A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team.
The hard Astroturf surface of the Silverdome saw the spheroid-shaped football bounce oddly, sporadically, and was noticeably difficult for the receiving team to field.
Head coach Bill Walsh turned this predicament into design and used it later in Super Bowl XVI, also held at the Silverdome.
Squib kicks are also more difficult to pull off successfully than they were in the 1980s, since artificial turf has evolved to thicker, less bouncy installations such as FieldTurf.
Anticipating a squib kick, Cal coach Joe Kapp sent his onsides return team into the game.