Super Bowl XII was the 12th championship game of the National Football League (NFL). It was played on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos by a score of 27–10, earning the Cowboys their second Super Bowl title.
Key facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | January 15, 1978 |
| Venue | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Attendance | 76,400 |
| Teams | Dallas Cowboys (NFC) vs. Denver Broncos (AFC) |
| Final Score | Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10 |
| Winning Coach | Tom Landry (Dallas) |
| Losing Coach | Red Miller (Denver) |
| MVP | Randy White (Dallas) – Defensive tackle |
| Broadcast | CBS television network, with announcers Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier |
| Notable firsts | First Super Bowl played on artificial turf; first time the NFL used a “Super Bowl” logo on the field; first Super Bowl victory for a team that had never previously appeared in the game |
Scoring summary
- 1st Quarter: Dallas – 7 points (Tom Landry’s offense; a 20‑yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to Billy Joe Dupree).
- 2nd Quarter: Dallas – 6 points (Randy White recovered a fumble in the end zone). Denver – 3 points (field goal).
- 3rd Quarter: Dallas – 7 points (quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 30‑yard touchdown pass to Golden Richards). Denver – 7 points (field goal and a touchdown pass from Craig Morton to Terry Kunz).
- 4th Quarter: Dallas – 7 points (touchdown run by Tony Dorsett). Denver – 0 points.
Historical context
Super Bowl XII marked the first championship for the Cowboys after a 17‑year franchise history and contributed to the emergence of the Cowboys as a dominant NFL team in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The game is also remembered for Randy White’s defensive performance, which earned him the first Defensive MVP award in Super Bowl history.
