1968 Cotton Bowl Classic

1968 Cotton Bowl Classic
Texas A&M Aggies Alabama Crimson Tide (6–4) (8–1–1) 20 16 Head coach:  Gene Stallings Head coach:  Bear Bryant AP Coaches 8 7
1 2 3 4 Total Texas A&M 7 6 7 0 20 Alabama 7 3 6 0 16
Date	January 1, 1968
Season	1967
Stadium	Cotton Bowl
Location	Dallas, Texas
MVP	DE Grady Allen (Texas A&M) QB Edd Hargett (Texas A&M) LB Bill Hobbs (Texas A&M)
Attendance	75,504
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS

The 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1967 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1968, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Texas A&M Aggies, representing the Southwest Conference (SWC) as conference champions. Texas A&M won the game 20–16.

Teams

Alabama

The 1967 Alabama squad finished the regular season with an 8–1–1 record. The Crimson Tide opened the season ranked #2 only to tie Florida State in their opening game and lose to eventual conference champion Tennessee. Following their victory over South Carolina, Alabama accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl on November 20.^[1] The appearance marked the third for Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, and their 21st overall bowl game.^[1]

Texas A&M

Texas A&M finished the regular season with a 6–4 after opening the season 0–4 with losses to SMU, Purdue, LSU and Florida State.^[2] With a 10–7 victory over Texas in the regular season finale, the Aggies secured their position in the Cotton Bowl as SWC champions.^[2] The appearance marked the third for the Aggies in the Cotton Bowl, and their eighth overall bowl game.

Game summary

Alabama opened the game with a ten-play, 80-yard drive with Ken Stabler scoring on an eight-yard run to give the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead.^[3] The Aggies responded with a 13-yard Edd Hargett touchdown pass to Larry Stegent to tie the game at 7–7 at the end of the first quarter.^[3] After Steve Davis hit a 36-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter for Alabama, A&M responded late in the quarter with a 7-yard Tommy Maxwell touchdown reception from Hargett. After the ensuing extra point failed, the Aggies took a 13–10 lead at the half.^[3] A&M extended their lead to 20–10 early in the third after Wendell Housley scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. The final points of the game came later in the third when Stabler scored his second touchdown of the game, and with a failed two-point conversion attempt and a scoreless fourth, the Aggies won 20–16.^[3] For his performance, Texas A&M quarterback Edd Hargett was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.^[3] As A&M coach Stallings was both a former player and assistant coach under him, Bryant carried him off the field to celebrate the victory.^[3]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Texas A&M Alabama 1 8:22 10 plays, 80 yards Alabama Ken Stabler 8-yard touchdown run, Steve Davis kick good 0 7 1 5:22 4 plays, 30 yards Texas A&M Larry Stegent 13-yard touchdown reception from Edd Hargett, Charlie Riggs kick good 7 7 2 Alabama 36-yard field goal by Steve Davis 7 10 2 00:21 56 yards Texas A&M Tommy Maxwell 7-yard touchdown reception from Edd Hargett, Charlie Riggs kick no good 13 10 3 8:32 6 plays, 52 yards Texas A&M Wendell Housley 20-yard touchdown run, Charlie Riggs kick good 20 10 3 3:55 9 plays, 83 yards Alabama Ken Stabler 8-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed 20 16 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 16

References

1. Land, Charles (November 20, 1967). "It's official: Tide in Cotton". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 5. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
2. Meier, Ted (November 24, 1967). "Hargett leads Aggies to 10–7 win over Texas, spot in Cotton Bowl". The Park City Daily News. Associated Press. p. 16. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
3. Land, Charles (January 2, 1968). "Tide upstaged, upset 20–16". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 6.