1965 Cotton Bowl Classic

(9–1)

(10–0)

Head coach:
Bob Devaney

Head coach:
Frank Broyles

AP	Coaches
6	6

AP	Coaches
2	2

	1	2	3	4	Total
Nebraska	0	7	0	0	7
Arkansas	3	0	0	7	10

Date

January 1, 1965

Season

1964

Stadium

Cotton Bowl

Location

Dallas, Texas

MVP

LB Ronnie Caveness (Arkansas)
QB Fred Marshall (Arkansas)

Attendance

75,000

United States TV coverage

Network

CBS

Cotton Bowl Classic
< 1964	1966 (Jan) >

The 1965 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football bowl game with national championship implications between the Southwest Conference champion Arkansas Razorbacks and the champions of the Big Eight Conference, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Arkansas defeated Nebraska, 10–7, in front of 75,000 spectators, to win their first national title.

The Razorbacks stormed into Dallas after going 10-0 and winning the Southwest Conference. The Hogs defeated #1 Texas, 14–13, in Austin to clinch the bowl berth, and the conference championship. Longhorn coach Darrell Royal went for two in the game and failed, giving the game, conference, bowl bid, and later the national crown to the Razorbacks.

Razorback guard Ronnie Caveness was named an All-American. Ken Hatfield again led the nation in punt return yards, with 518. Tom McKnelly scored 45 points kicking 27 extra points and 6 field goals, which tied him with LSU's Doug Moreau for fourth place nationally.

Arkansas had also entered the bowl season on a sour note, losing bowl games in 1961, 1962, and 1963.

Nebraska went 9–1, losing only a 17–7 contest to Oklahoma. The Huskers previous bowl trips were split at 2–2, with the two most recent contests being Nebraska victories.

Arkansas and Nebraska met for the first time in this game in Dallas, Texas. Arkansas' number-one rated defense was giving up only 5.7 points per game, where Nebraska's #7 scoring offense was scoring 24.9 points per contest.

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Wikipedia