1973 Sugar Bowl - TEXAS CONQUERS ALABAMA

The Kansas City Times
Jan. 2nd, 1973
TEXAS CONQUERS ALABAMA, 17-13
Dallas (AP)—Alan Lowry, Texas’ stalwart quarterback, bootlegged the ball 34 yards on a tiptoe run down the left sideline for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter New Year’s Day as the No. 7 Longhorns upset No. 4 Alabama, 17-13, in the Cotton Bowl. Lowry's smooth maneuver was followed by a great defensive play by Longhorn linebacker Randy Braband as Alabama drove for what it hoped would be the winning touchdown in the closing moments. On a fourth-and-1 situation at the Texas 43-yard line, Braband smashed Alabama’s Wilbur Jackson for no gain to seal the Longhorn victory. Lowry, a salty senior, rallied the Southwest Conference champion Longhorns from a 13-3 half-time deficit in the game billed as the battle of the wishbones. He scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter to shave the Alabama lead to 13-10. The Longhorns effectively shut down the passing of Alabama quarterback Terry Davis in the second half with defensive back Terry Melancon stealing two passes to thwart promising drives by the Crimson Tide. The victorv kept alive the streak of the Texas coach, Darrell Royal, of never having lost to a team coached by Paul (Bear) Bryant. Bryant had said he was ashamed of his record against Royal. Bryant used triple-option blueprints given to him by Royal, and both teams lined up in the triple-option wishbone attack.
Alabama's safety, Steve Wade, swiped two Texas passes in the first half as the Crimson Tide built up a 13-3 lead. Greg Gantt kicked his first field goal of the year—a booming 50-yarder—for a 3-0 lead with five minutes elapsed in the first quarter. Two Texas possessions later, Wade snared a tipped pass and thundered 42 yards down the sidelines before Lowry ran him down on the Texas 31. On the next play, Jackson burned around the ’Horns right flank and scooted untouched for the TD behind a devastating block by John Hannah. Texas drove to the ’Bama 3-vard line in the second quarter but had to settle for Billy Schott’s 24-yard field goal. Bill Davis countered it with a 30-yard field goal for the 13-3 half-time lead.
With the score 13-10 in the fourth period, Lowry, a converted defensive back playing his first year at quarterback for Texas, took the Longhorns 80 yards in seven plays for the winning score with 4:22 left in the game. Lowry hit two key passes during the drive. He nailed split-end Pat Kelly with a 20-yard toss and found tight-end Julius Whittier with an 18-yard pass that set up a scintillating 34-yard touchdown run down the sideline in which he narrowly missed stepping out of bounds. An official trailed him all the way on the play. Royal later said Alan Lowry’s touchdown run was a risky play that could have backfired—but didn’t. “The winning play was Alan’s idea,” he said. “He told the coaches earlier he thought it would work ... it was an out-and-out bootleg all the way.” Lowry, who was voted the most valuable offensive player in the game, rushed 16 times for 117 yards. Roughhouse Roosevelt Leaks, the Longhorns’ All-America fullback, gouged out 120 yards in 25 carries as the Longhorns piled up 317 yards overland against the ’Bama defense. Texas played mistake-free football, except for the two interceptions. Not once did the Longhorns fumble and they were never penalized. Braband, who made the crucial fourth-down stop on Jackson, was voted the most valuable defensive player.
Jackson gained 64 yards in 10 carries to pace the Alabama attack. Davis, the ’Bama quarterback who Royal said was one of the best he had ever seen at throwing from the wishbone attack, completed only 10-of-17 passes for 174 yards against the alert Longhorn secondary. Texas went to the air only 11 times with but five completions. The victory gave Texas a 10-1 mark for the season and was its first Cotton Bowl victory in three years. Alabama, the Southeast Conference champion, completed its season with a 10-2 record.