College football game
| 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 8th Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1944 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Cotton Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Dallas, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Martin Ruby, T, Randolph Field Glenn Dobbs, QB, Randolph Field Joe Parker, E, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 15,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic was a postseason college football bowl game between the fourteenth ranked Texas Longhorns and the Randolph Field Ramblers, a military institution squad from San Antonio, TX.
Background
Randolph boasted many former college football stars, most notably Tulsa's Glenn Dobbs, who had 1,867 all purpose yards for the year with 1,431 passing and 421 yards rushing. He was also their punter, with a 40.2 average per kick.
Martin Ruby became the first and only player to play on two different Cotton Bowl teams, having played in the 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic. He was named outstanding player in both games.
Game summary
The game was played in a cold, steady rain described by Bible as the worst he had ever seen. Tex Aulds scored for Randolph on a touchdown catch from Glenn Dobbs. But Texas rallied back with a George McCall touchdown catch from Ralph Ellsworth to tie the game. The game stayed that way due to defense that allowed 260 yards combined from both teams.
Statistics
| Statistics | Texas | Randolph |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 3 | 7 |
| Yards Rushing | 73 | 99 |
| Yards Passing | 37 | 51 |
| Total Yards | 110 | 150 |
| Punts-Average | 8-33.1 | 10-39.9 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 0-0 | 4-20 |
Attendance
32,000 tickets were sold for the game but only 15,000 spectators came to the game because of the weather.
References
- Allen, Paula. "Military serviceman played three sports for San Antonio's Randolph Ramblers". San Antonio Express News. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- "Tex Aulds". Baseball in Wartime. April 13, 2008. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- "14-25.pmd (PDF)" (PDF). Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- "8th Classic, 1944 - 2023-24 - Cotton Bowl Classics History". Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
| 1943–44 NCAA football bowl game season | |
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| Cotton Bowl Classic | |
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| History & conference tie-ins | |
| 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. |