1966 Cotton Bowl Classic (December)
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
|game_name=Cotton Bowl Classic
|subheader=31st Cotton Bowl Classic
|image=Cotton Bowl Classic 1967.png
|date_game_played=December 31
|year_game_played=1966
|football_season=1966
|home_school=Southern Methodist University
|home_name_short=SMU
|home_nickname=Mustangs
|home_record=8–2
|home_coach=Hayden Fry
|home_conference=SWC
|home_rank_AP=10
|home_rank_coaches=9
|home_1q =3
|home_2q =6
|home_3q =0
|home_4q =0
|visitor_school=University of Georgia
|visitor_name_short=Georgia
|visitor_nickname=Bulldogs
|visitor_record=9–1
|visitor_coach= Vince Dooley
|visitor_conference=SEC
|visitor_rank_AP=4
|visitor_rank_coaches=4
|visitor_1q =10
|visitor_2q =7
|visitor_3q =0
|visitor_4q =7
|us_network=CBS
|us_announcers=Jack Drees, Pat Summerall
|MVP=Kent Lawrence (Georgia TB)
George Patton (Georgia T)
|referee=Harold Matthews (SWC)
(split crew: SWC, SEC)
|type=bg
|different_previous=1966 (Jan.)
|different_next=1968
|stadium=Cotton Bowl
|attendance=75,504
|odds= Georgia by 6½ to 7 points
}}
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.{{efn|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).{{cite web |title=SMUMUSTANGS.COM 1966 COTTON BOWL - GEORGIA 24, SMU 9 - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Football |url=http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/122309aag.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103011/http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/122309aag.html |archive-date=2015-09-24 |url-status=dead |access-date=2014-12-28 }}{{efn|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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_GpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6173%2C4244682 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Georgia's rated best |date=December 31, 1966 |page=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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66480089/cotton-bowl-to-be-played-on-dec-31/ |title=Cotton Bowl To Be Played On Dec. 31 |agency=UPI |newspaper=Miami Herald |date=January 6, 1966 |access-date=December 31, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} The other major bowls (Sugar, Orange, Rose) were played on January 2.
Teams
{{main|1966 NCAA University Division football season}}
=SMU=
{{main|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,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3502%2C5848496 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title='Big Play' leads SMU into Cotton Bowl |date=November 27, 1966 |page=5B}} led by fifth-year head coach Hayden Fry. They won all five games at the Cotton Bowl, their home stadium through 1978.
=Georgia=
{{main|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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5349%2C5843836 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title='Dogs slip Tech first defeat, 23-14 |date=November 27, 1966 |page=4B}} Led by Vince Dooley, in the third of his 25 seasons as head coach, the Bulldogs were a seven-point favorite.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d70bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6029%2C4048710 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Tennessee, Georgia bowl picks |date=December 30, 1966 |page=21}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eL0bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1482%2C4142553 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Georgia hopes Jenkins ready |date=December 31, 1966 |page=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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BKpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5550%2C42806 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |last=Ratliff |first=Harold |title='Dogs reap Cotton Bowl harvest, 24-9 |date=January 1, 1967 |page=1B }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eogbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6888%2C265543 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Georgia power grinds down SMU, 24-9, in Cotton Bowl|date=January 1, 1967 |page=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.{{cite web|title=38-49.pmd |url=http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1967/rsrc/1967-Classic-Recap.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229032958/http://media.attcottonbowl.com/resource/history/1967/rsrc/1967-Classic-Recap.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-29 |url-status=live |access-date=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)
Statistics
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1966 bowl game navbox}}
{{Cotton Bowl Classic navbox}}
{{Georgia Bulldogs bowl game navbox}}
{{SMU Mustangs bowl game navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1966 Cotton Bowl Classic (12)}}
Category:1966–67 NCAA football bowl games
Category:Georgia Bulldogs football bowl games
Category:SMU Mustangs football bowl games