball went 100 yards in the air!

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

I was there at that game. There were articles in the paper about Miller in the week leading up to the game - as he was both a weapon and a novelty.
The punt in question was not his first punt of the game. I remember when he ran out on the field for the first time, I thought how strange he looked.
You are right about our return men,they just turned and looked. My memory was the crowd went silent when the punt reached its highest point, like WTH was that?
This was a night game, and night games involved alcohol. Consequently, my memory of events later in the game and later that evening are not clear. However, I remember that punt.

Your account of the punt, the crowds silence and the height was exactly the same as mine. You are correct, it was not Miller's first punt of the game. In fact, it was sometime in the 2nd half, late in the 2nd half as I remember because we obviously wanted good field position. For the most part it was 3 and out for both teams almost the entire 2nd half with the exception of that last drive by Ole Miss which they fumbled the ball at or near the goal line and we recovered in the end zone.

 

[mommycock]

Preface: There are a few spectacular plays in football that you will only see one time regardless of how many games you attend or watch on TV.

Such was the case for me when I saw the most outstanding punt I had ever seen before or since in a game. The game was extremely tight, man it kept everyone on the edge of their seats for the entire game.

Anyway, the punt:
Jimmy Miller was a barefooted punter for Ole Miss. It was 4th down and Ole Miss had to punt the ball. The line of scrimmage for Ole Miss was their own 18 yard line. Miller punted the ball, and it was so high it looked like it was even with the lights in the West Upper. If I remember correctly the ball actually hit in the end zone on the first bounce and rolled out of the back of the end zone. I do know it rolled out of the back of the end zone,regardless of where it initially hit the turf. When our punt returner first saw the ball he started backing up and then realized there was no way he could field the ball and then just turned around and watched the ball hit and the roll out of the back of our end zone.

I have seen a lifetime of football since that game in 1976 and I have never any other punt come close to that one punt in terms of height and distance. Coach Carlen said the next day on his show he had never seen a punt in all of his career like the one by Miller that Saturday night. I can't even remember what the 2nd best punt I have ever seen but it would be no where near the punt kicked by Miller that night. I guess one of the best punts I ever witnessed, in terms of great results for the Gamecocks, was the one by Jay Feltz against quempsum. My best friend and I sat in the South End Zone for that game.

But I wish someone on the board that saw the Ole Miss game of 1976 would also comment about the punt. It was amazing. I have been thinking about trying to get Tommy Suggs' e-mail address and ask him what he remembers about that punt. There aren't many people I know today that attended the game. Sadly many of my friends and relatives that saw the game have passed away.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who remembers the punt please feel free to describe what you remember about that punt.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

I saw that punt from the west upper deck. It looked like it was ready to come down but it didn't, like a gust of wind carried it to the end zone. That ball went 100 yards in the air!

That is what I recall, too.

 

[mommycock]

I was there for both punts in the student section as a freshman. I was like the only girl who knew enough about football to actually watch and understand the game. Most of my friends were there only because they had a date with a cute frat boy and they got to get dressed up. It was like a fashion show then with girls in nice dresses and heels and guys in coats and ties.
However, I was there for the football being played on the field and would always be annoyed if I had a date that was more interested in the party than the game.
Both were spectacular punts that year!