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College football game
The
1941 Cotton Bowl Classic
was the fifth edition of the
Dallas
bowl game
, which began in
1937
, and featured the #6
Texas A&M Aggies
and the #12
Fordham Rams
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
It was the first Cotton Bowl under
Southwest Conference
sponsorship and the first sold out game.
Background
[
edit
]
This was A&M's third bowl game appearance, having played in the
1922 Dixie Classic
(most famous for the birth of the
12th Man
) and the
1940 Sugar Bowl
. A&M was co-champions of the
Southwestern Conference
along with
SMU
, due to A&M losing to
Texas
, which cost them a shot at the
national championship
. This was Fordham's first bowl game for a program that had suspended football twice. They had been ranked as high as eleventh until the loss to
St. Mary's
in late October.
Game Summary
[
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]
Steve Filipowicz
started the scoring in the second quarter with his touchdown run, but
Steve Hudacek
's extra point was blocked by
Jim Sterling
. Trailing 6-0 into the second half, Earl "Alabama" Smith caught a 60 yard pass from
Marion Pugh
on a trick play in which Smith whizzed by Fordham defenders who had failed to notice him as the ball was snapped. The extra point was blocked, though.
John Kimbrough
made it 13-6 A&M with his touchdown run as the third quarter ended. Fordham recovered a fumble, and
James Blumenstock
scored on a touchdown run. But on the extra point attempt to tie the game, Hudacek's extra point was once again blocked, this time by
Martin Ruby
, with twelve minutes to go.
[1]
[2]
[3]
But from that point on, neither team scored again as A&M won their first Cotton Bowl, which they would not win again until 1968.
[4]
Aftermath
[
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]
Texas A&M returned to the Cotton Bowl
the next year
, but lost to
Alabama
.
Fordham won the
Sugar Bowl
the
next season
; it remains their most recent
bowl game
.
Statistics
[
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]
Statistics
|
Texas A&M
|
Fordham
|
First Downs
|
8
|
13
|
Yards Rushing
|
52
|
118
|
Yards Passing
|
101
|
62
|
Total Yards
|
153
|
180
|
Punts-Average
|
10-32.9
|
8-30.4
|
Fumbles Lost
|
3
|
1
|
Interceptions
|
1
|
3
|
Penalties-Yards
|
3-25
|
2-29
|
References
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History & conference tie-ins
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Games
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Notes
| There was a Cotton Bowl Classic in January and December in 1966, 2015, 2017, 2023, 2025.
The 2015 (December), 2018, 2021, and 2025 (January) editions were
College Football Playoff
semifinals.
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Venues
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Bowls & rivalries
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Culture & lore
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People
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Seasons
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