1973 Cotton Bowl Classic
Encyclopedia
The 1973 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1972 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1973, at the Cotton Bowl
in Dallas, Texas
. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference
(SEC), and the , representing the Southwest Conference (SWC). Texas won the game by a final score of 17–13.
in the Iron Bowl
by a final score of 17–16 in the famous Punt Bama Punt
game. Following their victory over , university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl. The appearance marked the fourth for Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, their 26th overall bowl game appearance.
in the Red River Rivalry
by a final score of 27–0. Following their victory over , university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl. The appearance marked the fourteenth for Texas in the Cotton Bowl, their 20th overall bowl game appearance.
interceptions. Steve Wade made both interceptions for the Crimson Tide, and the first resulted in a 50-yard Greg Gantt field goal and the second a 31-yard Wilbur Jackson
touchdown
. After trading field goals in the second quarter, Alabama took a 13–3 lead at the half. In the second half, the Texas defense shutout the Alabama offense, and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Longhorn quarterback Alan Lowry from three and 34-yards sealed the 17–13 Texas victory.
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC), and the , representing the Southwest Conference (SWC). Texas won the game by a final score of 17–13.
Alabama
The 1972 Alabama squad finished the regular season with an 10–1 record and as conference champions. Their only loss came against Auburn1972 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1972 Auburn Tigers football team under the leadership of coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan completed the regular season with a record of 9–1, earning them an invitation to the Gator Bowl against Colorado, which they won by a score of 24–3...
in the Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
by a final score of 17–16 in the famous Punt Bama Punt
Punt Bama Punt
Punt Bama Punt is the nickname given to one of the most famous games of the college football rivalry between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide known as the Iron Bowl.The game was played on December 2, 1972 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama...
game. Following their victory over , university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl. The appearance marked the fourth for Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, their 26th overall bowl game appearance.
Texas
The 1972 Texas squad finished the regular season with a 9–1 record. Their only loss came against Oklahoma1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1972 NCAA Division I-A season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where...
in the Red River Rivalry
Red River Rivalry
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered...
by a final score of 27–0. Following their victory over , university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl. The appearance marked the fourteenth for Texas in the Cotton Bowl, their 20th overall bowl game appearance.
Game summary
Alabama opened the game by going up 10–0 as a result of a pair of Alan LowryAlan Lowry
Alan Lowry is the special-teams coordinator for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.He completed his 25th season in the NFL, the last 11 with the Titans.-College career:...
interceptions. Steve Wade made both interceptions for the Crimson Tide, and the first resulted in a 50-yard Greg Gantt field goal and the second a 31-yard Wilbur Jackson
Wilbur Jackson
Wilbur Jackson is a former American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft out of University of Alabama by the 49ers. He played five seasons for San Francisco, and then three years with the...
touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. After trading field goals in the second quarter, Alabama took a 13–3 lead at the half. In the second half, the Texas defense shutout the Alabama offense, and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Longhorn quarterback Alan Lowry from three and 34-yards sealed the 17–13 Texas victory.