Longhorns Stroll 1-Way Street, 36-13
1/2/1969
A numbed live audience and all of college football may have been awed by Texas' mastery over Tennessee in a frigid 33rd Cotton Bowl Classic Wednesday. But perhaps only the team of plumbers which never managed to thaw frozen rest room pipes in the press box could fully appreciate the Volunteer frustration.
For it was strictly a toss up as to whether the Vols of the plumbers experienced the most fruitless day's work as Texas' magnificent offensive machine cruised to a 36-13 victory.
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The incredible power, efficiency and finesse of the Texas attack was never more ruthless as the Longhorns crushed to a 28-0 first-half lead that left the only battle of the last two periods one between Steer muscle and mercy.
Although all tickets for the game were sold, there must have been 8,000 empty seats during the afternoon as the temperature ranged from 33 to 42 degrees. A pity, for certainly those missing fans missed a blue-ribbon bowl performance by the Steers.
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK James Street, an overwhelming choice of writers as the game's outstanding offensive player was almost flawless in directing the gaudy Texas offensive display, which ironically failed by one lone yard to tie the Cotton Bowl total offense record of 514 yards set by Missouri way back in 1946.
It seemed appropriate that the 5-11, 173-pounder from Longview should enjoy his finest hour in this post-season reward for Texas' splendid turnabout season. For it was Street's amazing game-by-game development after taking over from Bill Bradley after two games that played such a major role in bringing the Longhorns here.
The most obvious fruits of Street's performance were two bombs he unloaded for touchdowns to sophomore split end Cotton Speyrer – the first for 78 yards and a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and the second on a near identical play for 79 yards and a 36-7 lead late in the third period.
BUT IT WAS his marvelous ball-handling and play selection which made those two plays look so easy as the Tennessee defense frantically tried to plug the leaks that send Street's heralded backfield mates – Chris Gilbert, Steve Worster and Ted Koy – storming to 279 yards rushing.
The balance of Texas' attack was at its season's best – and against a vaunted Tennessee defense that had allowed 10 opponents an average of only 93.3 yards rushing and a total offense average well below half of what the Longhorns gained on this New Year's Day. Street his 7 of his 13 passes for 200 yards and chipped in 38 yards rushing on a dozen carries to go with the usual punishing contributions of his backfield mates.
Gilbert, ending a brilliant 3-year career, netted 82 yards on 13 carries. Worster had 85 on 10 tries and Key gained 45 on 13.
Appropriately, each of the trio – comprising very likely the finest set of running backs in the same backfield in Southwest Conference history – scored one of the other three Texas touchdowns, and on plays that were near monuments to the staggering blocking and execution that the Street offense had displayed all season.
A 16-YARD BLAST by Worster gave Texas a 7-0 lead just 6:24 deep in the opening quarter to culminate an 80-yard drive. Left guard Danny Abbott obliterated Tennessee's All-America linebacker Steve Kiner to spring Worster, who carried safety Bill Young around his ankles the final couple of yards.
Koy slammed nine yards less than five minutes deep in the second quarter to make in 21-0 on a 61-yard, 7-play drive. Tight end Deryl Comer, one of only eight seniors of 22 Texas starters, who left the game with a severe knee injury early in the third period, this time delivered the key block, and Koy left a wake of strewn defenders that didn't even slow him down.
Gilbert made it 28-0 with 1:17 left in the half from the 5 to cap a 53-yard drive. Street's great fake to Worster diving at the middle made the pitchout to Gilbert child's play, and Koy took away the only doubt at all as he erased Jim Weatherford, No. 1 hand of the swift and here-to-fore terrible Vol secondary, with a block at the 2.
IT WAS WEATHERFORD and that expected Tennessee secondary speed advantage that were victims of both of the Street-to-Speyrer bombs.
On the first, Street's fake of the dive made Weatherford and the entire secondary commit, and Speyrer slipped behind Weatherford to take the pass at the Tennessee 41. Speyrer circled behind Weatherford to break loose and then outraced five pursuing Vols the rest of the way.
On the second, Speyrer slipped a good 10 yards behind Weatherford to take Street's perfect throw at the Vol 43 and easily won the 2-man race. Both plays came on first down after Tennessee punts.
It was easy to become so enthralled with Texas' offensive control of the game that the Longhorn defensive heroics became a little lost. But it shouldn't be.
The Steer defense has seldom been more deadly.
Tennessee's chief offensive hope this cold, dimly lit afternoon was the passing of quarterback Bubba Wyche, who like Street, had developed superbly each week to lead the Vols to the same 8-1-1 regular season record Texas had forged. But Wyche never had a chance against the superior muscle of the Texas defensive line – Bill Atessis, Loyd Wainscott, Leo Brooks and Bill Zapalac – and the outstanding secondary work of people like linebacker Tom Campbell, Bill Campbell and Ronnie Ehrig.
IT WAS CAMPBELL, largely an unheralded hand in Texas' rush to the Cotton Bowl, who came up with two big defensive plays that earned him the game's outstanding defensive performer vote over teammates Wainscott and Atessis.
Campbell twice stole interceptions away from Vol split end Gary Kreis in the third quarter, to put away any hopes of an uprising Tennessee might have had after scoring a bit earlier on a 38-yard spurt following Street's lone interception.
Those interceptions came off soph quarterback Bobby Scott with whom coach Doug Dickey replaced Wyche midway of the second quarter trying to ignite a Volunteer offensive spark.
It didn't have an immediate effect. Scott's first two series resulted in a fourth-and-20 punt and a third-and-19 from the Tennessee 10 as the first half ended.
THINGS DID GET better and Scott certainly did gain a lot of good experience. He passed for both Vol touchdowns, for 17 yards to Kreis in the third period and for three to Mike Price with just 56 seconds to play against the Texas subs.
Much of Scott's and the Vols' offensive total came in a 5-play, 97 yard passing burst on that consolation drive.
In fact, it was the Texas reserves losing the final six minutes which rescued Dickey from the worst defeat he has ever known as a head coach. The Steer subs had moved to the Vol 2-yard line just before Scott launched the last gasp passing burst.
But generally it wasn't a good day for either Tennessee of those rest room plumbers. Neither of them ever really got anything going.
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