Top 10 best Longhorns teams By Anthony Snodgrass
Videos of Longhorn Greatness are at the link below.
/r/LonghornNation Game Archive – YouTube
Top 10 texas football teams by Anthony snodgrass
Here is a look at the Top 10 Football teams in Texas Longhorn history in opinion. Throughout the entire 118 year history of the Texas football program, there are four claimed national titles and five unclaimed national titles that were named by at least one organization. The latest national title that Texas won came to cap the 2005-06 college football season. Texas beat the USC Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl to win that national title. Moreover, Texas has 32 conference titles in the history of the program. Those conference titles encompass their time in the Big 12, Southwest Conference, and the TIAA. Other significant accolades include 30 bowl wins, 60 consensus All-Americans, and two Heisman Trophy winners. All in all, Texas has a program record of 917-376-33 since its founding in 1893. Texas is one of the true blue blood college football programs nowadays.
10th Greatest Team in Longhorns History
10. 1950 (9-2, 6-0 SWC)
Head Coach
Blair Cherry
link to the 1950 team https://www.texaslsn.org/1937-1956-cherry-and-price
Two losses saw the Longhorns come up short in a disappointing fashion that held them back from winning a national title in 1950. But the Southwest Conference still saw the Longhorns come away with the crown this year. The season was highlighted by their win over then No. 1 ranked SMU by the final score of 23-20.
The two losses for Texas came at the hands of # 3 Oklahoma and # 4 Tennessee. Those two losses came by a combined margin of seven points.
Running back Byron Townsend ( Odessa) and quarterback Ben Tompkins ( Ft. Worth Poly) starred for this Texas team with one of the four hardest schedules in the country during the 1950 season. Townsend led the team with 849 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Ben Proctor was the main threat through the air as he pulled in 24 receptions for 453 yards and five touchdowns.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Bud McFadin, Guard, Cotton Bowl Classic Co-Most Valuable Player
Bud McFadin, Consensus All-American
Fan comments
Merrill Whitehead Jr.
As a kid, I often sneaked into the old Rice Stadium and headed straight to the visitor’s locker room where the trainers and assistance coaches let me help with the equipment and gear, that allowed me to sit alongside the bench. I saw the freshman game when Townsend played. Whenever the coach need some yardage, he’d call Townsend, pat him on the butt, and say, “Get us a ‘touch, Tex,” and Townsend would roar through the Rice defense. Hell of a runner. He scored 14 touchdowns in 1950, setting a school record.
Tom Thornell
I have been told that Byron and Hayden Fry were both on the kickoff return team. Later in life Hayden commented that he could never get a return because Byron would always try to take the wall wherever it was kicked.
Gary McIntosh
Byron Townsend, Odessa High. Permian didn’t exist at that time. Townsend was a teammate of Hayden Fry at OHS, and they won the ’46 state championship.
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorn History
9. 1972 (10-1, 7-0 SWC)
Coach : Darrell Royal ( 16th season )
link to 1972 team https://www.texaslsn.org/dkr-19671976
One of the dozens of Southwest Conference Championships, the Texas football program racked up before it disbanded, came in the 1972 season. The Longhorns got the conference title with the lone slip upcoming against No. 2 ranked Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game. But Texas did get the best of the Arkansas Razorbacks and then Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.
Quarterbacks Marty Akins and Alan Lowry guided this Longhorns team to prominence and helped them finish with a No. Three ranking in the AP Poll. Texas had a top-five ranked defense in 1972, and also a top-five rated strength of schedule and strength of record ranking.
(14) Texas Miami (FL) W 23 10
(12) Texas @ Texas Tech W 25 20
(9) Texas Utah State W 27 12
(10) Texas N (2) Oklahoma L 27 3
(14) Texas (17) Arkansas W 35 15
10) Texas @ Rice W 45 9
(9) Texas SMU W 17 9
(9) Texas @ Baylor W 17 3
(7) Texas @ TCU. W 27 0
(7) Texas Texas A&M W 38 3
(7) Texas.
(4) Alabama W 17 13
The Longhorns were led by Running Back Roosevelt Leaks and Alan Lowery. Leaks ran for 1099 yards on the ground, and eight touchdowns and Lowery raced for 661 yards and 11 touchdowns from his Quarterback position. Jim Moore led the Longhorns with 23 catches and 413 yards. The lone touchdown reception was by Julius Whittier.
