1964 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1964 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 28th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1963–64 bowl game season, the game was a de facto national championship game, as both teams would be playing for the FWAA’s Grantland Rice Trophy.^[4][3] The top-ranked and undefeated Texas Longhorns, champions of the Southwest Conference, defeated the #2 Navy Midshipmen, 28–6.^[5][6][7][8]

1964 Cotton Bowl Classic
28th Cotton Bowl Classic National championship game[1][2][3]
Navy Midshipmen Texas Longhorns (9–1) (10–0) Independent SWC 6 28 Head coach:  Wayne Hardin Head coach:  Darrell Royal AP Coaches 2 2 AP Coaches 1 1
1 2 3 4 Total Navy 0 0 0 6 6 Texas 7 14 7 0 28
Date	January 1, 1964
Season	1963
Stadium	Cotton Bowl
Location	Dallas, Texas
MVP	Scott Appleton (DL Texas) Duke Carlisle (QB Texas)
Favorite	Texas (slight)[4]
Referee	David Buchanan (EAIFO; split crew: EAIFO, SWC)
Attendance	75,504
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS
Announcers	Chris Schenkel, Pat Summerall
Nielsen ratings	27.3
Cotton Bowl Classic  < 1963  1965 >  College football championship game  < 1963 1966 (Jan) >

The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic.

In this era, the final major polls (AP, UPI) were published prior to the bowl games, so Texas would retain those national championships, regardless of the outcome.

Teams

Main article: 1963 NCAA University Division football season

The game was played less than six weeks after the assassination of President Kennedy, a U.S. Navy veteran and avid football fan, in the same city.^[8] It was the second #1 versus #2 bowl game, after the previous season's Rose Bowl.

Texas

Main article: 1963 Texas Longhorns football team

Texas had won all ten games in the regular season, took the Southwest Conference title, and was first in the polls. This was their third consecutive Cotton Bowl.

Navy

Main article: 1963 Navy Midshipmen football team

Independent Navy was second in the polls, and featured junior quarterback Roger Staubach, the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner. Their only setback was a four-point loss at SMU (in the Cotton Bowl) in mid-October.^[9][10] Texas won at SMU, 17-12, three weeks later.

Game summary

The Cotton Bowl kicked off at 1 pm CST, as did the Sugar and Orange Bowls.^[11][12] The temperature was 45 °F (7 °C) and skies were sunny.^[5]

Two touchdown catches by Phil Harris from Duke Carlisle and a Carlisle touchdown run gave the Longhorns a 21–0 lead at halftime. Another touchdown run by fullback Harold Philipp increased the lead to 28–0 after three quarters. The Midshipmen finally scored on a two-yard touchdown run by Staubach (who went 22 for 34 for 228 yards), which ended the scoring at 28–6.

While the two teams had near even passing yards and near even first downs (18-16), Navy had 29 rushes go for -14 yards while Texas' 43 rushes for 168 yards led to two touchdowns as the Longhorns clinched an undisputed national championship, their first ever.^[5][13] Several Cotton Bowl records were set.^[14]

Source:^[5][6][7]

1964 Cotton Bowl Classic: Navy Midshipmen (9–1) vs. Texas Longhorns (10–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Navy	0	0	0	6	6
No. 1 Texas	7	14	7	0	28

at Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX

• Date: Wednesday, January 1, 1964
• Game time: 1:00 PM CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 45 °F (7 °C)
• Game attendance: 75,300
• TV announcers (CBS): Chris Schenkel, Pat Summerall
• Box Score Game Recap

Game information

First Quarter (12:02) UT – Phil Harris 58 yard pass from Duke Carlisle, (Crosby kick), UT 7–0; 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:47 Second Quarter (9:54) UT – Phil Harris 63 yard pass from Duke Carlisle, (Crosby kick), UT 14–0; 1 play, 63 yards, 0:44 (2:39) UT – Duke Carlisle 9 yard run, (Crosby kick), UT 21–0; 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:36 Third Quarter (2:40) UT – Harold Philipp 2 yard run, (Crosby kick), UT 28–0; 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:46 Fourth Quarter (11:59) NAVY – Roger Staubach 2 yard run, (Staubach pass failed), UT 28–6; 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:23

Statistics	NAVY	TEX
First downs	16	18
Total yards	213	402
Rushes/yards	29/-14	43/168
Passing yards	227	234
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	22–34–1	8–21–1
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Navy	Passing	Roger Staubach	21–31, 288 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Donnelly	8 car, 12 yards
	Receiving	Orr	9 rec, 112 yards
Texas	Passing	Duke Carlisle	7–19, 213 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Duke Carlisle	11 car, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Phil Harris	3 rec, 157 yards, 2 TDs

Statistics

Statistics	Navy	Texas
First Downs	16	18
Yards Rushing	-14	168
Yards Passing	227	234
Passing (C-A-I)	22–34–1	8–21–1
Punts-Average	6–36.5	3–43.3
Fumbles lost	2	1
Penalized yards	35	72

Source:^[5][6][7]

Aftermath

The next major bowl for Texas was the following year in the Orange Bowl, the first played at night, and another win. The next Cotton Bowl for the Longhorns was five years later in January 1969, the first of six consecutive appearances.

Navy had previously played in each of the four major bowls once; this remains their most recent major bowl and their next bowl appearance was in 1978.