The 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 bowl game

Bowl game

In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...

 between the co-Southwest Conference champion #18 Arkansas Razorbacks and the #12 Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...

. Arkansas defeated Georgia, 31-10 in front of 77,500 spectators.

Arkansas

Arkansas, favored by six, came into the game on a five game winning streak. The Hogs were part of a three-way tie for the Southwest Conference Championship with Texas

Texas Longhorns football

The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...

 and Texas A&M. The Hogs lost to Texas, 18-24, but gave #2 Texas A&M its first loss in the regular season finale. The 31-6 upset of the Aggies in War Memorial Stadium

War Memorial Stadium (Arkansas)

War Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. The stadium is primarily used for American football and is the home stadium for the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes, Catholic High School Rockets, and the secondary home stadium for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks...

 is one of the most memorable games in Razorback football history.

Georgia

Georgia was 9-3 entering the game, tied for second in the Southeastern Conference

Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

.

Game summary

The Bulldogs took an early 10-3 lead. Arkansas wouldn't score a touchdown until Georgia's QB Ray Goff

Ray Goff

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 tried a 'shoestring' play. He bent as if to tie his shoe and flipped the ball to Gene Washington, a legal play as long as in one motion, but Razorback Hal McAfee

Hal McAfee

Harold "Hal" McAfee is a former American football coach. He served as head coach at Tarleton State University from 1988-92. McAfee compiled a 36–18 overall record, including a 11–1 season in 1990, the first ever undefeated regular season in school history....

 scooped up the ball at the 13 yardline. Ike Forte

Ike Forte

Donald Roy "Ike" Forte is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New England Patriots, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Giants...

 scored for the Hogs, knotting the game at 10. The two teams skirmished to a 0-0 tie in the third period, with Arkansas missing three field goals, before the Hogs exploded for 21 unanswered to close the game.