Fan comments
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Bon Mallari- I still liked Alan Lowry, but even as huge a UT homer as I am I must admit I think he stepped OB on his TD run vs Alabama, I think the replay even showed it
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Bert Hancock
I agree, Bon. I do think, though we can’t know, that as much momentum as we had at that point and how the O’ was moving the ball, we’d have scored anyway fairly soon after.
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Dale Hart
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They say he was out by this much (insert hook ’em sign here).
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Ronnie Clifton
In the Cotton Bowl game Alan Lowery tightropes it down the left sideline for a touchdown. No replay for refs back then. Some believed he was out of bounds. After the game a reporter asked Bear Bryant if Lowery stepped out of bounds on that play. Bryant said no. The surprised reporter asked how he knew and Bryant said because the official said he didn’t. That is why the two greatest football coaches in the history of college football were on the field on opposite sides that day. Also Julius Whittier was the first African American player ever to play at Texas: I believe. He played his first year on the 1970 National Champions.
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Billy Schott
Ronnie
, true story is this… When asked if he thought Lowry (no “e”) stepped out of bounds, Coach Bryant growled, “Naw, the ref said he was in bounds by this much (holding up a ‘hook ‘em)…”
Coach Bryant came into our locker room after the game to congratulate us on the win and was very magnanimous with his remarks to us. He and Coach Royal were very good friends.
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Larry Hooper
The game against Oklahoma was close about 7 to 0 _ Texas went for a quick kick _ Oklahoma block the kick and scored a touchdown _ it was later found out that Oklahoma spied the play in a Texas practice
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorn History
8. 1961 (10-1, 6-1 SWC)
Coach: Darrell Royal (5th Season)
Link to 1961 team https://www.texaslsn.org/football-dkr-1961-thru-1964
Unfortunately, TCU’s upset was a hard problem to work past for Texas for a good portion of the program’s history. TCU wasn’t just a weird monkey that the Longhorns couldn’t get off their back throughout the 2010s.
TCU was the lone loss for the Longhorns during the 1961 season, that could’ve landed them another national title if things were to fall Texas’ way. Texas did bounce back robustly in the final two games of the season when they beat rival Texas A&M in the regular-season finale, and the No. 5 ranked Ole Miss Rebels in the Cotton Bowl.
Texas held the No. 1 ranking for two weeks in the AP Poll and finished up 1961 with a No. Three ranking
(4) Texas @ California W 28-3
(6) Texas Texas Tech W 42-14
(5) Texas Washington State W41-8
(4) Texas N Oklahoma W 28-7
(3) Texas @ (10) Arkansas W 33-7
(3) Texas Rice W 34-7
(3) Texas @ SMU W 27 -0
(1) Texas Baylor W 33 -7
(1) Texas TCU L 0 -6
(5) Texas @ Texas A&M W 25-0
(3) Texas N (5) Ole Miss W 12-7
The 1961 Longhorns was lead by Jimmy Saxton and Jerry Cook on the ground, who both tallied nine touchdowns apiece and a combined 1,373 yards for the season. Tommy Ford pitched in another four scores and contributed with over 400 yards on the ground for Texas. Mike Cotten leads the team through the air as he threw for a steady 500 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with his three rushing touchdowns. Bob Moses lead the team with five receiving touchdowns on the year.
The defense for the Longhorns was terrific in 1961, giving up eight or fewer points in 10 of their 11 games. Even in the loss to Texas Christian, the defense allowed less than 200 yards of total offense and just 6 points. Awards and Honors
Mike Cotten, Quarterback, Cotton Bowl co-Most Valuable Player
Bob Moses, End, Cotton Bowl co-Most Valuable Player
Jimmy Saxton, Back, Consensus All-American
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorn History
7. 1983 11-1 (8-0 SWC)
Coach: Fred Akers ( 7th season)
Link to Coach Akers https://www.texaslsn.org/football-under-coach-akers
The 1983 team went 11-1 beating 3 top 10 teams en route to a perfect 11-0 season before the loss in the Cotton Bowl. Texas went into the Cotton Bowl game ranked # 2 with a National Championship on the line against SEC foe #7 rank Georgia.
