1989 Cotton Bowl Classic
| 1989MobilCotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 53rd Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 2, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Cotton Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Dallas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | QBTroy Aikman(UCLA) LB LaSalle Harper (Arkansas) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Gene Wurtz (WAC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | UCLA Band,University of Arkansas Razorback Marching Band,Kilgore Rangerettes,U.S. Marine Band | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 74,304 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Verne LundquistandPat Haden | ||||||||||||||||||||
The1989 Mobil Cotton Bowl Classicwas acollege footballbowl gameplayed on January 2, 1989, at theCotton BowlinDallas.The game was played on January 2, the day after New Year's Day, since New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. The bowl game featured theArkansas Razorbacksfrom theSouthwest Conferenceand theUCLA Bruinsfrom thePacific-10 Conferenceand was televised in the United States onCBS.UCLA defeated Arkansas 17-3 for its first Cotton Bowl win.[1]Troy Aikman,the UCLAquarterbackand LaSalle Harper, an Arkansaslinebackerwere named the Most Valuable Players of the game.
Game invitation
[edit]Arkansas Razorbacks
[edit]The1988 Arkansas Razorbacks football teamwas undefeated through Southwest Conference play. In the final regular season game, the #3Miami Hurricanesdefeated the Razorbacks, 18-16.[2]Arkansas was invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic as the winner of the Southwest Conference. Arkansas played in its first Cotton Bowl Classic since the1976 Cotton Bowl Classic.
UCLA Bruins
[edit]Going into theUCLA–USC rivalrygame,UCLAwas 9-1 and had been ranked #1 for a couple of weeks earlier.Eric Ball , the1986 Rose BowlMVP had a crucial fumble in the UCLA vsWashington Stategame, when the #1 ranked Bruins were upset at home by the Cougars 34-30.[3]The game was one of the notable ones in theUCLA–USC rivalryin that it was for the Pac-10 championship, a possible Heisman Trophy for eitherTroy Aikmanof UCLA orRodney PeeteofUSC.It was also for the Rose Bowl berth. Rodney Peete was found to have measles in the days before the game. USC used a strong ground game and "bend but don't break" defense, in front of the largestRose Bowl Stadiumregular season crowd in history, to beat the Bruins 31-22. The Cotton Bowl Classic agreed to take the team that would not be going to the1989 Rose Bowl.UCLA was the first Pac-10 team to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic and first from the West Coast since the1949 Cotton Bowl Classicwhere the University of Oregon played SMU.
Pre-game buildup
[edit]Having been ranked number 1 but ultimately losing the conference championship left the Bruins and fans with unrealized expectations.[4]It was still possible for UCLA to achieve an NCAA record seven consecutive bowl game victories, and five New Years' day bowl game wins in seven years.
The 1989 game between UCLA and Arkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because UCLA quarterbackTroy Aikmanwas expected to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft by theDallas Cowboys.[5]Much was made of Cowboys coachTom Landrywatching Aikman practice atTexas Stadium(UCLA's practice facility for game preparation). Head coach Ken Hatfield suspended All-American defensive endWayne Martinand All-American offensive guardFreddie Childressdays before the game, for an undisclosed violation of team rules.[6]This severely hampered Arkansas' play on both sides of the line of scrimmage.[4]
Game summary
[edit]First quarter
[edit]No Score
Second quarter
[edit]- UCLA — Mark Estwick, one-yard run. Alfredo Velasco converts.
- UCLA — Corwin Anthony, one-yard pass from Troy Aikman. Velasco converts.
Third quarter
[edit]- Arkansas — Kendall Trainor, 49-yard field goal.
Fourth quarter
[edit]- UCLA — Alfredo Velasco, 32-yard field goal.
Notes
[edit]- UCLA won its 7th consecutive bowl game, setting a new NCAA record.[1]
Aftermath
[edit]UCLA Bruins quarterback Troy Aikman completed 19 of 27 passes for 172 yards, and Bruin teammateShawn Willsrushed for 120 yards. UCLA held Arkansas to four first downs and 42 yards, the lowest yardage total in Arkansas school history.[5] UCLA finished number 6 in the final AP poll, and Arkansas was ranked 12. UCLA set a record for consecutive bowl victories with seven. This record was later broken by Florida State.
Tom Landry never got to draft Aikman, because he was fired the next month, but his successor,Jimmy Johnson,did draft Aikman. Aikman would go on to lead the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s in his Hall of Fame career. Jimmy Johnson, coach of the Miami Hurricanes, had played at the University of Arkansas with Dallas Cowboys ownerJerry Jones.
Arkansas' Wayne Martin and Steve Atwater were also first round draft selections in the 1989 NFL Draft. Martin played twelve years for the New Orleans Saints, and Atwater won two Super Bowls of his own with the Denver Broncos and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Because the #2 Miami Hurricanes already had lost to #1 ranked Notre Dame, the Irish would play #3 West Virginia for thede factonational championship in the1989 Fiesta Bowl.
In an interview with SBNation Arkansas Fight in 2009, Ken Hatfield still never specifically stated what team rules were broken to leave Freddie Childress and Wayne Martin out of the Cotton Bowl.[7]
References
[edit]- ^abBruins, Led by Aikman, Win 7th Bowl in a Row.Associated Press, January 3, 1989
- ^Markus, Robert -MIAMI DOESN`T BREEZE PAST ARKANSAS THIS TIME.Chicago Tribune, November 27, 1988
- ^JAY HOVDEY. Unbeaten U.C.L.A. Is Upset. New York Times. October 30. 1988 Quote:U.C.L.A.'s best running play ended when the tailback Eric Ball fumbled at the Bruin 37 after a gain of 17 yards. The fumble occurred midway through the third quarter, when U.C.L.A. led, 27-13. Five plays later, Washington State scored the second of four successive touchdowns. The fumble was typical of the seesaw nature of the game.
- ^abCrowe, Jerry -THE BOWL GAMES: COTTON BOWL: Bowl Record Provides Incentive for UCLA.Los Angeles Times, January 2, 1989
- ^abMcNabb, David –Arkansas finds nowhere to roam UCLA yields 42 yards, wins Cotton, 17-3.Dallas Morning News, January 3, 1989
- ^SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Arkansas Suspends 2. New York Times, December 24, 1988, Section 1, Page 22
- ^Arkansas Expats -Q&A: Ken Hatfield, Part 2.SBNation, Arkansas Fight. September 10, 2009. "...because of a couple of situations, we had to leave our two best players - Freddie Childress and Wayne Martin - at home for the Cotton Bowl. Either one of them would have been a dominant factor against UCLA."
Bibliography
[edit]- UCLA Bruins football media guide (PDF copy available atwww.uclabruins.com)