When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas A&M Aggies met to conclude the 1993 season in the Cotton Bowl, both teams had identical 10-1 records. The meeting was also a rematch from the previous Cotton Bowl, where the Irish’s dominant running game paced them to a 28-3 victory in frigid conditions. One change from the previous year was the late-afternoon start.
Notre Dame was hoping to bounce back from a devastating loss in the final regular season game to Boston College. The last-minute defeat was a severe letdown and cost them a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. The loss came just one week after a thrilling win over Florida State that moved the Irish into the number one ranking. The Aggies, who possessed a high-powered offense, suffered their lone loss at Oklahoma early that season.
The Coaches
Closing out his eighth year in charge of the Irish program, Lou Holtz was returning to the Cotton Bowl for the third time in seven seasons. The first of those trips was a forgettable 35-10 loss in 1988, with the other a 28-3 pasting of the Aggies the previous year. During Holtz’s six previous bowl trips with the Irish, his squads had compiled a 4-2 mark.
R.C. Slocum was finishing up his fifth season as head coach at Texas A&M and had put together a 49-11-1 record leading into this contest. He had been the Aggies’ defensive coordinator for seven seasons before replacing Jackie Sherrill as head coach after the 1988 campaign.
The Key Players
Following the departure of Rick Mirer, Kevin McDougal took control of the Irish offense in 1993. During that season, he threw for over 1,500 yards but only connected for seven touchdowns. Replacing the tandem of Reggie Brooks and Jerome Bettis was a huge challenge but Lee Becton managed to run for over 1,000 yards that season. On defense, Bobby Taylor’s work in the secondary resulted in four interceptions that included a pick-six.
Aggies quarterback Corey Pullig had once committed to Notre Dame before changing his mind and was facing the Irish for the second consecutive year. His lack of experience in the previous year’s matchup was evident in the 28-3 Irish win but he gained confidence with a 1993 campaign in which he threw for over 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns. The running back duo of Rodney Thomas and Greg Hill were back, with Hill able to play in this contest after being suspended before the previous year’s clash.
The Game
The Irish started the opening drive of the game at their own nine-yard-line but managed to reach the end zone. The eight-minute drive took 13 plays, with Notre Dame picking up six first downs along the way. Two key plays were Michael Miller’s 19-yard end around and the 19-yard option scoring dash by McDougal that was aided by left guard Jeremy Akers taking care of three potential tacklers.
Texas A&M didn’t waste any time knotting the score, driving 79 yards in just four minutes. Passes to Clif Groce and an 18-yard toss to Rodney Thomas on third-and-16 helped set up Greg Hill’s eight-yard tying score. The Aggies added the only other score of the first half during the second quarter on a seven-minute, 14-play touchdown drive that included two conversions on fourth down.
The Irish were stymied after that first score and wouldn’t tie things up until after the two teams came out for the third quarter. They were limited to just 32 yards for the rest of the first half, with tackle Aaron Brown, the Lombardi Trophy winner, having major problems containing A&M linebacker Antonio Shorter, who collected three sacks in the first half.
Notre Dame took advantage of a 12-yard punt by the Aggies to forge their first scoring drive after the break. Starting at their own 49, the Irish ran the ball eight times, with Becton and McDougal the driving forces in the push, with Ray Zellar’s two-yard scamper tying the contest.
Mirroring the first half, the Aggies again quickly responded to the Irish’s score by putting together a 10-play drive that encompassed 72 yards and collected five first downs along the way. Pullig connected with a trio of Aggie receivers and Leeland McElroy’s 16-yard run helped set up Thomas’ 1-yard score to give A&M the lead back.
That advantage lasted less than four minutes after Notre Dame’s 65-yard drive was capped by Marc Edwards’s two-yard score with 3:48 left in the third quarter. Zellars’ 18-yard grab on second-and-short had moved it to the Aggie 13 and three plays later, Edwards found paydirt.
The frenetic back-and-forth of the third quarter would be tamped down considerably in the final 15 minutes, with the Notre Dame defense playing a major role in the win. Irish linebacker Pete Bercich’s interception with 8:42 killed the momentum of an A&M drive, with the pickoff recalling Bercich’s crucial drop on Boston College’s winning drive.
Notre Dame ended up punting, with the Irish defense then stopping the Aggies to set up the dramatic finish. Michael Miller’s stirring 38-yard punt return gave the Irish the ball at the Texas A&M 22 with just under four minutes left. Despite gaining only eight yards on the short drive, Kevin Pendergast converted on a 31-yard field goal with 1:38 for go-ahead score. The win was then sealed on a fumble recovery off an attempted lateral with 24 seconds left.
The Aftermath
Despite the win and the previous victory over Florida State, it would be the Seminoles who ended up capturing the 1993 national title. After the game, Holtz pleaded in favor of the Irish being tabbed as champions, stating that the win over the Seminoles should serve as a tiebreaker in any decision. Instead, Florida State’s 16-12 win over Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl was enough for voters. Holtz would head the Notre Dame program through the 1996 season but the 1993 campaign would be his last of 10 wins or more.
