1989 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1989 Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 1989, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. 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 the Arkansas Razorbacks from the Southwest Conference and the UCLA Bruins from the Pacific-10 Conference and was televised in the United States on CBS. Troy Aikman, the UCLA quarterback and LaSalle Harper, an Arkansas linebacker were named the Most Valuable Players of the game.

Game invitation

Arkansas Razorbacks

The 1988 Arkansas Razorbacks football team was undefeated through Southwest Conference play. In the final regular season game, the #3 Miami Hurricanes defeated the Razorbacks 16-18. Arkansas was invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic as the winner of the Southwest Conference. Arkansas played in its first Cotton Bowl Classic since the 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic.

UCLA Bruins

Going into the UCLA-USC rivalry game, UCLA was 9-1 and had been ranked #1 for a couple of weeks earlier. Eric Ball, the 1986 Rose Bowl MVP had a crucial fumble in the UCLA vs Washington State game, when the #1 ranked Bruins were upset at home by the Cougars 34-30.^[1] The game was one of the notable ones in the UCLA-USC rivalry in that it was for the Pac-10 championship, a possible Heisman Trophy for either Troy Aikman of UCLA or Rodney Peete of USC. 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 largest Rose Bowl Stadium regular 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 the 1989 Rose Bowl. UCLA was the first Pac-10 team to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic and first from the West Coast since the 1949 Cotton Bowl Classic where the University of Oregon played SMU.

Pre-game buildup

The 1989 game between UCLA and Arkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman was expected to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.^[2] Much was made of Cowboys coach Tom Landry watching Aikman practice at Texas Stadium (UCLA's practice facility for game preparation).

Game summary

First quarter

No Score

Second quarter

UCLA — Mark Estwick, one-yard run. Alfredo Velasco converts.
UCLA — Corwin Anthony, one-yard pass from Troy Aikman. Velasco converts.

Third quarter

Arkansas — Kendall Trainor, 49-yard field goal.

Fourth quarter

UCLA — Alfredo Velasco, 32-yard field goal.

Notes

UCLA won its 7th consecutive bowl game, setting a new NCAA record.

Aftermath

UCLA Bruins quarterback Troy Aikman completed 19 of 27 passes for 172 yards, and Bruin teammate Shawn Wills rushed for 120 yards. UCLA held Arkansas to four first downs and 42 yards, the lowest yardage total in Arkansas school history.^[2]

Tom Landry never got to draft Aikman, because he was fired the next month, but his successor, Jimmy Johnson, did draft Aikman.

References

↑ 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.
1 2 McNabb, David

Bibliography

Bruins, Led by Aikman, Win 7th Bowl in a Row. Associated Press, January 3, 1989
McNabb, David - Arkansas finds nowhere to roam UCLA yields 42 yards, wins Cotton, 17-3. Dallas Morning News, January 3, 1989
UCLA Bruins football media guide (PDF copy available at www.uclabruins.com)

1988–89 NCAA football bowl game season

California (Dec. 10) Independence (Dec. 23) Sun (Dec. 24) Aloha (Dec. 25) Liberty (Dec. 28) Freedom (Dec. 29) All-American (Dec. 29) Holiday (Dec. 30) Peach (Dec. 31) Gator (Jan. 1) Cotton (Jan. 1) Sugar (Jan. 1) Hall of Fame (Jan. 1) Orange (Jan. 1) Florida Citrus (Jan. 1) Rose (Jan. 1) Fiesta (Jan. 1)

Cotton Bowl Classic

History & conference tie-ins	History Cotton Bowl AT&T Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Playoff At-Large Group of Five

Games	1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1966 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2015 2017

Notes	There was a Cotton Bowl Classic in January and December in 1966 and 2015. There was no Cotton Bowl Classic in 1967. The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its December 2015 edition.

Arkansas Razorbacks bowl games

UCLA Bruins bowl games

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