1966 Cotton Bowl Classic (December)

December 2025 August 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic 31st Cotton Bowl Classic Cotton Bowl Classic 1967.png December 31 1966 1966 Southern Methodist University SMU Mustangs 8–2 Hayden Fry SWC 10 9 3 6 0 0 University of Georgia Georgia Bulldogs 9–1 Vince Dooley SEC 4 4 10 7 0 7 CBS Jack Drees, Pat Summerall Kent Lawrence (Georgia TB)George Patton (Georgia T) Harold Matthews (SWC)(split crew: SWC, SEC) bg 1966 (Jan.) 1968 Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas 75,504 Georgia by 6½ to 7 points thumb|The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic. The 1966 Cotton Bowl Classic (December) was the 31st edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on December 31.The next day, January 1, 1967, Cotton Bowl stadium hosted the 1966 NFL Championship Game. It matched the No. 10 SMU Mustangs of the Southwest Conference (SWC) and the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).SMUMUSTANGS.COM 1966 COTTON BOWL - GEORGIA 24, SMU 9 - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Football http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/122309aag.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103011/http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/122309aag.html 2015-09-24 dead 2014-12-28 Rankings per AP Poll of the 1966 NCAA University Division football rankings. Kickoff for the Saturday game was 1:30 p.m. CST and it was televised by CBS.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_GpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6173%2C4244682 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Georgia's rated best December 31, 1966 9 This was the first playing of the Cotton Bowl Classic in December—the "1967 game" was moved to New Year's Eve because New Year's Day was a Sunday in 1967. The decision to move the game had been announced in January 1966.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66480089/cotton-bowl-to-be-played-on-dec-31/ Cotton Bowl To Be Played On Dec. 31 UPI Miami Herald January 6, 1966 December 31, 2020 newspapers.com The other major bowls (Sugar, Orange, Rose) were played on January 2. Teams 1966 NCAA University Division football season SMU 1966 SMU Mustangs football team The #10 Mustangs (8–2) had won the Southwest Conference (SWC) championship (6–1) for the first time since 1948,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3502%2C5848496 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press 'Big Play' leads SMU into Cotton Bowl November 27, 1966 5B led by fifth-year head coach Hayden Fry. They won all five games at the Cotton Bowl, their home stadium through 1978. Georgia 1966 Georgia Bulldogs football team Fourth-ranked Georgia (9–1) shared the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title (6–0) with #3 Alabama, with a one-point loss to Miami as their only blemish. They completed the regular season with a rivalry win over previously undefeated Georgia Tech.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5349%2C5843836 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press 'Dogs slip Tech first defeat, 23-14 November 27, 1966 4B Led by Vince Dooley, in the third of his 25 seasons as head coach, the Bulldogs were a seven-point favorite.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d70bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6029%2C4048710 Pittsburgh Press UPI Tennessee, Georgia bowl picks December 30, 1966 21https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eL0bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1482%2C4142553 Pittsburgh Press UPI Georgia hopes Jenkins ready December 31, 1966 6 It was their first appearance in a major bowl in seven years. Game summary On the second play from scrimmage, Georgia's Kent Lawrence ran 74 yards for a touchdown. SMU responded with a field goal later in the quarter, but Georgia scored ten more points (highlighted by a Billy Payne touchdown catch from Kirby Moore) to lead 17–3. Mike Richardson of SMU scored a touchdown from a yard out to narrow the lead, but the kick was blocked, and it was 17–9 at halftime. Those were SMU's last points, as Georgia held the Mustangs in check the rest of the game. The Bulldogs scored once more in the fourth quarter, on a four-yard Ronnie Jenkins touchdown run, to seal the game.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BKpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5550%2C42806 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Ratliff Harold 'Dogs reap Cotton Bowl harvest, 24-9 January 1, 1967 1B https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eogbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6888%2C265543 Pittsburgh Press UPI Georgia power grinds down SMU, 24-9, in Cotton Bowl January 1, 1967 1, section 4 Ultimately, it was Georgia's rushing attack that won the game for the Bulldogs, who had 244 more rushing yards than the Mustangs, who could only muster forty.38-49.pmd http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1967/rsrc/1967-Classic-Recap.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20131229032958/http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1967/rsrc/1967-Classic-Recap.pdf 2013-12-29 live 2014-12-28 Scoring First quarter Georgia – Kent Lawrence 74-yard run (Bob Etter kick) SMU – Dennis Partee 22-yard field goal Georgia – Etter 28-yard field goal Second quarter Georgia – Billy Payne 20-yard pass from Kirby Moore (Etter kick) SMU – Mike Richardson 1-yard run (kick blocked) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter Georgia – Ron Jenkins 4-yard run (Etter kick) Source: Statistics {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !!   SMU   !! Georgia |- | First downs || 11|| 17 |- | Yards rushing|| 40|| 284 |- | Yards passing || 165|| 79 |- | Passing (C–A–I)|| 10–20–3 || 6–14–1 |- | Total yards || 205|| 363 |- |Punts–Average ||4–36.5|| 4–28.5 |- |Fumbles–Lost ||1–1|| 2–1 |- |Turnovers|| 4|| 2 |- |Penalties–Yards ||7–45|| 3–37 |} Source: Notes References Category:1966–67 NCAA football bowl games Category:Cotton Bowl Classic Category:Georgia Bulldogs football bowl games Category:SMU Mustangs football bowl games Cotton Bowl Classic (December) Cotton Bowl Classic