1993 Cotton Bowl Classic

December 2025 August 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic 57th Cotton Bowl Classic January 1 1993 1992 Mobil Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic Logo.png Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9–1–1 5 5 5 Lou Holtz Independent 0 7 14 7 Texas A&M Aggies 12–0 4 3 4 R. C. Slocum SWC 0 0 0 3 bg Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas 71,615 DE Devon McDonald (Notre Dame)QB Rick Mirer (Notre Dame) John Laurie (Big Eight) NBC Tom Hammond, Paul Maguire and Hannah Storm thumb|The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic. The 1993 Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The bowl game featured the Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus the Southwest Conference champions, Texas A&M. Notre Dame upset the previously undefeated Aggies in a 28–3 victory.AT&T Cotton Bowl History https://web.archive.org/web/20110424051737/http://attcottonbowl.com/fan-zone/about-classic/past-classics/ 2011-04-24 . AT&T Cotton Bowl. Retrieved January 1, 2014. Matchup Texas A&M 1992 Texas A&M Aggies football team Texas A&M was ranked fourth in the AP Poll entering the game. The Aggies won the Southwest Conference and came into the game with a 12–0 record.1992 Texas A&M Aggies Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-am/1992-schedule.html Sports-Reference.com January 1, 2014 The team was led on offense by running back Greg Hill, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards on the season, but he was one of five players suspended for the bowl game after an investigation found that they accepted payment from a team booster.Harvey Randy Triple Threat : Texas A&M Tailbacks Hill, Thomas and McElroy Have Combined for 2,316 Yards Rushing and 26 Touchdowns https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-30-sp-6853-story.html January 1, 2014 Los Angeles Times December 30, 1993 Defensive back Aaron Glenn led the Aggie defense with six interceptions that year.1992 Texas A&M Aggies Stats https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-am/1992.html Sports-Reference.com January 1, 2014 Notre Dame 1992 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team Notre Dame (9–1–1) was ranked fifth and featured quarterback Rick Mirer and running backs Reggie Brooks and Jerome Bettis.1992 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stats https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/notre-dame/1992.html Sports-Reference.com January 1, 2014 Brooks finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy that season.1992 - 57th Award http://www.heisman.com/winners/g-torretta92.php Heisman Trophy January 1, 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091215055748/http://www.heisman.com/winners/g-torretta92.php December 15, 2009 Bettis rushed for 825 yards on the season. In both 1991 and 1992, Bettis finished third in the NCAA in rushing touchdowns.Jerome Bettis Stats https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jerome-bettis-1.html Sports-Reference.com January 1, 2014 The selection of Texas A&M's opponent generated controversy weeks before the game was played. Notre Dame was chosen by the Cotton Bowl's board of directors, who faced criticism for not selecting the third-ranked Florida State Seminoles. Barry Horn and Darryl Richards of the Dallas Morning News wrote that "the Cotton Bowl not only ignored the wishes of its host school and what many believe is the intent of the first-year Bowl Coalition, but the desire of its new network partner as well."NBC's Irish eyes aren't smiling over Cotton Bowl pairing either https://www.baltimoresun.com/1992/12/09/nbcs-irish-eyes-arent-smiling-over-cotton-bowl-pairing-either/ January 1, 2014 The Baltimore Sun December 9, 1992 NBC Sports televised both the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl that season. The network preferred to have Notre Dame play in its primetime broadcast of the Orange Bowl rather than the Cotton Bowl. Texas A&M would have preferred to face the higher-ranked Seminoles. Board members for the Cotton Bowl said that they considered several factors, including the potential for ticket sales and the wishes of the network. Board members pointed out the Texas A&M-Florida State matchup at the 1992 Cotton Bowl Classic, saying that they preferred to avoid a rematch in consecutive years. Notre Dame honored the invitation of the Cotton Bowl board while Florida State played Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Game summary During the first possession of the game, Texas A&M recovered a fumble that occurred on a pitch from Mirer to Brooks but did not score. Notre Dame threw 15 passes in the first half and scored just before halftime to make the score 7–0. The Fighting Irish threw only three passes in the second half and its rushing game took control. Notre Dame had a run of 34 consecutive running plays at one point in the second half. The team netted 290 rushing yards, including 115 yards from Brooks, 75 yards from Bettis and 55 rushing yards from Mirer. Mirer finished with 119 passing yards. Bettis scored three of the team's four touchdowns.Irish Dominate Aggies in Cotton Bowl http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/122012aat.html University of Notre Dame January 1, 2014 January 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102202335/http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/122012aat.html dead In the second half, Texas A&M recovered a fumble by Brooks at their own 4-yard line. Two plays later, Texas A&M quarterback Corey Pullig fumbled the ball and Notre Dame recovered. The Aggies scored their only points on a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Fighting Irish won the game by a score of 28–3. Artificial turf was removed from the playing surface after the game and natural grass was planted in anticipation of the stadium hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Ironically, Notre Dame also won the first Cotton Bowl Classic played on artificial turf, defeating Texas 24-11 on New Year's Day 1971, ending the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak. References Cotton Bowl Category:Cotton Bowl Classic Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football bowl games Category:Texas A&M Aggies football bowl games Category:Bowl Coalition Category:January 1993 sports events in the United States Category:1993 in sports in Texas Category:1990s in Dallas