Akers boys came up just a point shy in a defensive struggle 10-9 with the Bulldogs. If not for a muffed punt late in the 4th, Texas wins this game I believe and probably a National Title ( # 1 Nebraska lost) This Texas team was blue-collar, a throwback team if you will… No superstars on Offense and a shut down Defense.
The Offense had nine guys who carried the ball at least 30 times that season. Ronnie Robinson led the Horns with 479 yards, followed by John Walkers 392 yards, Walker’s four touchdowns were also tied for the most on the ground with Quarterback Robert Moerschell. Brent Duhan led Texas with five touchdown receptions on 13 catches. Duhan’s 26.7 yards per catch would have led the nation, but his lack of receptions disqualified him from that honor. The Defense was stingy all season long led by 3 All- Americans.
Mossy Cade led the team with 6 Interceptions, and right behind him was Jerry Grey with 4. Jeff Leiding, who led the Linebacking core, was also All-American and a no-nonsense kind of leader. The Defense held 6 of their opponents out of the end-zone and forced 31 turnovers as a unit.
(3) Texas @ (5) Auburn W 20-7
(2) Texas North Texas W 26-6
(2) Texas Rice W 42-6
(2) Texas N (8) Oklahoma W 28-16
(2) Texas @ Arkansas W 31-3
(2) Texas @ (9) SMU W 15-12
(2) Texas Texas Tech W 20-3
(2) Texas @ Houston W 9-3
(2) Texas Texas Christian W 20-14
(2) Texas Baylor W 24-21
(2) Texas @ Texas A&M W 45-13
(2) Texas N (7) Georgia L 9-10
Awards and Honors
Mossy Cade-All American
Jerry Grey – All American
Jeff Leiding- All American
Doug Dawson- All-American
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Bon Mallari
Gray and Leiding were legit studs on defense, BUT I will never EVER forgive Akers for the way Texas played in the bowl game, I was in Dallas and it broke my heart and damn near broke my wallet with Texas losing that game. you can say I am bitter over … See More
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David Crumb
The bowl game was pretty much like most of the games that season, but a terrible break near the end, a missed call right after that, and an off day for Jeff Ward is why we lost. We win that game 9-3 or 12-3 and nobody is mad at all…unless your bet w… See More
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Michael Wash
A fumbled punt cost them a National championship
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Allen Miller
This was the first TEXAS game I ever watched and have been hooked ever since
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Chris Hudson
My freshman year…Craig Curry#5 muffed that punt. John Lastinger, Georgia QB, led a short drive to a score. Our offense that year was pedestrian, when we were really led by a punishing ground game of full backs. Terry Orr, Jerome Johnson, Ronnie Robin… See More
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David Norwood
I was at the Cotton Bowl that year. Bummer!
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Terry Adams
I remember them. Even then I thought a good team but overrated. They struggled often to not so good teams. I was a huge UT fan back then but was realistic to just how good they were.
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Anthony Snodgrass
Terry Adams
I barely remember them… but they was a muffed punt away from being National Champs ( or sharing). Honestly though could have they beat Miami or Nebraska? They beat # 3 Auburn ( final poll)
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Terry Adams
that win set expectations of them to route everyone which just didn’t happen. The undefeated part placed them at the top of the polls but folks were not sure they deserved it. One the many seasons that had folks talking about a better way for National Champs.
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Jeff Harris
Great defense- badly managed offense all year long
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Jae Ellis
My favorite two players from that Longhorn team were Johnny Ringo and Tony DeGrate !
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Thomas Rucker
I would say it’s higher than that. The only we lacked that year was a running game after Edwin Simmons was injured.
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Larry Hooper
Poorly coach ball game _ Akers last good team
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Merrill Whitehead Jr.
I seem to remember that it was announced during the game that Nebraska (#1) was losing while we (Texas) was leading Georgia and this got a rise from the Texas fans ’cause we had the NC in our hands, only to see it fall away on that fumbled punt, that a… See More
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Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorn History
6. . 1968 (9-1-1, 6-1 SWC)
Coach Darrell Royal. (12 season)
Link to 1968 team https://www.texaslsn.org/football-dkr-1968-1970
The first season on the list for the Texas football program where legendary head coach Darrell Royal and quarterback James Street starred to help them reach national prominence was 1968. Texas started the season ranked #4, but a 20-20 tie with #11 Houston dropped Texas to #6.