Texas A&M moved to the Big 12 in 1996 and had one more double-digit winning season under Slocum in 1998, with Slocum being forced out after a 6-6 season in 2002. Since that meeting in the 1993 Cotton Bowl, the two schools have only faced each other in 2000 and 2001, with the home team victorious in both. Their next meeting will be in College Station and start off the 2024 season.
Box Score and Player Statistics
Scoring Summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Texas A&M | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
ND: McDougal 19-yard run (Pendergast kick) (8:01)
A&M: Hill 8-yard run (Venetoulias kick) (3:56)
Second QuarterA&M: Pullig 15-yard pass to Smith (Venetoulias kick) (2:56)
Third QuarterND: Zellars 2-yard run (Pendergast kick) (10:21)
A&M: Thomas 1-yard run (Venetoulias kick) (6:50)
ND: Edwards 2-yard run (Pendergast kick) (3:48)
Fourth QuarterND: Pendergast 31-yard field goal (2:22)
Attendance
69,855
Team Statistics
| Notre Dame | Texas A&M | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 19 | 20 |
| Rushing | 13 | 11 |
| Passing | 5 | 9 |
| Penalty | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing Attempts | 51 | 37 |
| Yards Gained Rushing | 236 | 147 |
| Yards Lost Rushing | 30 | 44 |
| Net Yards Rushing | 206 | 103 |
| Net Yards Passing | 105 | 238 |
| Passes Attempted | 15 | 31 |
| Passes Completed | 7 | 17 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Total Offensive Plays | 66 | 68 |
| Total Net Yards | 311 | 341 |
| Average Gain Per Play | 4.7 | 5.0 |
| Fumbles: Number Lost | 1-0 | 4-2 |
| Penalties: Number-Yards | 5-34 | 3-15 |
| Punts-Yards | 7-266 | 4-149 |
| Average Yards Per Punt | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 2-35 | 0-0 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 3-59 | 5-117 |
| Interception Returns-Yards | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Fumble Returns-Yards | ||
| Time of Possession | ||
| Third Down Conversions | 5-13 | 6-14 |
| Fourth Down Conversions | ||
| Sacks By-Yards |
Individual Statistics
NOTRE DAME Rushing| Player | Att. | Gain | Lost | Net | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becton | 26 | 140 | 2 | 138 | 0 | 15 |
| McDougal | 9 | 40 | 27 | 13 | 1 | 19 |
| Zellars | 9 | 26 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 6 |
| Edwards | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Miller | 2 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 19 |
| Burris | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Kinder | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Att. | Com. | Int. | Yds | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDougal | 15 | 7 | 0 | 105 | 0 | 36 |
| Player | No. | Yds | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson | 2 | 41 | 0 | 36 |
| Mayes | 2 | 27 | 0 | 16 |
| Becton | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| McBride | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Zellars | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Player | No. | Yds | Avg. | LG | In20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrell | 7 | 266 | 38.0 | 65 |
| Player | PR | KO | INT | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller | 2-35 | |||
| Johnson | 3-59 | |||
| Berich | 1-1 |
| Player | Att. | Gain | Lost | Net | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill | 16 | 60 | 22 | 38 | 1 | 20 |
| Groce | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| McElroy | 4 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 16 |
| Thomas | 9 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 11 |
| Pullig | 7 | 7 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Att. | Com. | Int. | Yds | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pullig | 31 | 17 | 1 | 238 | 1 | 32 |
| Player | No. | Yds | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groce | 4 | 45 | 0 | 19 |
| Shrop | 3 | 53 | 0 | 32 |
| Harrison | 3 | 52 | 0 | 24 |
| Mitchell | 2 | 29 | 0 | 18 |
| Smith | 2 | 26 | 1 | 15 |
| Hill | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| McElroy | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Player | No. | Yds | Avg. | LG | In20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner | 4 | 149 | 37.3 | 42 |
| Player | PR | KO | INT | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill | 3-66 | |||
| McElroy | 2-51 |
Defensive Statistics
Notre Dame| Player | UT | AT | TT | For Loss | Sacks | FR | Int-Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noble | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||
| Burris | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | |||
| Dykes | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||
| Holloway | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||
| Degory | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Peterson | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Sandri | 4 | 4 | |||||
| Dockery | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| Nduka | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Braxton | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Sandri | 2 | 2 |
| Player | UT | AT | TT | For Loss | Sacks | FR | Int-Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones | 4 | 7 | 11 | 1 | |||
| Glen | 7 | 2 | 9 | ||||
| Lewis | 4 | 3 | 7 | ||||
| Anderson | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||||
| McAfee | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||
| Perry | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||
| Hodge | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||
| Mitchell | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||
| Parker | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| Bates | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Brown | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| Nelson | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Williams | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Rhodes | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Hodge | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Pallacio | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Davis | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Webb | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Piscacek | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Teichelman | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Adams | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Porter | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Sanders | 1 | 1 | 2 |
