Thursday, November 1, 2007
SMUMUSTANGS.COM :: THE OFFICIAL SITE OF SMU ATHLETICS
The dominating performance by the terrific twosome of Walker and Rote helped make the 1949 Cotton Bowl one of the 90 Greatest Moments in SMU Football ...
The dominating performance by the terrific twosome of Walker and Rote helped make the 1949 Cotton Bowl one of the 90 Greatest Moments in SMU Football ...
Texas Christian University took on Marquette, winning, 16-6, but the game lost money even though some 17,000 attended. Nonetheless, Sanford persevered, and in 1938 the game made a profit as Rice defeated Colorado, 28-14, in front of a crowd of 37,000.
Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match between St. Mary's and Texas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders, 20-13. In 1940 an underdog Clemson team surprised the Boston College Eagles, 6-3, in the first of several appearances at the Cotton Bowl by Tigers coach Frank Howard. Attendance at this game was given as 20,000.
In 1947 LSU and Arkansas played in front of 38,000 people to a 0-0 tie in what would later become known as the "Ice Bowl." LSU got the better of Arkansas most of the game but the game truly belonged to the weatherman.
The 1954 Cotton Bowl featured one of the most famous plays in college football history. Rice's Dickey Moegle began a run around from the 10 yard line and down the open field. Alabama's Tommy Lewis jumped off the bench and tackled Maegle. The referee Cliff Shaw saw what happened and signaled touchdown even though Maegle was "tackled" at the 42 yard line.
In 1964, the number one ranked University of Texas completed an undefeated season by defeating #2 ranked Navy (who was led by future Dallas Cowboys star Roger Staubach). The game was played less than seven weeks after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
The 1970 game featured Notre Dame's return to bowl games after a 45-year self-imposed ban. The Irish, led by quarterback Joe Theismann, faced top-ranked and undefeated Texas. Notre Dame led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns scored a late touchdown to clinch a 21-17 victory and an undisputed national championship. The same two teams met the next year, but this time, the Irish ended the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak with a 24-11 victory, denying Texas the Associated Press national championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the championship in the United Press International poll, which did not release a post-bowl poll at the time). Texas and Notre Dame met again in the 1978 game, with the Longhorns again ranked number one, only to see the Irish and quarterback Joe Montana roll to a 38-10 victory. The Irish vaulted from fifth to first in the final polls with the victory.
The Chicken Soup Game, the 1979 Cotton Bowl, featured one of the most historic comebacks in bowl history. Notre Dame trailed the University of Houston, 34-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Thanks to a blocked punt and the brilliance of future NFL hall of famer Joe Montana, the Irish rallied to win, 35-34.
The 1989 game between UCLA and Arkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman was expected to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Much was made of Cowboys coach Tom Landry watching Aikman practice at Texas Stadium (UCLA's practice facility for game preparation). Landry never got to draft Aikman, because he was fired the next month, but his successor, Jimmy Johnson, did draft Aikman.
The Bowl was known for featuring great quarterbacks. Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Babe Parelli, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Doug Flutie, Troy Aikman and Eli Manning all have played in the game.
Three of the four Heisman Trophy winners from 1985 to 1988 finished their college career in the Cotton Bowl. Doug Flutie for Boston College in 1985, Bo Jackson of Auburn in 1986, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1988.
For 40 years the champion of the now-defunct Southwest Conference played as the home team in the Cotton Bowl. Up until the mid-1980s the contest was counted among the four major New Year's bowls, but lost that stature when many SWC teams served NCAA probations for rule violations (rendering them bowl ineligible), while the Fiesta Bowl, unhindered by conference tie-ins, was able to attract national championship contenders. Eventually it replaced the Cotton Bowl as one of the four "major bowls." The SWC champion lost the last 7 times they played host to the event, and the bowl's last national champion was Notre Dame in 1977. Since 1996, the game has been anchored by the Big 12 Conference. The opponent in the late 1990s was either the Pacific 10 Conference or Western Athletic Conference, and since 1999 the Southeastern Conference (usually a Western Division team) with Southwestern Bell (now AT&T) sponsoring the event. The SEC representative has won the last four games through the 2007 game.