Week 2, Texas was surprisingly upset by the Texas Tech Red Raiders and fell entirely out of the polls, but a change was about to come. The Longhorns woke up in week three and got off and running after that point. Once Texas went to this formation, college football couldn’t stop the Longhorns.
With James Street at quarterback and running backs Gilbert, Ted Koy, and Steve Worster, as well as Charles “Cotton” Speyrer at wideout, Texas, rushed for 3,315 yards and 37 touchdowns that season. Texas threw the ball just 154 times, but when the team is averaging 5.2 yards per carrying, why pass? Bellard is credited with creating the wishbone formation.
Scott Henderson
Texas started its longest winning streak in program history the next week with a 31-3 walloping of Oklahoma State.
Texas cleared Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and SMU for the rest of the regular season. And they took down No. 8 ranked Tennessee by the final score of 36-13 in the Cotton Bowl to rake in their ninth straight win to cap off the season. That helped them get a top- three ranking in the final AP Poll after that bowl win over Tennessee.
Chris Gilbert led the Longhorns on the ground with 1132 yards to go along with his 13 rushing touchdowns. Steve Worster had 13 touchdowns on the ground to go with his 806 yards. This team was deep at the running back position as Ted Koy, and Billy Dale added to the totals. James Street added 340 yards on the ground and threw for 1099 yards and a combined 11 touchdowns. Cotton Speyrer was the main threat thru the air for Texas as he pulled in 26 catches and four touchdowns.
Awards and honors James Street, quarterback, Cotton Bowl co-Most Valuable Player
Cotton Speyrer, wide receiver, Cotton Bowl co-Most Valuable Player
Tom Campbell, linebacker, Cotton Bowl co-Most Valuable Player
Chris Gilbert, back, Consensus All-American
Jesse Northcutt
It was THIS team that made me a life-time Longhorn fan! I now realize that I did see Chis Gilbert play in person and that was when my father wisely took me to the 1969 Cotton Bowl game to see UT defeat Tennessee! We took along a friend’s son and he kept going to the concession stand for hot dogs! He missed the first two Texas touchdowns as they went up 13-0 early on! I got “hooked” on the team the band – everything. Throughout the game a sweet little Tennessee woman sitting behind us kept trying to shout in her southern voice, “Let’s go, Tennessee!” Unfortunately for her the ‘Horns were firing on all cylinders that day!
Bert Hancock
this team, in my opinion (and many others who covered football in that era), might have been the best team in the nation, even over Ohio State, by the end of the season.
That Tennessee squad was extremely strong, and Texas pulverized them MUCH worse than the final score showed.
Often, too, in that early Wishbone era especially, DKR called off the first teamers very early, giving the subs ample opportunity.
That often kept the score down.
The destruction of near-equally strong Arkansas, for example, showed Texas’ dominance. We jumped out in front of the Hogs (whose only loss was to us and who whipped a great Georgia team in the Sugar Bowl) by a score of 39-15 before allowing two TDs to make the final score look closer.
And SMU was a very good team that year, fighting in fact for the SWC title when we faced them in a showdown for the lead. The result: 38-7, Texas.
Greatest teams in Texas Longhorns History
5. 1977 (11-1, 8-0 SWC)
Coach: Fred Akers ( 1st season)
Click on link for Coach Akers years as head coach
https://www.texaslsn.org/football-under-coach-akers
A genuinely dominant Texas football team that wasn’t able to win a national title came in 1977 when the only slip up came at the hands of No. 5 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Notre Dame dominated the Longhorns in that 1977 Cotton Bowl by the final score of 38-10. Before that point, Texas looked like the Nation’s best team.
Texas started the season unranked under first-year coach Fred Akers.. but after outscoring their first three opponents 184-15, the Nation knew Texas was going to be a force on the college football scene in 1977. Texas was dominating the opposition, and there were six straight weeks of the Longhorns holding the top ranking in the AP Poll.
They cleared No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 14 Texas Tech, and No. 12 Texas A&M for the regular season. That dominant win by the final score of 57-28 over Texas A&M in the last week of the regular season was a memorable mark for the Longhorns 1977 team.
Another memorable part of the 1977 season was legendary running back Earl Campbell winning the Heisman Trophy and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft. Campbell led the Longhorns with 1744 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns (1 receiving). Ham Jones finished the season with just under 500 yards on the ground himself and was able to muster six rushing touchdowns on limited carries. Texas had nine players record a rushing touchdown in 1977, and 8 players have at least 25 attempts. Randy McEachern was a liable source when called on to throw the ball as he was able to throw for eight scores and just over 900 yards on the season.
