The year also saw the New York Mets stun the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
The Browns finished 10-3-1.
The Lions wound up 9-4-1.
There were no wild cards back then so the Lions failed to make the playoffs, finishing behind the Minnesota Vikings.
Cleveland, which was in the NFL that year because the merger had not taken place, crushed the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game before losing to the Vikings in the championship contest.
Texas 15, Arkansas 14. Fifty years ago on Dec. 6, 1969, the schools played in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 contest.
Imagine if the President of the United States decided to present the national championship to a school after a game in December, long before bowls were played. In 2019, it could never happen. However, 50 years ago it occurred. One of the greatest games in college football history turns 50 on Dec. 6. Arkansas and Texas met in a game that pitted the top two teams in the country at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR., on that Saturday.
How big was the game? President Richard M. Nixon helicoptered in for the contest. This was long before it became fashionable for the Commander-in-Chief to attend any sports event other than the opening game of the baseball season. With President Nixon was another person who would become a President, himself, George H.W. Bush. While there are ties to Arkansas by President Bill Clinton, and there is a tale he was around the stadium, that has proven to be a falsehood. He did, however, listen on shortwave radio with some friends while a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford in England.
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The game was not scheduled to be played on Dec. 6. Thanks to the ingenuity of ABC TV exec Beano Cook, the usual October meeting between the schools was pushed to the end of the regular season, which allowed the Southwest Conference title and Cotton Bowl berth to be determined. The game took on gigantic magnitude the week before when Michigan upset Ohio State, sending Arkansas and Texas to the top of the rankings.
The game itself delivered on every level. Texas was inspired by the courageous story of its DB, Freddie Steinmark, who was battling cancer. Frank Broyles of Arkansas and Darrell Royal of Texas were two legendary college coaches, while they were working at each school, respectively.
This marked the 100th year of college football and it fittingly wears the title “Game of the Century.”
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas grabbed a 14-0 lead on a one-yard leap into the end zone by Bill Burnett in the first quarter and a 29-yard touchdown reception by Chuck Dicus in the third quarter. The Hogs led by that margin as the teams headed into the final 15 minutes. Remember, there was no thought of overtime in 1969.
Texas closed within 14-6 when quarterback James Street scrambled for a touchdown on the first play of the last quarter. Then came a decision from Coach Royal that changed the course of the game. He knew he would have to go for a two-point conversion on one touchdown if Texas were to win. Rather than wait for a second opportunity, Royal went for two and Texas converted. Royal knew while he was risking not converting a simple PAT, if Texas scored again a two-point conversion would give the Longhorns a chance to tie the Razorbacks.
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Texas did convert as Street ran the ball into the end zone, making it 14-8. Arkansas had chances to close out the game but Arkansas quarterback Bill Montgomery was intercepted in the end zone by Danny Lester on third-down play from the Texas 7. A field goal would have likely put the game out of reach for Texas.
Given life, the Longhorns rallied. Royal played the roll of gambler again and on fourth-and-3 with less than five minutes left he called a pass play for tight end Randy Peschel. Quarterback Street focused on split end Cotton Speyer while calling the play, noticing Arkansas players eyeballing the huddle. He found Peschel for 44 yards.
Two plays later Jim Bertelsen ran in for the game-tying touchdown. Donnie Wigginton, the third-string quarterback who was the holder, made a big save on a high snap and Happy Feller booted the extra point for the winning score with 3:58 left.
The great Dan Jenkins wrote about Arkansas’ last chance in Sports Illustrated:
There was still plenty of time for Arkansas, of course, and Bill Montgomery proceeded to hit four more thrilling passes and move the Razorbacks to the Texas 39. But there, with 1:13 to play, he floated one out in the right flat, and Tom Campbell, the son of Texas’ defensive Coach Mike Campbell, outgrabbed John Rees for it and the Longhorns were ready to meet the President.
The post-game was bedlam was President Nixon presented the national championship to Texas … before bowl games were played! The controversy erupted because Penn State was also undefeated. However, the Nittany Lions had turned down an invite to the Cotton Bowl to play the Texas-Arkansas winner before Michigan had upended Ohio State drastically changing the rankings picture.
Texas went on to defeat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl to seal its national title. The game lives in history on many levels. One of which is the title it has also received as “Dixie’s Last Stand.” The game was the last major sporting event between all-white teams.
