1941 Cotton Bowl Classic

December 2025 August 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic 5th Cotton Bowl Classic January 1 1941 1940 Texas A&M University Texas A&M Aggies 8–1 Homer Norton SWC 0 0 13 0 12 6 Fordham University Fordham Rams 7–1 Jim Crowley Independent 0 6 0 6 C Lou DeFilippo (Fordham)T Joe Ungerer (Fordham)G Charles Henke (Texas A&M) FB John Kimbrough (Texas A&M)T Chip Routt (Texas A&M) bg Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas 45,507 Cotton Bowl Classic 1941.png thumb|The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic. The 1941 Cotton Bowl Classic was the fifth edition of the Dallas bowl game, which began in 1937, and featured the #6 Texas A&M Aggies and the #12 Fordham Rams.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I-4nAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4703%2C5931814 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rice Grantland Grantland Rice Texas Aggies outplayed, win over Fordham by 13-12 score January 2, 1941 11https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CeQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6659%2C344707 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Texas A. and M. sneaks through January 2, 1941 10https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZS8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2944%2C176493 Pittsburgh Press Super Henry United Press Rams' 'moral win' soothes tough loss January 2, 1941 20 It was the first Cotton Bowl under Southwest Conference sponsorship and the first sold out game. Background This was A&M's third bowl game appearance, having played in the 1922 Dixie Classic (most famous for the birth of the 12th Man) and the 1940 Sugar Bowl. A&M was co-champions of the Southwestern Conference along with SMU, due to A&M losing to Texas, which cost them a shot at the national championship. This was Fordham's first bowl game for a program that had suspended football twice. They had been ranked as high as eleventh until the loss to St. Mary's in late October. Game Summary Steve Filipowicz started the scoring in the second quarter with his touchdown run, but Steve Hudacek's extra point was blocked by Jim Sterling. Trailing 6-0 into the second half, Earl "Alabama" Smith caught a 60 yard pass from Marion Pugh on a trick play in which Smith whizzed by Fordham defenders who had failed to notice him as the ball was snapped. The extra point was blocked, though. John Kimbrough made it 13-6 A&M with his touchdown run as the third quarter ended. Fordham recovered a fumble, and James Blumenstock scored on a touchdown run. But on the extra point attempt to tie the game, Hudacek's extra point was once again blocked, this time by Martin Ruby, with twelve minutes to go. But from that point on, neither team scored again as A&M won their first Cotton Bowl, which they would not win again until 1968.14-25.pmd http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1941/rsrc/1941-Classic-Recap.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140211024621/http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1941/rsrc/1941-Classic-Recap.pdf 2014-02-11 live 2014-12-28 Aftermath Texas A&M returned to the Cotton Bowl the next year, but lost to Alabama. Fordham won the Sugar Bowl the next season; it remains their most recent bowl game. Statistics Statistics Texas A&M Fordham First downs 8 13 Yards rushing 52 118 Yards passing 101 62 Total yards 153 180Punts-Average 10-32.9 8-30.4Fumbles lost 3 1Interceptions 1 3Penalties-Yards 3-25 2-29 References Cotton Bowl Classic Category:Cotton Bowl Classic Category:Fordham Rams football bowl games Category:Texas A&M Aggies football bowl games Category:January 1941 sports events in the United States Cotton Bowl