The defense was led by Westlake High native Brad Shearer, who was All-American and a bad man. Glen Blackwood and Johnnie Johnson controlled the airways in the secondary with timely interceptions and delivering bone-crushing hits. The defense unit recorded three shutouts and held six opponents under 10 points on the season. Awards and Honors. Earl Campbell – Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy, Consensus All-American Brad Shearer – Outland Trophy, Consensus All-American Fred Akers – SWC Coach of the Year
Gary McIntosh
I was there and I remember it being very cold…but, the real story was 3 lost fumbles and 3 interceptions. Irish running game killed us, and no one had been able to do that to Shearer and the Horns all season. Earl ran for 116 yards, but didn’t score a TD
Jim Gunlock
Thanks Anthony! I had the fortune to see most all of the home games from 69-79 and Johnnie Johnson will always be one of my favorite DB’s!
He was smart, always in the right position, made game winning/saving plays and could Fly
Jesse Northcutt
It’s great to recall the great things this team did on the year. It was my first year living in Dallas and I was never far from the Cotton Bowl. That loss in the Cotton Bowl was absolutely horrible! I don’t think I recovered for awhile because I thought the team was so much better than the result reflected. It’s great to remember what got them there!
Rick Ingraham
You left out: All American Russell Erxleben. Best kicker/punter ever. All American safety Johnny Johnson. Wide outs Lam Jones and Alfred Jackson made the corners very soft for Earl and Ham. 4 senior offensive linemen did alot to help too. Off avg 42ppg/Def 11 ppg
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorns History
4. 1970 (10-1, 7-0 SWC)
Coach: Darrell Royal ( 14th season)
What was so tremendous about the 1970 season for the Longhorns was all the loss of production from the previous year’s team, and how good they were still able to do. Street was no longer the starting quarterback for Texas, and the rushing attack didn’t have as many experienced running backs as the 1969 team.
Utilizing a wishbone option offense, the defending national champion Longhorns won all ten regular-season games to extend their winning streak to thirty games. They were awarded the UPI (coaches) national title, released before the bowl games in early December.
The decisive win over No. 4 Arkansas by the final score of 42-7 was the most memorable part of the 1970 season.
There are three national title winners from the 1970 season- Longhorns, Nebraska, and Ohio State. Each had their flaws during the 1970 season, but this was a special run for Texas. A punishing running attack led Texas in 1970 as the Horns had three players record 12 or more rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Eddie Phillips rushed for 666 yards, and 12 scores ( 3rd on the team) Bertelsen rushed for 891 and 13 touchdowns, while Worster rushed for a team-leading 898 and 14 scores. Danny Lester led Texas with two receiving touchdowns on 17 catches.
Bobby Wuensch and Jerry Sisemore anchored the O-Line. The defense was nearly as dominating as in the previous season, led by All-American defensive end Bill Atessis and Allen Lowry.
Bobby Wuensch, Tackle, Consensus All-American
Steve Worster, Back, Consensus All-American
Bill Atessis, Defensive end, Consensus All-American
Jesse Northcutt -This was one of my favorite seasons for the team and I got to see the 58-0 victory at Amon Carter Stadium at home in Ft Worth. My uncle, a UT grad came over from Garland for the game with his new wife and the three of us attended with my dad. It was a COLD November day as I recall. I was crushed at the defeat in the Cotton Bowl by ND and was sad that such a great team didn’t have a better showing that day. The 24-11 still comes to mind from time to time. This was a GREAT team in my opinion
Jim Cross- I was 11 years old and my Dad took me to that Longhorn vs Arkansas game. We sat in the end zone but it was great because I think all but 1 touchdown was scored at our end of the field. Also, there was this Razorback fan that sat right behind us and for about a quarter or so he kept yelling ‘souieee’. My Dad finally said to him ‘you might want to shut up because that ain’t working for ya’.
