The 1939 Cotton Bowl Classic was the third edition of the annual college football postseason bowl game known as the Cotton Bowl Classic. The game was played on January 2, 1939, at the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Teams
- Texas Christian University Horned Frogs – Entered the bowl with a 10–0 record, having won the Southwest Conference championship. The team was led by quarterback Davey O'Brien, who had won the Heisman Trophy for the 1938 season.
- Carnegie Institute of Technology Tartans (now Carnegie Mellon University) – Entered the bowl with a 7–1 record, representing the Eastern Intercollegiate Football Association.
Game summary
- Final score: TCU 16, Carnegie Tech 7.
- Scoring began with Carnegie Tech taking an early lead, but TCU responded with a touchdown and a field goal in the second quarter. A second TCU touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed the victory.
- The Horned Frogs' defense forced several turnovers, limiting Carnegie Tech to a single touchdown.
Key players and statistics
- Davey O'Brien (TCU): Contributed to the offensive drive and later was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
- Carnegie Tech: Notable for scoring the game's first points, though detailed individual statistics are limited in contemporary reports.
Attendance
- Approximately 38,000 spectators attended the game, reflecting the growing popularity of postseason college football in the United States.
Historical significance
- The victory gave TCU a perfect 11‑0 season and cemented Davey O'Brien’s status as one of the era’s premier quarterbacks.
- The game was part of the early development of the Cotton Bowl Classic, which would become one of the major bowl games in college football.
Aftermath
- TCU’s success contributed to its reputation as a national power in the late 1930s. The Horned Frogs would return to the Cotton Bowl in subsequent years.
- Carnegie Tech’s appearance marked the program’s first and only participation in a major bowl game.
References
- Official Cotton Bowl Classic historical archives.
- Contemporary newspaper accounts from the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Times Herald (January 1939).