1989 Cotton Bowl Classic

1989 Cotton Bowl Classic
Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	1989 Cotton Bowl Classic
Date	January 2, 1989
Season	1988
Stadium	Cotton Bowl (stadium)
Location	Dallas, Texas
Teams	UCLA vs. Arkansas
Score	UCLA 17, Arkansas 3

1989 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 53rd edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1989, at the Cotton Bowl (stadium) in Dallas, Texas. The game featured the UCLA Bruins from the Pacific-10 Conference and the Arkansas Razorbacks from the Southwest Conference. The UCLA team was led by coach Terry Donahue, who had previously coached in the 1986 Rose Bowl against Michigan, and had also participated in the 1984 Rose Bowl against Illinois. The Arkansas team was led by coach Ken Hatfield, who had previously coached at the Air Force Academy and had also participated in the 1987 Liberty Bowl against Georgia.

● Game Summary

The game was played in front of a crowd of over 74,000 spectators, including notable figures such as Jimmy Johnson, the coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Barry Switzer, the coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. The UCLA team dominated the game, with quarterback Troy Aikman throwing for over 100 yards and running back Gaston Green rushing for over 100 yards, similar to his performance in the 1988 Rose Bowl against Michigan State. The Arkansas team struggled to move the ball, with quarterback Quinn Grovey being sacked several times by the UCLA defense, which included players like Carnell Lake and Dennis Byrd. The game was also attended by notable alumni such as John Elway, who had played in the 1983 Sun Bowl for Stanford, and Jim Plunkett, who had played in the 1971 Rose Bowl for Stanford.

● Teams

The UCLA team was led by coach Terry Donahue, who had a record of 71-32-3 in his 10 years as head coach, including a 1985 Rose Bowl appearance against Iowa. The team featured several notable players, including quarterback Troy Aikman, who would go on to play for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League and participate in Super Bowl XXVII, and running back Gaston Green, who would go on to play for the Denver Broncos and participate in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Arkansas team was led by coach Ken Hatfield, who had a record of 55-17-1 in his 7 years as head coach, including a 1985 Holiday Bowl appearance against Arizona State. The team featured several notable players, including quarterback Quinn Grovey, who would go on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League and participate in the 1991 AFC Championship Game, and running back James Rouse, who would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers and participate in Super Bowl XXXI. Other notable teams that participated in bowl games that year included the USC Trojans, who played in the 1989 Rose Bowl against Michigan, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who played in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia.

● Scoring

The scoring in the game was limited, with UCLA scoring 17 points and Arkansas scoring only 3 points, similar to the low-scoring 1988 Sugar Bowl between Syracuse and Auburn. The UCLA team scored on a touchdown pass from Troy Aikman to Brent Brennan, as well as on a field goal by kicker Alfredo Velasco, who had also played in the 1987 Aloha Bowl against Florida. The Arkansas team scored on a field goal by kicker Steve Cox, who had also played in the 1986 Liberty Bowl against Tulsa. Other notable kickers who participated in bowl games that year included Jason Hanson, who played for Washington State in the 1989 Aloha Bowl against Houston, and Chris Jacke, who played for UTEP in the 1988 Independence Bowl against Southern Mississippi.

● Statistics

The statistics from the game showed that UCLA dominated the game, with over 300 total yards and 17 points scored, similar to their performance in the 1986 Rose Bowl against Iowa. The Arkansas team struggled, with only 150 total yards and 3 points scored, similar to their performance in the 1987 Liberty Bowl against Georgia. The game also featured several notable individual performances, including Troy Aikman's 100-yard passing game and Gaston Green's 100-yard rushing game, as well as Carnell Lake's 10 tackles on defense, similar to his performance in the 1988 Rose Bowl against Michigan State. Other notable players who participated in bowl games that year included Tim Brown, who played for Notre Dame in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia, and Barry Sanders, who played for Oklahoma State in the 1988 Holiday Bowl against Wyoming.

● Aftermath

The game marked the end of the 1988 college football season, with UCLA finishing the season with a 10-2 record and Arkansas finishing with a 10-2 record, similar to the Oklahoma Sooners and Penn State Nittany Lions teams that played in the 1986 Orange Bowl. The game also marked the beginning of the end of the Southwest Conference, which would eventually dissolve in 1996 and be replaced by the Big 12 Conference, with teams like Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M joining the new conference. The Cotton Bowl Classic would continue to be played at the Cotton Bowl (stadium) in Dallas, Texas, with future games featuring teams like Notre Dame, USC, and Alabama, including the 1993 Cotton Bowl Classic between Notre Dame and Texas A&M. Category:1989 Cotton Bowl Classic