Bon Mallari – I actually think that this team was the best of DKR run from 68-70, they lost a total of 3 games in 3 years, and two of those were before they switched to the Bone …This team was different with Eddie Phillips at QB, its difficult to follow a legend and at Texas nobody is more popular than the back up QB. I think when Eddie got his chance he did a fabulous job at running the offense and this team just flat out rolled people up, the way they clobbered A&M and Ark at the end of the season made us believers that back to back NC was all but a done deal…but I guess thats why they play the game. The month lay off definitely hurt the Horns and they came out flat and got beat
Russ Ingram -As a true sophomore I played for Texas Tech against this team in 1970. We were the home team in Lubbock and at halftime we were only down by one point, 14-13. We went into our locker room so excited, believing we could win it. But they took control in the second half and we lost 35-13. I was an offensive tackle and went up against the great Bill Atessis, a truly gifted player.
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorns History
3. 1963 (11-0, 7-0 SWC)
Coach: Darrell Royal ( 7th)
Following two seasons that saw Texas flirt with its first National Championship, the Longhorns opened the 1963 campaign as the No. 1 team in the nation according to Sports Illustrated and Street & Smith’s Football Yearbook. The Associated Press did not agree and forced UT to work its way up the ladder with a preseason No. 5 ranking.
After a pair of decisive season-opening wins at Tulane (21-0) and Texas Tech (49-7), UT rapidly climbed into The AP Poll’s No. 2 spot. Texas held that position after a 34-7 win against Oklahoma State, and that set the stage for a battle for the nation’s top spot in the annual rivalry with No. 1 Oklahoma in Dallas.
A convincing 28-7 win against the Sooners rocketed the Longhorns to No. 1, and they maintained their ranking through the remainder of the regular season. It wasn’t all easy. In their first week at No. 1, UT nearly blew a 17-0 halftime lead in a 17-13 win at Arkansas and got another scare in a 7-0 win against Baylor later on in Austin.
The Longhorns avoided another upset attempt in a 15-13 victory at Texas A&M, scoring the winning touchdown on a Carlisle 1-yard plunge with 1:19 remaining in the game. UT entered the fourth quarter trailing 13-3 before putting the finishing touches on the victory.
Since there was no Associated Press postseason poll, Texas went into its Cotton Bowl matchup against No. 2 Navy with its already secured AP national title. Still, the Football Writers Association and the Helms Foundation withheld naming a National Champion until after the game. The Midshipmen were expected to provide quite a test behind the multi-talented skills of junior quarterback Roger Staubach, who had claimed the Heisman Trophy during the season.
Texas jumped out to a quick 21-0 halftime lead, and behind standout defenders, Tommy Nobis and Scott Appleton frustrated the scrambling Staubach. In the meantime, the Longhorns flourished behind Carlisle’s memorable performance, who was voted the outstanding back of the game. He connected with Phil Harris on 58-yard and 63-yard scoring tosses while rolling up 213 passing yards and 267 total yards.
UT secured a consensus National Championship with a decisive 28-6. Appleton earned consensus All-America and All-Southwest Conference honors, running back Tommy Ford rushed for 738 yards and earned All-America and All-SWC recognition, Nobis was a consensus All-SWC pick , and the American Football Coaches Association tabbed Royal its Coach of the Year. Appleton, Ford, and center David McWilliams served as captains for the Longhorns, who finished with a perfect 11-0 record and 7-0 mark in SWC play.
Honors and Awards
Darrell Royal, Coach of the Year
Tommy Ford, All-American
Scott Appleton, Tackle, Outland Trophy
Scott Appleton, Consensus All-American
Jackie Daniel Remember linebackers, Johnny Treadwell and Pat Culpepper, stopping Arkansas from scoring in the 4th. quarter on the goal line win the game.
Bon Mallari -the Cotton Bowl game was really the FIRST game I can remember watching as a kid wearing my new burnt orange sweatshirt that I got at Christmas . It was also the first time I saw Staubach who would later become my ATF Cowboy…I mark this game as the day I became a LONGHORN fan, they have broken my heart a few times since then but they are still my team
Jesse Northcutt-The Cotton Bowl game vs. Navy would have been just before my 10th birthday so I was VERY young on the day, but I still recall being out playing with my friends on the street and having my dad come out and tell the neighbors that UT was victorious! It would be five more years before we attended the UT v. Tennessee game at the 1969 Cotton Bowl.
Doug Smith-I was at the Cotton Bowl game vs. Navy. It was never even close. As much as I came to love and respect Staubach later, the Longhorns tore his butt up that day!
