Aggies Head to Dallas & Cotton Bowl
Dec 08, 1997 | Football
December 08, 1997
Texas A&M, champions of the Big 12 South Division, will face the UCLA Bruins, co-champions of the Pac-10 Conference, in the 62nd Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 1 with kickoff slated for 12:30 p.m. central.
W. Mike Baggett, Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, extended the invitation Sunday afternoon to Athletic Director Wally Groff and Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum.
UCLA is ranked #5 in the country and bring a nine-game winning streak to Dallas. The Bruins are 9-2 on the season and led by former Aggie assistant coach Bob Toledo. This will mark UCLA's second appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Troy Aikman led the Bruins to a 17-3 win over Arkansas in the 1989 bowl game.
Texas A&M will make its seventh appearance in Dallas in the past 13 years. A&M played in three straight Classics from 1986-88 and 1992-94. This will mark the 10th overall Cotton Bowl appearance dating back to 1941. A&M is 4-5 in Cotton Bowl games.
This will mark the fourth meeting between Texas A&M and UCLA. The Aggies hold a 2-1 advantage over the Bruins. The last meeting took place in 1955 with UCLA taking a 21-0 win over Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and the Aggies in Los Angeles.
"The Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic is thrilled to host these two outstanding football teams and universities in Dallas this New Year's Day," Baggett said. "UCLA clearly is one of the strongest teams in the country, while Texas A&M is unsurpassed in its football tradition and game pageantry. It's going to be an exciting matchup."
