81,023 witnessed a game that ranks near or at the top of the list of most boring Super Bowls.

Quarter 1

The Dolphins won the toss and elected to receive. Dallas chose to defend the North goal, which put the strong wind, gusting to 25 mph, at their backs. It also meant that the Miami receivers would have to look back into a bright sun in the southwest sky. Mercury Morris took Mike Clark's kick at the six and returned to the 26.
QB Bob Griese threw a quick pass to WR Howard Twilley slanting across from the right but backpedaling MLB LeRoy Jordan got his right hand up to deflect it incomplete. With WR Paul Warfield going in motion across the formation to the left, HB Jim Kiick took a handout and sped through a big hole at left tackle to the 33, DE George Andrie getting a piece of his ankle to trip him up. On 3rd-and-three, Kiick tried to turn the corner around right end, but OLB Dave Edwards dumped him for no gain. So Larry Seiple, averaging a little over 40y per kick, punted to speedy Bob Hayes, who took the ball on the bounce at the 22, and his momentum carried him out of bounds on the 20. Walt Garrison started at fullback with Duane Thomas lined up behind him at tailback. QB Roger Staubach took the snap and threw quickly to the right flat to Hayes, who retreated to take the pass and ran forward to the 25. TE Billy Truax brought in the next play, which called for Thomas to dart through a big hole created by LT Tony Liscio's block on DE Bill Stanfill to the 34 for a first down. Roger dropped back to pass but, finding no one open, held the ball too long and was sacked by DT Manny Fernandez at the 28. Again finding no receiver, Roger scrambled back to the 29. On the next snap, he saw WR Lance Alworth open at the left sideline but the ball, lofted over retreating LB Mike Kolen, sailed out of bounds. Ron Widby's punt took a Miami bounce and was downed at the Dolphin 42. FB Larry Csonka took a handoff around right end behind pulling RG Larry Little and HB Kiick to the Dallas 46. But the big fullback fumbled the next exchange on a quick dive – his first fumble of the season, and LB Chuck Howley recovered at the Cowboy 48. It appeared that Csonka came to the handoff too low, and Griese laid the ball on his forearm. Thomas took a pitch around left end, but S Jake Scott came up to stop him after a gain of only two. Staubach faked a handoff and retreated to throw a screen pass. But with the rushers in on him, he scrambled to the Miami 45 to make it 3rd-and-three. Thomas went in motion to the right, but Staubach again took off from the pocket to the 41 to move the chains. Garrison started the new series by taking a tight handoff for 8y. Then the dependable fullback burst to the 24 behind a good block by G Blaine Nye. On 1st-and-ten, the Dolphins again pressured Staubach, who stepped out of one tackle before Jim Riley and Bob Heinz sacked him for a loss of 13. On the next snap, the Cowboys finally created a secure pocket, and the Naval Academy grad fired to Hayes in the middle of the Dolphin zone to the 18 to make it 3rd-and-five. With both wide receivers covered, Staubach hit Thomas cutting over the middle for a first down at the seven. Next, Thomas knifed up the middle to the four, where RT Bob Heinz and MLB Nick Buoniconti downed him. After Garrison banged for two over the left side to bring up 3rd-and-goal from the two, Landry called a play designed to draw a linebacker and safety to either Thomas or Ditka. All Staubach had to do was throw to the guy who was not double-covered. On the snap, both defenders went to Thomas, but instead of throwing to wide-open Ditka, Roger tossed to Duane, who was stopped for no gain by SS Dick Anderson. So Dallas settled for three. Clark booted a 9y field goal to complete the 11-play, 50y drive. Cowboys 3 Dolphins 0 (1:23) Hubert Ginn took the kickoff on the five and returned to the 37, where CB Ray Renfro made the tackle. Kiick took a handoff to the right and cut upfield, but DE Larry Cole made an ankle tackle after a gain of only one. Griese then tried to connect with Warfield cutting over the middle from the left, but Renfro jumped with the receiver and knocked the ball away. Then came one of the biggest negative plays in Super Bowl history. Griese went back to pass, but DT Bob Lilly and DE Cole executed the "limbo" rush – Lilly going outside and Cole inside. Griese retreated, turning one way, then the other, in an attempt to turn enough to throw the ball away until Lilly pulled him down at the nine for a loss of 29, still a Super Bowl record. END OF Q1: Cowboys 3 Dolphins 0

