Cotton Bowl

1981

Alabama 30

Baylor 2

Alabama Fight Song

DALLAS (UPI) - Peter Kim kicked a record-tying three field goals and an awesome defense led by All-America end E.J. Junior forced six turnovers Thursday in carrying No. 6 Alabama to a 30-2 victory over seventh-rated Baylor in the 45th Cotton Bowl Classic.

Baylor's offense was all but blunted by the swarming Crimson Tide defense, which helped bring Alabama coach Bear Bryant his 306th career victory. Bryant will thus go into the 1981 season needing just nine victories to become the all-time winningest collegiate football coach in history.

Kim kicked field goals of 29 and 28 yards in the first half and added a 42-yarder in the third quarter (video). His three field goals equaled a Cotton Bowl record set in 1972 by Penn State's Alberto Vitiello.

Major Ogilvie, who carried 15 times for 74 yards, scored Alabama's first touchdown of the game, going over from the 1 in the second quarter and thus becoming the first person ever to score a rushing TD in four consecutive bowl games.

Alabama, which finished with 241 yards on the ground, added a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter on a 1-yard run by starting quarterback Don Jacobs and a 3-yard run by running back Mark Nix with 76 seconds to play (video).

Baylor, shut out by Alabama during the 1979 season. 45-0, could manage only a safety- that coming in the second quarter when defensive tackle Tommy Tabor tackled Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis in the end zone as Lewis was trying to throw the ball (video).

Alabama and Baylor both finished the season with 10-2 records and the game was never a contest after the Bears missed on their only good touchdown opportunity late in first quarter.

The Crimson Tide held only a 6-0 lead and the Bears had moved to the Alabama 15- thanks chiefly to an interference penalty against the Tide. But on first down, running back Dennis Gentry was clobbered by Jim Bob Harris and the resulting fumble was recovered by Randy Scott.

Alabama recovered four fumbles and picked off three passes- two of those interceptions coming from Jeremiah Castille. Two of the Bears' fumbles came on punt returns and both led to Kim field goals.

The Crimson Tide, appearing in their 22nd consecutive bowl game under Bryant , boosted his postseason record to 18-13-3 with the victory. Baylor is 5-5 in bowl appearances.

Two throws by Jacobs- one of 20 yards to Billy Jackson and another of 49 yards to Jesse Bendross- combined with Baylor fumbles at its own 12 and at Alabama's 9 set up the Crimson Tide's 13-2 halftime
lead.

Alabama's first drive appeared to have stalled at midfield, but on third-and-9 from the Bears' 47, Jacobs, under a heavy rush, got a pass away to Jackson for 20 yards.

That led to Alabama's first field goal and the second one was set up five minutes later by a fumble by Baylor's Gerald McNeil on a punt return at his own 12.

Baylor's next fumble wiped out a chance for the Bears' to go ahead following a 50-yard interference penalty against Alabama.

Alabama allowed Baylor to run only 14 plays in the second quarter and produced its first touchdown early in that period after the Jacobs to Bendross 49-yard pass play that carried to the Baylor 4-yard line. Ogilvie scored two plays later.

During the opening two quarters Baylor could manage only 36 total yards, including 12 on the ground in 14 tries. Alabama was penalized for more yards in the first half than Baylor could gain on its own.

Junior combined with tackles Byron Braggs and Jackie Cline along with fellow end Gary DeNiro to take away Baylor's outside running game.

E.J. Junior and the Alabama defense were just too much for the Bears.

Baylor's Alfred Anderson gets ready to collide with Junior.

Major Ogilvie ran for 74 yards and a 1-yard touchdown.

Jay Jeffrey fumbles as he is hit.

It was a rough day for Walter Abercrombie, nine yards rushing on eight carries.

A difficult one for Grant Teaff.

Attendance - 74,281

Scoring Summary

First Quarter:

UA- FG Kim 29

UA- FG Kim 28

BU- Safety, Lewis tackled in end zone by Tabor

Second Quarter

UA- Ogilvie 1 run (Kim kick)

Third Quarter

UA- FG Kim 42

Fourth Quarter

UA- Jacobs 1 run (Kim kick)

UA- Nix 3 run (Mardini kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing

UA- Ogilvie 15-74, Carter 4-71, Patrick 12-45, J. Jones 5-28, Jackson 7-13

BU- Jeffrey 8-18, Gentry 11-17, Hall 1-10, Abercrombie 8-9

Passing

UA- Jacobs 5-12-98

BU- Jeffrey 8-19-55, Mangrum 4-8-49

Receiving

UA- Bendross 1-49, Jackson 1-20, Brown 1-20

BU- Gentry 5-26, Hold 3-41, Abercrombie 2-4, Lively 1-17, Ward 1-16

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