1984 - Texas- OU- The Day the Music Died by Professor Larry Carlson

Billy Dale

Billy Dale

The History of Longhorn Sports through 2014
Come October '84, UT was number one in the polls, OU at number two. The game was played in relentless rain on a dark, gloomy afternoon that would dampen not just Fletcher's corny dogs and cotton candy but the trajectory of Longhorn football.

UT All-America kicker, Jeff Ward, recalled to me in a TLSN interview last year that the buildup to the big game was even hotter than usual. Besides the 1-2 punch in the rankings, Texas had already beaten eleventh-ranked Auburn and bullied fourth-ranked Penn State, 28-3. There was plenty of trash talk between Austin and Norman.
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/jeff-ward-1983-1984...

Midway through the last minute on the old Cotton Bowl clock, Ward was trying to prepare for a game-tying field goal, if necessary. But he remembered that it felt impossible to get ready.

"One, because I was soaked but two, the ABC-TV crew wouldn't get out of my face," Ward explains. Texas was at the OU 15-yard-line with barely double digits remaining. Ward headed out to do his duty.

"Fred screamed at me, 'Get back here,' and then I heard him discussing another play...a fade route to the corner. Given the time left, most of us looked at each other in shock."

Almost forty years later, every OU fan will tell you the ensuing pass was intercepted in the end zone, sealing what would've/could've/should've been a victory for the Sooners. Longhorn backers believed there was interference.

For the rest of Professor Carlson's story, click on https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/1984-the-beginning-of...

Photo is Todd Dodge with Akers calling the next play.
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1984 Todd Dodge.jpg
 
15-15

Uuugggh! I was there that miserable day - North end zone with my brother. Had a poncho on but still soaked up to my knees.

Horrendous heavy rain and very dangerous lightening all around. Today that game would have been halted.

Never forget ou punter Mike Winchester put a knee on the GROUND earlier in the game that would have put the Horns in or close to ou red zone... it was not called by the zebras!!!

Oh well.
 
Got up that morning about 630 & called CEO of Oshman's at home and told him I needed a couple of rainsuits. He had manager of North Park Oshman's meet me at the mall. Rainsuits were great. Sitting in 106, beaver felt hat with cover kept my head & shoulders dry. Rainsuit kept everything dry except my hands and tips of my boots.

The next Saturday, got to Memorial Stadium (Arkansas), took out my Nikon binoculars , and it was like a seen from the movie "Up Periscope" - my binoculars were half full of water.

That was also the day of the infamous DART bus hijacking.
 
Ou ******* about the interception that was called incomplete, before the tying fg. What they don't talk about is Bill Boy Bryant was clearly interfered with by their corner. Refs blew a lot of calls, including Woo's post about Winchester's knee going down on the 40. Very next play Nelson runs for 78 yards, down to the ou 2. We get stoned. Refs call cost us 7
 
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Run,

The NBC affiliate in the Metroplex had the good view of the interception that wasn't, and that view (shown on 10 o'clock news and repeated on the Sunday night news on KPRC) showed that the OU DB was clearly juggling the ball going out of bounds. I really wanted to go for it on fourth down but no idea what play to call.
 
If, if Kevin Nelson had run 80 yards instead of 78, Horns TD and we win.... Horns remain #1, for at least another week.

Oh well....
 
I remember that miserable day in the rain and cold very well. One of 2 ou games I was able to attend as a student.
 
WorsterMan said:
15-15

Uuugggh! I was there that miserable day - North end zone with my brother. Had a poncho on but still soaked up to my knees.

Horrendous heavy rain and very dangerous lightening all around. Today that game would have been halted.

Never forget ou punter Mike Winchester put a knee on the GROUND earlier in the game that would have put the Horns in or close to ou red zone... it was not called by the zebras!!!

Oh well.
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That was the hardest week of rain I'd seen in the metroplex (1991 later topped it), it was hard to believe they'd get a game in. Morning of the game it was unreal. Could barely see outside my apartment window to the parking lot.

I went to the Marcus Dupree Texas ou games, thought "I'm glad I couldn't score tix for this one". I've never been in a stadium with rain like that. Ya'll that went deserve a medal
 
Horn2RunAgain said:
That was the hardest week of rain I'd seen in the metroplex (1991 later topped it), it was hard to believe they'd get a game in. Morning of the game it was unreal. Could barely see outside my apartment window to the parking lot.

I went to the Marcus Dupree Texas ou games, thought "I'm glad I couldn't score tix for this one". I've never been in a stadium with rain like that. Ya'll that went deserve a medal
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That 1984 game was unreal. The sky was very dark, HEAVY thunderstorms with dangerous lightening dancing all around the CB starting I think in the second quarter. I was truly fearful someone in the stands or on the field would be hit!

Absolutely terrible conditions for the players and fans...
 
That is the only sporting event where I ever participated in taking pulls off of a bottle of whiskey in the stands. My brother was up for the game and we were soaked. On the way out of the stadium a sooner behind me said Bevo is not the only one without balls. I turn to confront him and it was a very old man. I just stared. The next day the DMN had a half page picture showing it as an interception. (They loved their Sooners.) When I got into the office Monday the picture was taped on my door. Sooners are still crying over that play, 38 years later.
 
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Chinstrap said:
That is the only sporting event where I ever participated in taking pulls off of a bottle of whiskey in the stands. My brother was up for the game and we were soaked. On the way out of the stadium a sooner behind me said Bevo is not the only one without balls. I turn to confront him and it was a very old man. I just stared. The next day the DMN had a half page picture showing it as a interception. (They loved their Sooners.) When I got into the office Monday the picture was taped on my door. Sooners are still crying over that play, 38 years later.
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Whine, Baby, whine!!!!
 
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