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorns History
2. 1969 (11-0, 7-0 SWC)
Coach Darrell Royal ( 13th Season)
The final season that Street spent under center with the Texas football program was in 1969. Texas registered yet another national title campaign and a Southwest Conference Championship. The rushing attack spearheaded the Longhorns to such a prominent season in 1969, with nine players having at least 200 yards on the ground. Four had at least 400 rushing yards in 1969.
Texas rushed for 3,630 yards and 51 touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. The Longhorns averaged 472.1 yards per game. They allowed just 2,260 yards on the season, and the defense allowed an average of 226 yards. Texas picked off 27 passes and allowed just six –SIX– rushing touchdowns.
Texas had a top-three ranked offense in the nation in 1969, and a top 10 ranked defense.
James Street was at quarterback, while Texas rolled out a rushing attack that featured Jim Bertelsen (a Wisconsin native), Steve Worster, Ted Koy, Bobby Callison, and Billy Dale. Backup quarterback Eddie Phillips, who took over for Street in 1970, was also talented. Cotton Speryer and Randy Peschel were catching passes. Even Texas’ 1969 team had one of the best kickers in program history, Fredricksburg native Happy Feller.
The 1969 season is also known as the end of an era. Texas’ 1969 team is the last all-white team to win a national title. Texas football broke its color barrier this season when freshman Julius Whittier arrived on campus, but freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity in those days.
Ranked fourth to start the year, the #2 Longhorns defeated rival Oklahoma by ten points on October 11 and gained the top spot in the polls in late November. On December 6, #1, Texas traveled to Fayetteville to meet second-ranked Arkansas; down by fourteen points in the fourth quarter, UT rallied to win 15–14 in the season’s “Game of the Century,” attended by President Richard Nixon.
With a wishbone option offense, the Longhorns won all ten games in the regular season and returned to the Cotton Bowl Classic in Fair Park in Dallas. On New Year’s Day 1970, the Longhorns met ninth-ranked Notre Dame, in its first bowl game in 45 years and second overall; their only previous postseason appearance was a win in the Rose Bowl in January 1925.
Trailing for most of the game, Texas scored with 68 seconds remaining and won 21–17. On their final drive, the Longhorns faced fourth down twice. It was their twentieth consecutive victory, second straight Cotton Bowl Classic title, and third win that season in the stadium.
Great memories of this team and season even though I was just 15 years old and the Cotton Bowl was a few days ahead of my 16th birthday! I still recall the relief of seeing the victories over Arkansas and ND!
It was an amazing performance by two great teams, coached by two giants.
I believe this is best Texas team ever
Truly a legendary team!!!!!
I just got back from Vietnam and had a chance to see the 1969 game. Really thought Arkansas had the better team but got outfoxed.
Always thought the name Happy Feller was the neatest name. Not to mention he could really kick.
Greatest Teams in Texas Longhorns History
1. 2005 (13-0, 8-0 Big 12)
Coach: Mack Brown ( 8th Season) The 2005
Longhorns were one of college football’s most dominant teams that will live on in the minds of college football fans for a long time. Texas beat 11 of their 12 opponents by double digits… then Texas took down the USC Trojans to win the 2006 Rose Bowl thrillingly behind the efforts of legendary quarterback Vince Young. Former Texas head coach Mack Brown had his best year on the Forty Acres in 2005 that saw him run through the Big 12 (including a 70-3 romping of the Colorado Buffaloes in the conference title game). The most significant margin of victory in the history of that contest.
Texas beat four top 25 ranked teams, and three teams ranked in the top 10 this season. There’s a lot of college football fans and media outlets alike that would include the 2005 Longhorns squad as one of the most dominant teams in the last two decades.
Texas earned its second Big 12 Conference football championship to make 27 conference championships total, including 25 in the Southwest Conference. It was their fourth national championship in football and the ninth perfect season in the history of Longhorn football.
The Longhorns were led on the ground and thru the air by all world QB Vince Young. Young accounted for over 4,050 total yards and 38 touchdowns. He received plenty of help on the ground as Jamal Charles, Selvin Young, Henry Melton, and Romance Taylor rushed for over 400 yards. Three of the four also added at least ten touchdowns on the ground. David Thomas and Limas Sweed led the Longhorns through the air, but plenty Longhorns played a role with catches and touchdowns in 2005.
