1964_Cotton_Bowl_Classic

1964 Cotton Bowl Classic

1964 Cotton Bowl Classic

College football game

The 1964 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 28th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1963–64 bowl game season, the game was a de facto national championship game;[3] the top-ranked and undefeated Texas Longhorns, champions of the Southwest Conference, defeated the #2 Navy Midshipmen, 28–6.[4][5][6][7]

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In this era, the final major polls (AP, UPI) were published prior to the bowl games, so Texas would retain those national championships, regardless of the outcome.

Teams

Main article: 1963 NCAA University Division football season

The game was played less than six weeks after the assassination of President Kennedy, a U.S. Navy veteran and avid football fan, in the same city.[7] It was the second #1 versus #2 bowl game, after the previous season's Rose Bowl.

Texas

Main article: 1963 Texas Longhorns football team

Texas had won all ten games in the regular season, took the Southwest Conference title, and was first in the polls. This was their third consecutive Cotton Bowl.

Main article: 1963 Navy Midshipmen football team

Independent Navy was second in the polls, and featured junior quarterback Roger Staubach, the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner. Their only setback was a four-point loss at SMU (in the Cotton Bowl) in mid-October.[8][9] Texas won at SMU, 17-12, three weeks later.

Game summary

The Cotton Bowl kicked off at 1 pm CST, as did the Sugar and Orange Bowls.[10][11] The temperature was 45 °F (7 °C) and skies were sunny.[4]

Two touchdown catches by Phil Harris from Duke Carlisle and a Carlisle touchdown run gave the Longhorns a 21–0 lead at halftime. Another touchdown run by fullback Harold Philipp increased the lead to 28–0 after three quarters. The Midshipmen finally scored on a two-yard touchdown run by Staubach (who went 22 for 34 for 228 yards), which ended the scoring at 28–6.

While the two teams had near even passing yards and near even first downs (18-16), Navy had 29 rushes go for -14 yards while Texas' 43 rushes for 168 yards led to two touchdowns as the Longhorns clinched an undisputed national championship, their first ever.[4][12] Several Cotton Bowl records were set.[13]

Source:[4][5][6]
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1964 Cotton Bowl Classic: Navy Midshipmen (9–1) vs. Texas Longhorns (10–0)

at Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX

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Statistics

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Source:[4][5][6]

Aftermath

The next major bowl for Texas was the following year in the Orange Bowl, the first played at night, and another win. The next Cotton Bowl for the Longhorns was five years later in January 1969, the first of six consecutive appearances.

Navy had previously played in each of the four major bowls once; this remains their most recent major bowl and their next bowl appearance was in 1978.

References

  1. [1]
    Chass, Murray (December 30, 1963). "Mythical Crown at Stake in Cotton Bowl". The Post-Crescent. Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2024. With Texas and Navy ready to battle for college football's unofficial championship... Unbeaten Texas will have to fend off the East's best to remain first in the minds of the nation's fans.
  2. [2]
    Ratliff, Harold V. (December 31, 1963). Written at Dallas, Texas. "'Dream Game' In Dallas Heads Bowl Parade: National Title Is At Stake". The Herald-Palladium. Benton Harbor, Michigan. Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2024. Darrel Royal's eyes flashed when he said it: 'We aren't a bit afraid to put it on the line.' He was discussing the question of whether the national championship would be decided when his Texas football team plays Navy in the Cotton Bowl Wednesday.
  3. [3]
    "Slightly favored Longhorns ready for Naval battle". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 1, 1964. p. 7.
  4. [4]
    "Carlisle passes Texas over Middies, 28 to 6". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 2, 1964. p. 9A.
  5. [5]
    "Texas 1-2 punch rips Navy". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1964. p. 36.
  6. [6]
    Becker, Jim (January 2, 1964). "Riled Longhorns slap Middies, 28-6". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. p. 13.
  7. [7]
    Underwood, John (January 13, 1964). "Big day for 'D'". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  8. [8]
    "Giant-killer SMU stuns 4th ranked Middies 32-28". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. October 12, 1963. p. 8.
  9. [9]
    "A jinx for Navy". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 2, 1964. p. 9A.
  10. [10]
    "Nation's top teams face each other in bowl tilts". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 1, 1964. p. 7.
  11. [11]
    "Bowl timetable". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 1, 1964. p. 10.
  12. [12]
    "38-49.pmd (PDF)" (PDF). Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  13. [13]
    "Records tumble in Cotton Bowl". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. January 2, 1964. p. 9A.
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