1984 Cotton Bowl Classic
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name =
| year_game_played = 1984
| game_name = Cotton Bowl Classic
| subheader = 48th Cotton Bowl Classic
| football_season = 1983
| visitor_name_short = Georgia
| visitor_nickname = Bulldogs
| visitor_school = University of Georgia
| home_name_short = Texas
| home_nickname = Longhorns
| home_school = University of Texas
| visitor_record = 9–1–1
| visitor_conference = SEC
| home_record = 11–0
| home_conference = SWC
| visitor_coach = Vince Dooley
| home_coach = Fred Akers
| visitor_rank_AP = 7
| visitor_rank_coaches = 7
| home_rank_AP = 2
| home_rank_coaches = 2
| visitor_1q = 3
| visitor_2q = 0
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 7
| home_1q = 3
| home_2q = 0
| home_3q = 6
| home_4q = 0
| date_game_played = January 2
| stadium = Cotton Bowl
| city = Dallas, Texas
| MVP = John Lastinger (Georgia QB)
Jeff Leiding (Texas LB)
| odds = Texas by 7½ points{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KQMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y20DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4488%2C6286762 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=The latest line |date=December 30, 1983 |page=12}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4llWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6006%2C1000682 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=Harrah's Odds: college football |date=January 2, 1984 |page=17}}
| referee = Howard Roe (Big Eight)
| attendance = 67,891
| us_network = CBS
| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers = Lindsey Nelson, Pat Haden
|image=Cotton Bowl Classic 1984.png}}
The 1984 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 48th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, January 2.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4axjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6243%2C329270 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=wire services reports |title=Cotton Bowl |date=January 2, 1984 |page=3B}} Part of the 1983–84 bowl game season, it matched the undefeated and second-ranked Texas Longhorns of the Southwest Conference (SWC) and the #7 Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Underdog Georgia rallied with a late touchdown to win, 10–9.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5axjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6555%2C544450 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=wire service reports |title=Bulldogs take No. 2 Longhorns out, 10-9 |date=January 3, 1984 |page=3D}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=41lWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2725%2C1313660 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Freeman |first=Denne H. |agency=Associated Press |title=Longhorns title hopes fumbled away |date=January 3, 1984 |page=C1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GZ1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QocDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3567%2C525096 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |last=Rabun |first=Mike |agency=UPI |title=Miscue gives Georgia Cotton |date=January 3, 1984 |page=D2}}
New Year's Day was on Sunday in 1984, and the major college bowl games were played the following day.
Teams
{{main|1983 NCAA Division I-A football season}}
=Georgia=
{{main|1983 Georgia Bulldogs football team}}
The Bulldogs tied Clemson on the road in September, and lost at home to Auburn in November. That win also gave Auburn the SEC championship and an automatic berth to the Sugar Bowl . It was Georgia's third appearance in the Cotton Bowl.
=Texas=
{{main|1983 Texas Longhorns football team}}
The Longhorns had won all eleven games and had a regular season winning streak of seventeen games.
Game summary
Televised by CBS, the game kicked off shortly after 12:30 p.m. CST, as did the Fiesta Bowl on NBC.
Texas drove deep on its first possession, but settled for a 22-yard field goal by Jeff Ward. Georgia's Kevin Butler made one from 43 yards to tie the game in the closing seconds of the first quarter. The second quarter was scoreless.
Ward added six more points with two more field goals of 40 and 27 yards in the third quarter, and Texas led 9–3 with less than five minutes to play. A Chip Andrews (Georgia) muffed punt by Texas defensive back Craig Curry, recovered by Defensive Back Gary Moss (Georgia), late in the fourth quarter allowed Georgia quarterback John Lastinger to run 17 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left to play to capture a 10–9 victory. The loss was the first for the Longhorns, costing them a possible national title.
=Scoring=
First quarter
- Texas - Jeff Ward 22-yard field goal
- Georgia - Kevin Butler 43-yard field goal
Second quarter
:No scoring
Third quarter
- Texas - Ward 40-yard field goal
- Texas - Ward 27-yard field goal
Fourth quarter
- Georgia - John Lastinger 17-yard run (Butler kick)
Statistics
:
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! Statistics !! Georgia !! {{spaces|3}}Texas{{spaces|3}} | ||
| First Downs | 13 | 14 |
| Yards Rushing | 45–149 | 47–110 |
| Yards Passing | 66 | 168 |
| Passing | 6–20–1 | 8–26–2 |
| Total Offense | 65–215 | 73–278 |
| Punts–Average | 9–41 | 7–46 |
| Fumbles–Lost | 2–1 | 4–2 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 4 |
| Penalties–Yards | 3–25 | 6–52 |
| Time of possession | 29:41 | 30:19 |
Aftermath
That night in the Orange Bowl, the #5 Miami Hurricanes upset top-ranked Nebraska, 31–30. Miami moved past Nebraska and the Longhorns to secure their first national championship. Georgia climbed to fourth in the final AP poll, and Texas fell to fifth.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{1983 bowl game navbox}}
{{Cotton Bowl Classic navbox}}
{{Georgia Bulldogs bowl game navbox}}
{{Texas Longhorns bowl game navbox}}
Category:Georgia Bulldogs football bowl games