Penn State Football: Ranking the top 20 wins in program history
By Brad Weiss
8. 1972 Cotton Bowl
The Penn State football team took on the University of Texas in the 1972 Cotton Bowl, a game that was certainly a tale of two halves. Penn State was playing in their first Cotton Bowl Classic since 1948 and looked like a legitimate national title contender up until their loss against Tennessee, 31-11 on the road.
The loss ruined the Nittany Lions’ perfect season, but going into the Cotton Bowl, they knew they had a tough task ahead of them. In the first half, it was a defensive struggle, as the Longhorns held a 6-3 halftime lead.
In the second half, it was a different story, as Penn State dominated the Longhorns, scoring 27 unanswered points to beat Texas easily. Led by Bruce Bannon and Lydell Mitchell, who were co-MVPs of the game, Penn State won 30-6, and Mitchell led a ground game that racked up over 230 yards against a tough Texas defense.
The win brought Penn State back to the No. 5 ranking in the country, with the Tennessee loss the only blemish on their record.