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DALLAS, TEXAS (January 1. 2026) On January 1, 1972, college football fans watched a big game in Dallas, Texas; the 36th Cotton Bowl Classic at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. The matchup was between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Texas Longhorns.
Both teams came into the game with strong seasons. Penn State had a record of 10–1 and was ranked No. 10 in the country. Texas was 8–2 and ranked No. 12. Texas also was the Southwest Conference champion. Penn State was an independent team with no conference.
The first half was a tight battle. Each team scored two field goals, and at halftime Texas led 6–3. But the second half was very different. Penn State scored 27 unanswered points.
Penn State’s offense came alive. Running back Lydell Mitchell had a big game and scored a touchdown. Quarterback John Hufnagel ran for a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to Scott Skarzynski. Kicker Alberto Vitiello added three field goals for Penn State. Texas only had the two field goals they scored in the first half.
The final score was Penn State 30, Texas 6. This big win helped Penn State move up in the final rankings, while Texas dropped lower in the polls.
Two Penn State players were named the Most Valuable Players of the game. Those honors went to linebacker Bruce Bannon, a defensive end and running back Lydell Mitchell.
On a side note, the writer of this article (Robert H Kelly) was in attendance at the game. At the time, he was a senior at Killeen High School and a member of the Kangaroo Marching Band, who preformed during the pregame activities.