[1] Entering their final regular-season game against rival USC, the Bruins were ranked #2 with their only blemish on the season coming in a tie against Ohio State.
[3] On the ensuing UCLA drive, Bama linebacker Barry Krauss intercepted a Jeff Dankworth pass and returned it 44-yards for a touchdown.
Five plays later Johnny Davis scored on a run from two yards out and the Crimson Tide were up 17–0 after the first quarter.
The Crimson Tide won national championships in 1978 and 1979 with Sugar Bowl victories over Penn State and Arkansas, respectively.
The Tide returned to the Liberty Bowl in 1982 in what turned out to be the final game of Bear Bryant's coaching career.
Bryant died of a massive heart attack in Tuscaloosa on January 26, 1983, at age 69, 28 days after coaching his last game.