The 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic was the 73rd edition of the annual

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

bowl game that was part of the

2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 28, 2008 and ended on De ...

and was one of 34 games in the 2008–09 bowl season. The game featured the

Ole Miss Rebels The Ole Miss Rebels are the 18 men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that are funded by and represent the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford. The first was the football team, which began play in 1893. Originally known as th ...

of the Southeastern Conference and the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference. Ole Miss won the game 47–34, in what turned out to be the highest scoring game in front of the largest Cotton Bowl Classic crowd in history. The game was played on January 2, 2009, at the self-named stadium in Dallas, Texas, and was televised in the United States on

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

. This was the final Cotton Bowl Classic to be played at the stadium in the home of the State Fair of Texas, Fair Park. Since 2010, the game has been played at

AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. I ...

in nearby Arlington.

Game summary

First half

Texas Tech was able to convert a pair of early turnovers into an early lead. The Raiders had the first two scores (both touchdowns) of the game with a 35-yard pass from Graham Harrell at the 6:31 mark of the first quarter and a Darcel McBath 45 yard interception return at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter to start the game with a 14-0 lead over the Ole Miss Rebels. However, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead was able to lead the Rebels to touchdowns on their next three drives, and a late

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

by Joshua Shene put the Rebels up 24-21 going into halftime.

Second half

The second half began with a

Marshay Green Marcus "Marshay" Kentrill Green (born January 14, 1986) is a professional gridiron football defensive back. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010, spending two seasons with the club before joining the Indianapol ...

65-yard interception return for the Rebels which gave them a 10-point lead, 31-21. Ole Miss would remain in the lead over Texas Tech for the rest of the game, ending with a final score of 47-34. By the end of the game, fans were chanting "S-E-C! S-E-C!" in reference to the Southeastern Conference, which Ole Miss is a part of, and the perceived rivalry with the Big 12 Conference, with which Texas Tech is a part of. This had another meaning, as it foreshadowed the next week in the

2009 BCS National Championship Game The 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and fea ...

, which pitted the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...

, also of the SEC, against the Oklahoma Sooners, also of the Big 12.

Records

The game was the highest scoring game in Cotton Bowl history, until the Baylor-Michigan State game on January 1, 2015. After the game, the Rebels are 20-12 all-time in bowl games, with this being their fourth Cotton Bowl appearance. In their last appearance, they beat Oklahoma State by three points in the 2004 Cotton Bowl. After the game, Texas Tech is now 10-21-1 all-time in bowl games. Ole Miss had 223 yards of rushing offense compared to 105 for Texas Tech.

Graham Harrell record

In the game, Graham Harrell broke the record for more touchdown passes thrown than anyone in major-college history. Harrell first tied, then broke, the record with two scoring passes. The record-setting 132nd touchdown pass was a two-yard slant to Michael Crabtree early in the second quarter. ( Colt Brennan had previously held the record with Hawaii, having 131 from 2005 to 2007.) Harrell passed for 364 yards, which is a Cotton Bowl record, and finished his collegiate career with 15,793 yards passing and 134 TDs.

Scoring summary

References

{{Texas Tech Red Raiders bowl game navbox Cotton Bowl Classic Ole Miss Rebels football bowl games Texas Tech Red Raiders football bowl games Cotton Bowl Classic Cotton bowl Classic 2000s in Dallas 2009 in Texas Cotton Bowl Classic