The defense was led by a nasty secondary that featured Aaron Ross, Huff, Griffin, and Harris. Brian Robinson led the team with 13.5 tackles behind the LOS and six sacks.
The team set numerous school and NCAA records, including their 652 points, which set an NCAA record for points in a season. After the season ended, six Longhorns from this championship team joined professional football teams through the 2006 NFL Draft. Seven more Longhorns followed suit in the 2007 NFL Draft, and two free agents joined them. Another nine followed through the 2008 Draft and free-agency to make a total of twenty-four players who entered into the National Football League.
Honors and Awards Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright, and Vince Young were named to the first team of the 2005 Associated Press All-American Team; Justin Blalock and Aaron Harris were named to the third team.
Michael Huff won the Jim Thorpe Award presented annually to the top defensive back in college football as adjudged by the Jim Thorpe Association.
Vince Young won the Davey O’Brien Award, presented annually to the quarterback adjudged by the Davey O’Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. Young also won the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the nation’s top college football player as adjudged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club. Furthermore, he won the Manning Award, the only quarterback award which takes into account the athlete’s performance in the bowl season, as opposed to being awarded at the end of regular season play.
Young had 1,050 rushing yards and 3,036 passing yards, making him the first player in NCAA Division I-A or I-AA history to rush for 1,000 yards and throw for 2,500 yards in a single season. Below is the the play of the season—Sweed catch against #4 Ohio State.
Kevin Eger
I’m not a huge UT fan but this is up there with 2001 Miami and maybe this years LSU team as one of the best, probably top 5 ever. As in for always. I counted at LEAST 27 guy from that team played in the NFL. Not just drafted, played. USC close to the same. Might have been the most talent in the history of the game on the field that night. Before the game Mack was watching SC warm up, told one of the assistants, man, that is a really great looking football team they have. Assistant said, Coach? Yours looks pretty good too. IMO it’s not a discussion in terms of comparing this bunch to the others.
Kevin Eger
I’m not a huge UT fan but this is up there with 2001 Miami and maybe this years LSU team as one of the best, probably top 5 ever. As in for always. I counted at LEAST 27 guy from that team played in the NFL. Not just drafted, played. USC close to the same. Might have been the most talent in the history of the game on the field that night. Before the game Mack was watching SC warm up, told one of the assistants, man, that is a really great looking football team they have. Assistant said, Coach? Yours looks pretty good too. IMO it’s not a discussion in terms of comparing this bunch to the others.
Tracy Thomas
Yes sir !!! And that game against the Trojans May be one of the greatest college football games ever played !!! Both sides were loaded !!!
Tom Thornell
And just think – Adrian Peterson could have been in that backfield but opted to go to a University where he “could win a National Championship”. Little did he know. He could have been a part of the greatest backfield in NCAA history.
Honorable Mentions that just missed the cut.
#Honorable mentions
2009 (13-1, 8-0 Big 12) The fifth claimed national title might be added to the Texas football program’s trophy case if quarterback Colt McCoy had not been knocked out early in that national title game against Alabama. This year Texas won the Big 12 Championship Game over the Nebraska Cornhuskers and beat their two biggest rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies and Oklahoma Sooners.
1941 (8-1-1, 4-1-1 SWC) One of the unclaimed national titles that the Longhorns have at this point comes from the 1941 season under former head coach Dana X. Bible. The 1941 Longhorns team is a story of what could’ve been. They held the No. 1 ranking in the country for much of the season until a rough two-game stretch that saw them tie the Baylor Bears and fall short against the TCU Horned Frogs. Texas did respond resoundingly to cap this 1941 season, that saw them dominate No. 2 ranked Texas A&M and the Oregon Ducks in their final two games. They finished up with the No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll.
1952 (9-2, 6-0 SWC) Like that of the 1941 Texas team, the 1952 squad is mostly a story of what could’ve been. This 1952 team was one of the rare big-time success stories for Texas head coach Ed Price, where he raked in a Southwest Conference Championship and knocked on the door for a national title. Texas beat Texas A&M, and the No. 8 ranked Tennessee Volunteers (in the Cotton Bowl) to cap the 1952 campaign with a No. 10 ranking. James “T.” Jones had a solid end to the season, which helped the Longhorns recover from bad losses to Oklahoma and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
