Background
The Texas Longhorns repeated as Southwest Conference champions and were ranked third in the polls in early October, but consecutive losses (to Red River Showdown, rival 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team, Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl and to #15 1971 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, Arkansas in War Memorial Stadium (Arkansas), Little Rock) dropped them to 3–2 and out of national title contention. Texas won its next five games to gain their fourth straight appearance in the Cotton Bowl, all as SWC champion. The NCAA Division I FBS independent schools, independent Nittany Lions had climbed to 10–0 and fifth in the rankings before the last game of the regular season, a 31–11 upset loss at #12 1971 Tennessee Volunteers football team, Tennessee on December 4. (That loss left only 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, Nebraska, 1971 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Alabama, and 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan as undefeated, and the first two met for the national title in the 1972 Orange Bowl, Orange Bowl in Miami Orange Bowl, Miami.) It was Penn State's first Cotton Bowl in 24 years, since 1948 Cotton Bowl Classic, 1948.Game summary
The teams traded field goals and Texas led 6–3 at halftime, but the Nittany Lions scored 27 unanswered points in the second half. Penn State running back Lydell Mitchell and quarterback John Hufnagel had touchdown runs while Hufnagel threw a touchdown pass to Scott Skarzynski. Alberto Vitiello had three field goals for the Lions while Steve Valek kicked two for Texas, their only scoring. The convincing win pushed Penn State back up to fifth for the 1971 NCAA University Division football rankings, final AP poll, while Texas fell to 18th.Aftermath
The Longhorns went to three more Cotton Bowls in the 1970s, while Penn State returned 1975 Cotton Bowl Classic, three years later.Statistics
References
{{Texas Longhorns bowl game navbox 1971–72 NCAA football bowl games, Cotton Bowl Classic Cotton Bowl Classic Penn State Nittany Lions football bowl games Texas Longhorns football bowl games January 1972 sports events in the United States 1972 in sports in Texas, Cotton Bowl