Dolphins race to a big lead in a soggy home opener at the OB, hold off Oilers

DOLPHINS 34, OILERS 13 (Sept. 24, 1972)

A gray, rainy day greeted Dolphin fans when they piled into the Orange Bowl for their team’s home opener.

But a wet and soggy Polyturf II field turned out to be perfect for the Dolphins’ run-oriented offense and patented three-headed ground attack of Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris.

Together, the three combined for 228 (on 41 attempts) of the team’s 274 rushing yards on the day, Morris leading the way with 94 yards on 15 carries. Each had a rushing touchdown in the first half as the Dolphins blew out to a 20-0 lead at halftime.

The Miami defense dominated on that side of the ball as well, holding the hapless Oilers (who would go on to win just one game in the ‘72 season) and rookie quarterback Dan Pastorini to 26 total yards and one first down in the first half.

After Bob Griese scored from 2 yards early in the third quarter to make it 27-0, the Dolphins might have been guilty of thinking things were on cruise contral and got a little sloppy.

That’s when Pastorni found Charlie Joiner for an 82-yard touchdown and, after Griese and Morris bungled a handoff and fumbling on the next possession giving Houston a short field at the Dolphins 26, RB Willie Rodgers scored from a yard out with 3:43 left in the third to make it 27-13.

When Kiick then coughed it up at Miami’s own 40 on the next possession, what was once a laugher was starting to get interesting and maybe bringing a frown to cioach Don Shula’s face who later admitted to “an uneasy feeling.”

But the Dolphins defense forced a three-and-out before the offense then took the ball and went on one of its signature long drives, 93 yards in 14 plays, with Griese finding Kiick for a 6-yard scoring pass with 8:40 left to wrap things up.

“It was a game where you’re really happy when the whistle blows to end it,” said Shula after the game. “Things came really easy for us in the first part of the game but then they got a freakish type of touchdown [Pastorni-to-Joiner] and then had trouble hanging on to the football. It just gave you an uneasy feeling on the sideline and I was happy when the game was over. moreso because of our sloppy play in the second half than the wet conditions on the field.”