Quarter 2

• With the wind now at his back, Seiple booted 45y to Hayes who called for a fair catch at the Dallas 45.
  Garrison took a handoff up the middle for 5y. With both Hayes and Alworth flanked to the right, Thomas lined up as a wingback just outside left tackle. The lone I-back, Garrison started to his left on the snap. With MLB Buoniconti moving with Walt, Thomas took a handoff back to the right and weaved his way for another five to make it 1st-and-10 at the Miami 44. Staubach then threw deep for Hayes who had a step or two on LCB Tim Foley. But against the wind the ball hung up just enough for Foley to leap and knock it away inside the five. Roger came back with a screen to Garrison on the left side that gained only four. Following a timeout, Staubach failed to connect with Alworth on a down-and-out to the right. Widby booted into the end zone.
  
  Roger Staubach back to pass.
  Kiick raced around left end and, with receivers Twilley and Warfield blocking, went out of bounds a foot short of the 30. Csonka didn't gain much up the middle, but it was enough to make it 1st-and-10 at the 31. Griese faded back and, with DT Jethro Pugh leaping in his face, looped his first completion to Twilley to the Dallas 49. On the play, Twilley drove CB Ray Renfro toward the sideline, then turned back to the middle. Csonka took a quick handoff through the center of the line for 3y. With pressure from Pugh again, Griese threw toward the left sideline to Warfield, but Renfro, single-covering the future Hall of Famer, jumped with the receiver and knocked the ball out of bounds. Griese dropped back quickly but had to throw to Kiick out of the backfield to the 42. On 4th-and-three, Garo Yepremian tried a 49y field goal that went just under the crossbar.
  From the 20, Thomas rambled over the right side to the 30. Then Garrison, with Nye blocking Buoniconti, roared through right tackle for 17 more. On the next snap, Fernandez managed to split the blockers and slow Garrison, who gained zilch. After another fullback run for 2y, Staubach took to the air down the middle to TE Mike Ditka, who tried to run before he secured the ball and dropped it. Widby's punt was downed on the 26.
  Griese tried a slant-in to Warfield but threw too high, and the ball bounced off Paul's hands. S Cliff Harris had a shot at the deflection, but the ball fell to the artificial turf. Griese was now only 2-of-6.
  TV commentator Pat Summerall remarked that the Dolphins had just used the play that President Nixon suggested to Don Shula.
  Following a 2y Csonka run, Griese tossed to Kiick circling left out of the backfield. But Harris knocked Jim out of bounds 2y short of the first down. So Seiple punted 41y to the Dallas 24.
  After stumbling for five on first down, Thomas took a screen pass to the 35 for another first down. Then the enigmatic RB ran again for 5. Staubach faked a handoff to Garrison, then pitched out to Thomas who gained a first down around left end to the 46.
  
  Thomas skirts left end behind Garrison and John Niland
  
  
  Anderson tackles Thomas who gains a first down.
  Duane then headed to the sidelines, and Calvin Hill made his first appearance. But Garrison took the next handoff and ran into Buoniconti after gaining only a yard. Hill went in motion left before Staubach tried a middle screen to Garrison, but heavy pressure caused Roger to throw short. On 3rd-and-nine, the Dallas quarterback finally connected with Alworth down the left seam into an open area in the zone for 27y to the Miami 32.
  Lance had spent a frustrating first half sprinting unchecked through the Miami zone while Staubach looked toward other receivers or decided to scramble. Shula afterwards: We made Staubach scramble early in the game but then their running game turned it around, and he was able to pick his spots. That third down Alworth catch was a big play.
  With Alworth and Hayes both lined up on the left, Hill rambled through a big hole at left guard to the 19, then took another handoff through right guard to the 12. After the two-minute warning, Hill lined up in a wingback position outside right end, came across, and took an inside handoff to the seven. At that point, Landry called a play Dallas hadn't used inside the 10 all season. Alworth had noticed that RCB Curtis Johnson was overplaying him to the inside. So Staubach was supposed to hit Lance at about the four so that he could beat Johnson to the pylon. But when he took the snap, Roger just faked the throw, which drew Johnson over. Then Staubach fogged a fast ball to Alworth just inside the left pylon in front of Johnson. The scoring drive covered 76y in 10 plays. Clark converted. Cowboys 10 Dolphins 0 (1:15)
  
