Cotten Paces 'Horns Past Rebels, 12-7
Pass-Stealing Defenders Stymie Ole Miss Offense
1/2/1962
This was one of the great ones, a classic of Cotton Bowl classics, a New Year's football afternoon to remember.
This was a clash of mighty offenses, but it was a day for a swarming Orange-clad horde of head-hunting, pass-stealing defenders.
This start of the New Year was a triumphant conclusion, too, for a University of Texas senior – the most-appropriately-named star of many standouts in the 26 renewals of the Cotton Bowl festival.
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This was Mike Cotten's day, and his final appearance on behalf of the Longhorns was one of his finest. Playing every down of Texas offense, Cotten killed the Rebels of The University of Mississippi with their own weapon of destruction, the forward pass, in driving the Longhorns to a pulsating 12-7 victory before 75,504 sun-kissed spectators and a national television audience.
This was a maximum effort by the Longhorns, the nation's third-ranked college football team, who tormented the Rebels with a series of defensive variations from their customary wide-tackle six formations. It was Texas' first bowl victory since it conquered another Southeastern Conference team, Tennessee, on this game field eight years ago. The Longhorns also provided the Southwest Conference its first triumph in its own classic since TCU beat Syracuse in 1957, and they chopped off a Mississippi stretch of five post-season successes that started here in 1956.
Led by halfback Jerry Cook with three, the Longhorns insulted the nation's foremost offensive team with five pass interceptions. The Rebels had suffered only eight such indignities in 202 throws during the regular season.
Cotten, who completed five of his six passes in the first half, was a runaway selection as the game's outstanding back. End Bob Moses, another Longhorn senior going out like a champion, was voted the foremost lineman by a 4-1 margin for a smashing defensive performance that included perhaps the key tackle of the game with 6:17 to play.
His grab of quarterback Glynn Griffing for a yard loss on fourth down stopped a Rebel drive that had carried to the Texas 23-the last Rebel threat to the Longhorns' 5-point lead.
The pattern of the day's frustration was set on the game's second play for the Rebels, who fought as fiercely and as well as the Longhorns.
Quarterback Doug Elmore lost the ball coming out from under center and tackle Eddie Padgett smothered it for the Longhorns at the Ole Miss 26.
Texas Flashed Its Defensive Skills
The Rebels, who were to keep the Texas fans in fearful suspense to the game's end with the constant threat of their high-geared offense, showed their defensive skills here.
Jim Dunaway, the mountain of a tackle, smacked fullback Ray Poage for no gain. The other tackle, Jerry Brown, blitzed Cotten for a 7-yard loss on a pass attempt. A third down throw went awry, and Eldon Moritz essayed a field goal attempt for the Longhorns with halfback Tommy Ford holding at the 40. Woody Dabbs surged through from the right end of an 8-man defensive line, stuck a hand into the ball and it died at the Rebel 10.
Ole Miss overcame two of its motion penalties to push 46 yards to the Texas 44 as Elmore hit fullback Buck Randall for 12 and halfback Art Doty sprinted 13 to fire it.
Then Cook jumped in front of end Ralph Smith at the Texas 33 to start the parade of interceptions, which, with the three Mississippi claimed, added up to a record total of eight for both sides.
Wingback Jack Collins soon punted into the Ole Miss end zone for a touchback to put the machinery in motion for Texas' first score.
Griffing's third-down pass went over Roberts' head and Ford made a belly-landing interception at the Rebel 34.
Cotten took the Longhorns across in seven plays, starting with a 13-yard power sweep of the right side by linebacker Pat Culpepper, the defensive demon who was carrying for only the second time this season.
Moments later Saxton slashed across from the one for the touchdown.
Cotten was at his brilliant best in a 3-play, 72-yard sortie that culminated in the second Longhorn touchdown at 10:08 of the second period.
Utilizing a new offensive wrinkle for the Steers, a swing pass to Saxton, Cotten twice hit on that play and kept himself once on a brilliant 27-yard roll out to feature the push to the Rebel 26.
Then Cotten called the tailback motion to the left, rolled right and threw to Collins, who took the ball at the 16 crossing to his right, cut down the sideline behind a stout block by Charley Talbert, faked two Rebels out and outran a third into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.
Griffing Steered a Steady Course
This was to be the final Longhorn score, but they kept coming up with defensive heroics to save the day.
The Rebels rolled after the kickoff from their 23 and appeared touchdown bound as Griffing threw to Dabbs for 32, to halfback Louis Guy for 24 and to Doty for 16. With first down at the Longhorn 8, Griffing rolled to his right and threw toward the end zone. Linebacker John Treadwell tipped the ball; Jerry Cook ran under it at the 2, brought it back to the 10 and the Rebels' bid died with 55 seconds left in the half.
Griffing, a junior with an obviously bright senior year in store, managed to conquer the many Rebel frustrations on the 66-yard, 8-play drive for the lone Ole Miss score in the third period. The payoff came on a 20-yard pass from Griffing on which end Reed Davis made a great catch under severe defensive pressure by Russell in the end zone.
The Longhorn reacted to this with fury, slamming from the 26 after the kickoff to the Ole Miss 7, only to lose the chance when Cotten's pass was intercepted at the 7 by linebacker Richard Ross.
This was the Longhorns' sixth success in 11 bowl appearances. They also have played two ties. The victory was their fourth in a Cotton Bowl Classic against two losses and a tie.
And for Darrell Royal, the Longhorns' coach of the year, it was a modicum of revenge for the 39-7 thumping his first Longhorn team took from Johnny Vaught's Rebels in the 1958
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