Royal Order

The most dramatic clash was the Texas-Notre Dame game, in which the Longhorns eked out a 21-17 victory. Their triumph was eloquent testimony that Texas deserved its ranking as the nation's No. 1 team. Texas (10-0) faced a fired-up Notre Dame team (8-1-1) that still plays every game for the galvanizing ghosts of Gipp and Rockne. Beyond that, the Fighting Irish were performing in their first post-season game since beating Stanford 27-10 in the 1925 Rose Bowl.

Changing Lead. Texas turned the game into an instant replay of its 15-14 victory over Arkansas. With Texas trailing the No. 2-ranked Razorbacks 14-8, Coach Darrell Royal called for a long pass on a fourth-down-and-three situation. Quarterback James ("Slick") Street lofted a beautiful 44-yd. completion to End Randy Peschel, and Texas scored moments later to take the lead. Then Defensive Back Tom Campbell picked off a Razorback pass to give Texas the game, a Cotton Bowl bid and the national championship.

Last week, Notre Dame jumped to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter when Quarterback Joe Theismann flung a 54-yd. bomb to Receiver Tom Gatewood. A grating battle followed. The Texas ground attack, which led the nation during the season with an average of 363 yds. per game, was pitted against the Irish front wall, which had allowed only 85.1 yds. per game. Behind Fullback Steve Worster, the Longhorns ground out two touchdowns on the glutinous turf to take a fourth-quarter lead. Then Theismann shot a 24-yd. touchdown pass to Halfback Jim Yoder to put the Irish back in front 17-14.

Texas had its replay ready to run. The Longhorns moved quickly upfield to the Irish 20, where it was fourth down with two yards to go. Rather than settle for a field goal and a probable tie, Coach Royal ordered a run: Halfback Ted Koy barely picked up the necessary yardage. Three plays later the Longhorns found themselves in precisely the same situation at the Notre Dame ten. This time Street rolled to his left and pitched a wobbly pass to Cotton Speyrer, who made a desperate diving catch at the two.

Royal's tough tactics paid off: two plays later Billy Dale rammed into the end zone for a touchdown with 68 sec. remaining. After the kickoff, Theismann threw two quick passes to take the Irish to the Texas 38. His next toss, though, stuck to the Arkansas script: it was intercepted on the Longhorn 14 by none other than Campbell. Texas had won the Cotton Bowl and its 500th game. Afterward, Royal admitted: "I thought fleetingly about a field goal. But if a champion is going to go out, he ought to be carried out feet first."

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