1991 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1991 Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football game played on January 1, 1991. It pitted the #3 Texas Longhorns, champions of the Southwest Conference, against the independent #4 Miami Hurricanes.

1991 Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic
55th Cotton Bowl Classic
Miami Hurricanes Texas Longhorns (9–2) (10–1) Independent SWC 46 3 Head coach:  Dennis Erickson Head coach:  David McWilliams AP Coaches 4 4 AP Coaches 3 3
1 2 3 4 Total Miami 12 7 14 13 46 Texas 0 3 0 0 3
Date	January 1, 1991
Season	1990
Stadium	Cotton Bowl
Location	Dallas, Texas
MVP	Craig Erickson, QB, Miami (FL) Russell Maryland, DT, Miami (FL)
Referee	Jimmy Harper (SEC)
Attendance	73,521
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS
Announcers	Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tim Brant (color), Andrea Joyce (host), Mike Francesa (host), John Dockery (sideline)

Team backgrounds

Miami entered the game having only lost to BYU and Notre Dame. Texas had stunned Penn State on the road 17-13 to open its season, then lost at home to Colorado 29-22 before winning nine straight games (including wins over then #4 Oklahoma and then #3 Houston to win the Southwest Conference championship).

Game summary

Miami led 19-3 at halftime, but put the game out of reach with two touchdowns within five minutes in the third quarter. The Hurricanes also set Cotton Bowl and school records for most penalties (15) and most penalty yards (202) in a single game, many of which were for unsportsmanlike conduct. Partly as a result of controversy from this game, the NCAA instituted a new rule stipulating that excessive celebration would be a 15-yard penalty. In the pre-Internet era, many established newspaper reporters castigated the Hurricanes' players and coaches for Miami's actions, with some reporters demanding that coach Dennis Erickson be suspended or fired and that the game result be vacated and the win given to Texas. These calls were ignored.

Aftermath

The next season, Miami claimed the AP National Championship by going 12-0, ending with a 22-0 victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Texas went 5-6 in their next season, did not play in another New Year's Day bowl game until 1995, and did not win another New Year's Day bowl game until the 1998 Cotton Bowl victory.

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Miami Texas 1 8:53 3 4 Miami 28-yard field goal by Carlos Huerta 3 0 1 5:26 5 16 Miami 50-yard field goal by Carlos Huerta 6 0 1 0:11 2 9 Miami Wesley Carroll 12-yard touchdown reception from Craig Erickson, 2-point pass failed 12 0 2 7:43 9 46 Texas 29-yard field goal by Michael Pollak 12 3 2 0:11 2 21 Miami Wesley Carroll 24-yard touchdown reception from Craig Erickson, Carlos Huerta kick good 19 3 3 11:46 – – Miami Interception returned 34 yards for touchdown by Darrin Smith, Carlos Huerta kick good 26 3 3 6:09 3 63 Miami Randal Hill 48-yard touchdown reception from Craig Erickson, Carlos Huerta kick good 33 3 4 10:56 12 66 Miami Randy Bethel 4-yard touchdown reception from Craig Erickson, Carlos Huerta kick no good (blocked) 39 3 4 9:23 3 26 Miami Leonard Conley 26-yard touchdown run, Carlos Huerta kick good 46 3 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 46 3