1975 Cal Football: A Forgotten Pac-8 Crown

The University of California football program has had a bit of a star-crossed history, at least since winning two national championships in the early 1920s and going to three straight Rose Bowls from 1948-50. The 1975 Cal football team was the last edition of the Golden Bears to even share a conference championship.

AN EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE

Mike White came to Berkeley as head coach in 1972, taking over a program that had been modestly above average in recent years, although decidedly in the shadow of powerful USC in the Pac-8 Conference (the forerunner of the Pac-10, and later Pac-12). After a couple of losing seasons, White went 7-3-1 in 1974, setting the stage for an explosive offensive team that would carry Cal in 1975.

Chuck Muncie was the focal point. A future Pro Bowl runner in the NFL, Muncie rolled up 1,460 yards rushing in ’75. He also caught 39 passes out of the backfield. In this run-heavy era, that’s a figure that would have made him the leading receiver at more than a few top college programs. Muncie finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

But the top receiver in Berkeley was Steve Rivera, who caught 57 passes for almost 800 yards and was an All-Conference performer. Wesley Walker, another future Pro Bowl player, was the other wideout. A field-stretcher, Walker’s 36 catches went for over 800 yards.

The offensive line was anchored by All-Conference tackle Ted Albrecht. If drives bogged down, future NFL kicker Jim Breech was on hand.

And overseeing it all was Joe Roth. Unlike some of his teammates, Roth’s name doesn’t ring out in history. But he was the most prolific passer in the Pac-8 in 1975, leading the conference with a 56% completion rate, 8.3 yards-per attempt and 14 touchdown passes. Cal’s offense finished 12^th in the nation for points scored.

DEFENSIVE WEAKNESS & A ROUGH START

Where the Golden Bears had problems was defensively. Not a single defensive player even got as high as second-team All-Conference, and they ended up 80^th nationally for points allowed. Those weaknesses came home to roost in a difficult non-conference schedule.

Cal went to Colorado (then a member of the old Big Eight), who was on their way to a nine-win season, and lost 34-27. A home game with West Virginia, coached by Bobby Bowden, ended with a 28-10 defeat. At 0-2, there was no reason think this would be a special season for the Golden Bears.

They went to lowly Washington State for their first league game and got on the board with a 33-21 win. A home date with a good San Jose State team was tight, but the Golden Bears survived 27-24. They went north to Oregon and rolled the Ducks 34-7, then came home and blasted lowly Oregon State 51-24.

UCLA, coached by Dick Vermeil, with its own lineup dotted with future NFL players came into Berkeley. Cal lost 28-14. They were 4-3 as they schedule reached the November crunch.

THE ROSE BOWL RACE HEATS UP

The good news is that no one was taking the conference race by the horns. At 4-1 in the league, Cal was in first place, although four other teams had just one conference loss. That included UCLA, whom Cal would not have a tiebreaker on. The contenders also included USC, Washington, and archrival Stanford. The race for the Rose Bowl was on.

Cal hosted USC on November 1. This wasn’t a vintage Trojan team, but they were the team to beat in this league until proven otherwise. The Golden Bears proved otherwise. Muncie carried 18 times for 143 yards. Roth went 19/31 for 244 yards. In a game that was tied 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, Cal took over and won 28-14.

A week later, they hosted Washington and won 27-24. The Golden Bears were now #15 in the polls and 5-1 in conference play. They traveled to lowly Air Force for a 31-14 non-conference win that nudged them to #13 nationally. UCLA and Stanford both won league games, so all three were 5-1 in the Pac-8 with one to play.

THE BIG GAME BREAKTHROUGH

That was the landscape when Cal went to Palo Alto for their great rivalry battle with Stanford. The stakes for the Golden Bears were simple—if they won, they were guaranteed a share of the Pac-8 crown. To get the Rose Bowl bid they would need USC to lose UCLA a week later.

Facing a Cardinal team that included future NFL wide receiver Tony Hill, Cal came out and played its best game of the season. In the first half alone, Muncie racked up 127 yards rushing and the Golden Bears built a 27-6 lead. Stanford closed to 27-15, and threatened to make it interesting.

Roth answered by hitting Walker with a 46-yard strike tha set up a short TD run. After a turnover, Muncie showcased his arm, throwing a long touchdown pass to Walker. Muncie also ran for four TDs. The rout was on and the game ended 48-15.

CO-CHAMPS BUT NO BOWL

Six days later, on Black Friday, Cal hunkered down to watch the USC-UCLA game. There was a surge of hope when the Trojans took a 14-6 lead. But the Bruins controlled the second half and won 25-22. The Golden Bears were still co-champs of the Pac-8, but they would not get the Rose Bowl nod.

In this era of college football, that meant the season was over, even at 8-3 and with a piece of league hardware. This was the first year that the Pac-8 allowed its teams to go anywhere besides the Rose Bowl. USC, even at 7-4, with it superior brand recognition, got tapped for the Liberty Bowl, but no one else went to a postseason game. The season ended here, with a #14 ranking in the final polls.

AFTERMATH & LEGACY

It had still been a special year for Cal football. It was also the last hurrah. The 1976 team didn’t live up to high expectations, although we know in retrospect that Roth was likely held back by a tragic case of melanoma that was later diagnosed and led to his premature death just a year later. White would be caught up in recruiting allegations that ended his tenure.

This league of western teams would dissolve after the 2023 season with Cal never again even tying for first place. The Golden Bears, along with Stanford, picked up and went to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Any future championships will come there, in a league far from home. For Cal fans, the fall of 1975 still stands as the last time the Golden Bears roared loud enough to shake the West.