1965 Orange Bowl National Championship

Texas 21
Alabama 17

January 1, 1965
Orange Bowl Stadium

First Night Game a Classic

Texas upset top-ranked Alabama, 21-17, in the first prime-time night game in Orange Bowl history. The Longhorns stopped Alabama quarterback Joe Namath inches short of the goal line on a crucial fourth-down play late in the game that would have given the Crimson Tide the lead.

The defeat overshadowed a heroic performance by Namath, the senior quarterback who didn't start the game because of a knee injury. He completed 18 of 37 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Steve Sloan started the game for the Tide, but he couldnt get the offense going following two missed field goals. The Longhorns' Ernie Koy ran for a 79 yard for a touchdown on Texas first possession. Texas went up 14-0 after quarterback Jim Hudson hit George Sauer for a 69-yard score.

Alabama head coach Bear Bryant needed some instant offense. In came Namath. He completed 10 passes in driving the Tide 87 yards, sewing up a touchdown with a 7-yard toss to Wayne Trimble.

Texas came back with a 72 yard drive that ended on Koy's right-end run with 27 seconds remaining in the half. Namath came out firing after intermission, hitting Ray Perkins with a 20-yard pass to close the gap to 21-14 with 9:25 left in the third.

When Texas' Marvin Kristynik fumbled at his own 34 late in the fourth quarter, Namath was at the controls once again. After a run and a pair of completed passes, Alabama had first down at the 6. Three plays later, the Tide was at the 1. Namath tried a quarterback sneak, gimpy knee and all, and Longhorn left tackle Frank Bedrick and All-American linebacker Tommy Nobis stopped him short of the goal. Two more Alabama possessions in the final six minutes resulted in an interception and three incomplete passes.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• texas
• longhorns
• alabama
• crimson
• tide
• orange
• bowl
• joe
• namath

[shalcall]

Bama scored that touchdown, damit!

[jrfaug06]

I guess we will guess have to make up for this Jan 7 RTR

[someguy84841]

At 0:15, why the hell is the OU fight song (boomer sooner) playing?!?!?!

[adam18man]

2009 was a pay back

[MelC54]

Namath insisted he was in the end zone....Nobis always avoided the question with "the referre said he didn't make it"

[indyfan22k]

Too bad those 2 teams wouldn't play each other in the regular season.

[greymoose1000]

Texas won the game that year and Arkansas was crowned the champion. Just another factoid from the great GREYMOOSE of USC.

[1995alabama]

not the case in 2009!

[PhillipCreeper]

yohncold is right because both played for the Nets Super Bowl winning team. Also from Texas on that same team from that Orange Bowl are John Elliott, DL, Pete Lammons, TE, and Jim Hudson DB. In the Orange Bowl game Jim Hudson was the Texas QB. 

[bigjohnmac]

wow watching that replay.....Namath did score......im not a big fan of either team...but Bama scored that touchdown

[jzw1953]

namath didn't make it . Nobis stuffed him!

[ConfederateHandjob]

@mrwebster2008  i watched the video you referenced, and you can't tell where namath is when the play ends. besides, if the texas safety fell on namath in the end zone, then they would have been in the end zone when they unpiled, which the refs would have seen to be a touchdown. So they must not have been in the end zone.