2006 Cotton Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2006 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic was held on January 2, 2006, in Dallas, Texas
at the Cotton Bowl
. The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide
of the SEC
, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference
.
During the 2005 season, Alabama — led by quarterback Brodie Croyle
— earned a 9-2 regular season record (all nine wins were later vacated by the NCAA due to violations). The Crimson Tide's two losses of the season came to SEC West rivals LSU
and Auburn
.
Texas Tech — led by quarterback Cody Hodges
— also suffered two defeats during their season, including a 52–17 defeat to Texas — Texas went on to win the National Championship later in the season — and a 24–17 loss at .
In 2009, the NCAA vacated Alabama's Cotton Bowl win due to infractions committed during the season.
The Alabama defense was assisted by an efficient offense that controlled the ball much of the game and kept the defense off the field; Alabama ultimately possessed the ball for 38:56, largely thanks to Kenneth Darby, who rushed for 83 yards on 29 carries.
Alabama scored first — less than four minutes into the game — as Croyle hit sophomore wide receiver Keith Brown for a 76–yard touchdown (though he should have been ruled down prior to the first down, as he caught the ball with his knee on the ground); Brown finished as Croyle’s top target, gaining 142 yards on five catches. An Alex Trlica
34-yard field goal brought Texas Tech to within four, and the teams traded blocked field goals to end the first half. Alabama kicker Jamie Christensen missed a field goal from 38 yards early in the second quarter.
Though the Crimson Tide defense kept the Red Raiders in check most of the second half, Hodges engineered late drives for Texas Tech, using both his legs (he finished as his team’s top rusher, gaining 93 yards on 13 carries) and arm. He eventually hit Jarrett Hicks
for a game-tying touchdown. It was the Alabama offense that finally secured the win for the Crimson Tide, as quarterback Brodie Croyle, who completed 19 of 31 passes for 275 yards, drove his team 55 yards late in the fourth quarter to set up kicker Jamie Christensen’s 46–yard game-winning field goal.
The game-winning field goal by Christensen was the first game-ending score a Cotton Bowl Classic since 1979, when Joe Montana
brought Notre Dame from behind to defeat the University of Houston.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
at the Cotton Bowl
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,...
. The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide
2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's 73rd season in the SEC...
of the SEC
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...
, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
During the 2005 season, Alabama — led by quarterback Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2005...
— earned a 9-2 regular season record (all nine wins were later vacated by the NCAA due to violations). The Crimson Tide's two losses of the season came to SEC West rivals LSU
2005 LSU Tigers football team
The 2005 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2005–2006. Coached by Les Miles in his first season at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
and Auburn
2005 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2005 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Despite having four starters from the 2004 team selected in the first round of 2005 NFL Draft, Auburn finished the season with a 9–3 record, including a 7–1 record in the Southeastern...
.
Texas Tech — led by quarterback Cody Hodges
Cody Hodges
Cody Hodges is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and former professional American football player, playing in the National Football League, Arena Football League. Hodges is best known for his one season as the starting quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2005 season. He led...
— also suffered two defeats during their season, including a 52–17 defeat to Texas — Texas went on to win the National Championship later in the season — and a 24–17 loss at .
In 2009, the NCAA vacated Alabama's Cotton Bowl win due to infractions committed during the season.
Game
In a matchup of Alabama's first-ranked scoring defense and Texas Tech's second-ranked scoring offense, the Crimson Tide held the Red Raiders to ten points — thanks to numerous pressures and four sacks of Texas Tech senior quarterback Cody Hodges — who completed only 15 of 32 passes for 191 yards and was knocked out of the game for a period in the second half.The Alabama defense was assisted by an efficient offense that controlled the ball much of the game and kept the defense off the field; Alabama ultimately possessed the ball for 38:56, largely thanks to Kenneth Darby, who rushed for 83 yards on 29 carries.
Alabama scored first — less than four minutes into the game — as Croyle hit sophomore wide receiver Keith Brown for a 76–yard touchdown (though he should have been ruled down prior to the first down, as he caught the ball with his knee on the ground); Brown finished as Croyle’s top target, gaining 142 yards on five catches. An Alex Trlica
Alex Trlica
Alex Trlica was a kicker for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team.As of January 9, 2007, Trlica held the NCAA record for successful point after tries. During his college career, he made 233 consecutive PATs without a miss...
34-yard field goal brought Texas Tech to within four, and the teams traded blocked field goals to end the first half. Alabama kicker Jamie Christensen missed a field goal from 38 yards early in the second quarter.
Though the Crimson Tide defense kept the Red Raiders in check most of the second half, Hodges engineered late drives for Texas Tech, using both his legs (he finished as his team’s top rusher, gaining 93 yards on 13 carries) and arm. He eventually hit Jarrett Hicks
Jarrett Hicks
Jarrett Hicks is an American football player.-Career:Collegiately, Hicks was a wide receiver for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Out of college, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers of the NFL...
for a game-tying touchdown. It was the Alabama offense that finally secured the win for the Crimson Tide, as quarterback Brodie Croyle, who completed 19 of 31 passes for 275 yards, drove his team 55 yards late in the fourth quarter to set up kicker Jamie Christensen’s 46–yard game-winning field goal.
The game-winning field goal by Christensen was the first game-ending score a Cotton Bowl Classic since 1979, when Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
brought Notre Dame from behind to defeat the University of Houston.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | |Time | |Drive | |Team | |Scoring information | |Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Tech | Alabama | |||||
| 1 | 11:37 | 2 plays, 84 yards | Alabama | Keith Brown 76-yard touchdown reception from Brodie Croyle, Jamie Christensen kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 3:00 | 10 plays, 69 yards | Texas Tech | 34-yard field goal by Alex Trlica | 3 | 7 | |
| 3 | 6:53 | 17 plays, 67 yards | Alabama | 31-yard field goal by Jamie Christensen | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 2:56 | 2 plays, 38 yards | Texas Tech | Jarrett Hicks 12-yard touchdown reception from Cody Hodges, Alex Trlica kick good | 10 | 10 |
| 0:00 | 10 plays, 58 yards | Alabama | 45-yard field goal by Jamie Christensen | 10 | 13 | |
| 10 | 13 | |||||