Dallas, Texas, Jan. 1, 1974--Tom Osborne's Nebraska Cornhuskers broke open a tight contest in the third quarter with a pair of game-breaking plays to chalk up a 19-3 win over the mighty Texas Longhorns in the 1974 Cotton Bowl game. The chilled New Year's Day crowd of 67,500 saw the Big Eight's runner-up and the Southwest Conference champion battle to a 3-3 tie at halftime, thanks to a brilliant Longhorn 1-yard line stand just before the gun.

But the Huskers weren't to be denied and midway through the third quarter, safety Bob Thornton returned a Texas field goal try 41 yards to set up the clinching touchdown. Ritch Bahe got the final 12 yards on a reverse and Rich Sanger kicked the point to make it 10-3. Four plays later, John Bell recovered a Texas fumble at the Longhorn 19, and three plays after that, Tony Davis ripped in from the three to make it 16-3. Sanger kicked a 43-yard field goal with 8:09 left to complete the scoring.

Texas had scored first on a 22-yard field goal by Bill Schott in the wake of a Husker fumble, but early in the second quarter, defensive end Steve Manstedt picked up a Roosevelt Leaks' fumble in mid-air and raced 65 yards to the eight. But a stiff Longhorn defense forced a 24-yard field goal by Sanger.

1974 Cotton Bowl

Second Quarter
NU-FG Rich Sanger 24, 9:05

Third Quarter
NU-Ritch Bahe 12 run (Sanger kick), 4:18
NU-Tony Davis 3 run (Sanger kick blocked), 1:23

Fourth Quarter
NU-FG Sanger 43, 8:09