It continues to be played on New Year's Day (except when January 1 falls on a Sunday; then it is moved to January 2), and is usually the second game of the day to kick off, generally following the Outback Bowl. The 1967 game was moved to Saturday, December 31, 1966, due to the Dallas Cowboys hosting the NFL Championship Game at the stadium on New Year's Day, a Sunday (Note: The other major bowl games that year --- the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Orange Bowl --- were played on Monday, January 2nd).
Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match between St. Mary's and Texas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders, 20-13. In 1940 an underdog Clemson team surprised the Boston College Eagles, 6-3, in the first of several appearances at the Cotton Bowl by Tigers coach Frank Howard. Attendance at this game was given as 20,000.
In 1947 LSU and Arkansas played in front of 38,000 people to a 0-0 tie in what would later become known as the "Ice Bowl." LSU got the better of Arkansas most of the game but the game truly belonged to the weatherman.
The 1954 Cotton Bowl featured one of the most famous plays in college football history. Rice's Dickey Moegle began a run around from the 10 yard line and down the open field. Alabama's Tommy Lewis jumped off the bench and tackled Maegle. The referee Cliff Shaw saw what happened and signaled touchdown even though Maegle was "tackled" at the 42 yard line.
In 1964, the number one ranked University of Texas completed an undefeated season by defeating #2 ranked Navy (who was led by future Dallas Cowboys star Roger Staubach). The game was played less than seven weeks after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
The 1970 game featured Notre Dame's return to bowl games after a 45-year self-imposed ban. The Irish, led by quarterback Joe Theismann, faced top-ranked and undefeated Texas. Notre Dame led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns scored a late touchdown to clinch a 21-17 victory and an undisputed national championship. The same two teams met the next year, but this time, the Irish ended the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak with a 24-11 victory, denying Texas the Associated Press national championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the championship in the United Press International poll, which did not release a post-bowl poll at the time). Texas and Notre Dame met again in the 1978 game, with the Longhorns again ranked number one, only to see the Irish and quarterback Joe Montana roll to a 38-10 victory. The Irish vaulted from fifth to first in the final polls with the victory.
The Chicken Soup Game, the 1979 Cotton Bowl, featured one of the most historic comebacks in bowl history. Notre Dame trailed the University of Houston, 34-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Thanks to a blocked punt and the brilliance of future NFL hall of famer Joe Montana, the Irish rallied to win, 35-34.
The 1989 game between UCLA and Arkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman was expected to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Much was made of Cowboys coach Tom Landry watching Aikman practice at Texas Stadium (UCLA's practice facility for game preparation). Landry never got to draft Aikman, because he was fired the next month, but his successor, Jimmy Johnson, did draft Aikman.
The Bowl was known for featuring great quarterbacks. Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Babe Parelli, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Doug Flutie, Troy Aikman and Eli Manning all have played in the game.
Three of the four Heisman Trophy winners from 1985 to 1988 finished their college career in the Cotton Bowl. Doug Flutie for Boston College in 1985, Bo Jackson of Auburn in 1986, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1988.
For 40 years the champion of the now-defunct Southwest Conference played as the home team in the Cotton Bowl. Up until the mid-1980s the contest was counted among the four major New Year's bowls, but lost that stature when many SWC teams served NCAA probations for rule violations (rendering them bowl ineligible), while the Fiesta Bowl, unhindered by conference tie-ins, was able to attract national championship contenders. Eventually it replaced the Cotton Bowl as one of the four "major bowls." The SWC champion lost the last 7 times they played host to the event, and the bowl's last national champion was Notre Dame in 1977. Since 1996, the game has been anchored by the Big 12 Conference. The opponent in the late 1990s was either the Pacific 10 Conference or Western Athletic Conference, and since 1999 the Southeastern Conference (usually a Western Division team) with Southwestern Bell (now AT&T) sponsoring the event. The SEC representative has won the last four games through the 2007 game.
It continues to be played on New Year's Day (except when January 1 falls on a Sunday; then it is moved to January 2), and is usually the second game of the day to kick off, generally following the Outback Bowl. The 1967 game was moved to Saturday, December 31, 1966, due to the Dallas Cowboys hosting the NFL Championship Game at the stadium on New Year's Day, a Sunday (Note: The other major bowl games that year --- the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Orange Bowl --- were played on Monday, January 2nd).
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