  Staubach fires TD pass to Alworth.
  Staubach on the touchdown pass: I threw the ball as hard as I could, harder than I can remember throwing a ball at that short a distance. I don't know how he held onto it. Roger later called the two passes to Alworth on the touchdown drive probably two of the best passes of my life.
  Alworth was thankful Johnson didn't defense the pass. The guy barely missed it. I could see a 99y interception or something of that nature. Lance called his 27y catch earlier in the drive and his touchdown reception the most important receptions of his storied career.
  
  
  Calvin Hill runs.
  With the ball lying flat, Clark kicked a duck hook that went out of bounds. So he tried again from 5y further back after the first penalty of the game. With the ball teed up, the kick sailed short to Morris at the 20. He jitterbugged to the 31. Landry decided to run a prevent defense which, as often happens, helped the opponent to get on the scoreboard. He took out DE George Andrie and put in LB D.D. Lewis. Griese finally connected with Warfield, who was tackled inbounds after a gain of only 5. So Shula called a timeout. With Dallas deploying only three down linemen, Griese threw to Kiick over the middle to the 48. Hurrying to the line with no huddle, Bob again threw down the center. The ball was tipped by Jordan and almost intercepted by CB Herb Adderley. But Dallas was flagged for offside to make it 1st-and-5 with only 22 seconds left. Griese fired a beautiful pass to a leaping Warfield at the 24. With the clock the main enemy, Bob again tried Paul, who got behind Green, but Cornell deflected the ball slightly so that Warfield couldn't hang on at the two.
  Warfield: Anytime I lined up as the flanker on the strong side, Mel Renfro, their outstanding CB, would play on my outside shoulder and he would receive inside help from Cornell Green. And on the weak side Renfro would get help from Cliff Harris. ... That strategy worked for them very well. But toward the end of the first half, there was one exception when I went into the middle of the field and Green was a little late getting to me. It looked like we were going to have a touchdown. I was watching the ball come into my hands and all of a sudden Cornell reached and barely ticked the ball. It was like a foul tip in baseball: It kept going at the same speed and I couldn't adjust. Had I been able to, we may have gotten a touchdown to help inspire us. Who knows?
  Shula: They double-covered both of our wide receivers, and a lot of those passes Bob Griese threw seemed to be just off fingertips. But you have to give Cornell Green credit, particularly on that play he made on that pass to Warfield where he had to reach back.
  Not sure he afford another play before the half ended, Shula sent in Yepremian, who connected on a 31y field goal to end the four-play, 44y drive. Cowboys 10 Dolphins 3 (0:04)
  Yepremian remains the only native of Cyprus to play in the Super Bowl. In addition, he has the longest NFL career (14 seasons) of any player who did not play college football.
  Charlie Waters took the short kick at the 33 and returned it 11y as the half ended.
  END OF Q2: COWBOYS 10 DOLPHINS 3

The first half statistics showed more dominance by Dallas than the score indicated. The Cowboys led in first downs 13-5, total yards 177-74, yds. rushing 124-34, and yds. passing 53-40. They ran 37 plays to Miami's 21. The most impressive statistic was that there was only one penalty the entire first half.

The halftime show honored New Orleans native Louie Armstrong, who had died the previous summer. It featured Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, and New Orleans' own Al Hirt along with the U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team.