1951 Cotton Bowl Classic
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| 1951 Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 15th Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1950 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Cotton Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Dallas, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | FB Andy Kozar (Tennessee) HB Hank Lauricella (Tennessee) DE Horace Sherrod (Tennessee) G Bud McFadin (Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ray McCulloch (SWC; split crew: SWC, SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 75,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1951 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 15th annual game, and it featured the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texas Longhorns.
Cherry led the Longhorns to a perfect 6-0 SWC record in his final season as the Horns won their first Southwest Conference since the 1945 team. This was their first bowl game since 1949 and first Cotton Bowl Classic since 1946. Tennessee was in their first bowl game since 1947 and first ever Cotton Bowl Classic. They finished second in the Southeastern Conference due to not playing the same number of conference games as SEC champ Kentucky, who they beat.
Game summary
Midway through the first quarter, John Gruble scored on a 5-yard touchdown catch from Herky Payne set up by a Hank Lauricella 75-yard run. Coincidentally, another Lauricella play would set the Longhorns up to score. Early in the second quarter the Vols were pinned in their own 10 on 4th down as Lauricella set up to punt. But his punt was blocked by Jim Lansford and the Longhorns recovered at the 8. On fourth and goal, the Longhorns scored on a Byron Townsend 5-yard touchdown run. Four minutes before the half ended, Gib Dawson caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ben Thompkins to give them the lead at halftime. But the Volunteers drove 82 yards in 16 plays and it culminated with an Andy Kozar touchdown run with ten minutes remaining. But Pat Shires' kick went wide as the Horns still led 14–13. But on the ensuing drive, the Longhorns fumbled the ball and Jimmy Hill recovered to give the Vols a chance at Texas' own 43. Five plays later, Andy Kozar ran into the end zone for the winning touchdown with 3:11 remaining. The Longhorns never seriously threatened after that as the Volunteers won their first Cotton Bowl Classic.[1]
