Dallas Cowboys

Vs.

Houston Oilers

August 31, 1969

Rentzel-Led Cowboys Bump Houston, 14-11

By James Davis
Grand Prairie (TX) Daily News

HOUSTON- In coach Tom Landry s playbook Lance Rentzel is a game player and the Cowboy wide receiver followed the script to the letter Thursday night in sparking Dallas to a 14-11 triumph over the Houston Oilers.

An aroused Astrodome crowd of 55,310, largest football crowd ever and the second biggest gathering to ever witness an event in the Dome, saw Rentzel leap some seven feet for a Craig Morton pass in the third quarter and sail downwards to 'never-never land'. Ten plays later Rentzel was back in the contest and he whipped Oiler back Ken Houston to snare a 34-yard touchdown pass that put the Cowboys ahead for the first time in the contest, 7-3.

The pass reception ended a 77-yard drive in 14 plays as the Cowboys offense finished the third period with 29 plays to 12 for the host Oilers. Some 15 minutes later the Oilers had run 20 additional plays but Dallas maintained a 48-32 edge for the half- which actually was the story of the third meeting between the two Texas pro teams.

Houston had consistently moved into Dallas territory in the first half and it took a pass interception by Phil Clark and a fumble recovery by Jethro Pugh to hold Houston to its lone field goal, a 30-yarder by Roy Gerela.

The Cowboys, who loss the coin flip and kicked off in the first half, started their victory margin as rookie Richmond Flowers returned Gerela's kickoff 26-yards. Rookie Calvin Hill plunged for three and Morton hit Bob Hayes for 12 yards to the Dallas 38.

After Pettis Norman lost two yards on an end-around, Morton threw incomplete to Rentzel before the second half of the Joey Heatherton Rentzel team went up for a fantastic 14-yard snare at midfield. Mel Farr hit Rentzel in midair and he was literally out cold. On third-and-10, Morton hit Norman for 11 and then Hill lost three.

Dallas was penalized for illegal procedure back to the 34 and Morton missed Bobby Joe Conrad at the 10. Facing third and 18 Morton sent Rentzel towards the yellow goal posts and the 200-pound Oklahoma grad snagged the pigskin for the six points with 6:25 elapsed in the half. Mike Clark added the first of two
PATs and Dallas led 7-3.

Phil Clark intercepted a Pete Beathard pass at the Cowboys 21 and Morton soon drove Dallas to the Houston 17 in 10 plays. Morton had hit Rentzel for 15 and Hayes for 29 to spark the attack to the 20. Hill gained three before two passes towards Rentzel fell incomplete- the second one putting Lance out of the
contest as Farr once again creamed the wide receiver in mid-air. Mike Clark then tried his 24-yard field goal, and too the aghast of Dallas fans...missed.

The Cowboys started their second touchdown drive at the end of the third period as Morton directed the team 56-yards in only six plays. From the Cowboys 44 Morton passed incomplete to Dennis Holman before coming back to the Alabama product for the first down at the Houston 46. Hill scurried for six off left tackle and Walt Garrision burried his way for three.

On third and one Morton elected to pass and found Hayes wide open at the Oiler five. The 'Bullet' battled his way for two more yards and Morton had his first and goal down. The touchdown call went to Hill off the left side and the 227-pound Yale draft choice bulled his way for the score with 52 seconds elapsed in the final 15 minutes.

The Dallas defense took on additional names during the final minutes and Oiler linebacker George Webster picked off a Morton aerial at the Houston 34. Five plays later Dallas again owned the football but Ron Widby had to punt on fourth and one from mid-field

Mel Renfro intercepted Don Trull's first play from scrimmage and this time the Cowboy possession lasted three plays. On third and seven at the Oilers 40, Morton passed only to see John Peacock pick it off and return 13 yards to the Cowboys 49.

Here Trull moved the Oilers to paydirt in nine plays with Jim Beirne taking a three yard scoring pass with 1:38 left. The Oilers then went for two-points and Trull found running back Hoyle Granger in the right fait for the final 14-11 count.

The Cowboys toyed with the Oilers offense in the first half and had to fall back on a pass interception and fumble recovery to starve off the fired-up Oilers. Clark picked off a Pete Beathard chunk late in the first period at the Dallas 20 and Bob Lilly bounced on a Beathard fumble at the Cowboys' 40 early in the second.

The first interception came nine plays after the half's first score as rookie kicker Gerela connected on his 30-yard Oiler field goal 9:56 deep in the first period. The drive covered 60-yards in 12 plays with Beathard hitting on two crucial third down passes. The first came on third-and-10 from them Houston 16 as Alvin Reed slipped behind Clark for 16-yards.

After the Oilers crossed midfield to the Dallas 43 Beathard scrambled for his life on third-and-eight. The six year AFL veteran found Jim Beirne open in the left flat and the wide receiver churned his way to the Dallas 12. The Cowboys dumped Granger for minus two on first down and Beathard over-threw Beirne on
second. On third down Beathard was trapped when Cornell Green pinned up the primary receiver Reed and Beathard was dropped by Jethro Pugh for minus 11-yards and to force the field goal situation.

The Cowboys missed three touchdowns on long "bombs" in the first half as Morton missed Hayes and Dennis Holman behind their defenders, and 27-year old rookie Roger Stauback threw over Danny Reeves in the end zone. All three times the Cowboys were five-or more yards ahead of their defenders.

With 1:03 remaining in the half Gerela punted off the side of his foot for only 21-yards and Dallas was in business at its own 48. Staubach gained eight yards scrambling on first down and then hit rookie Reggie Rucker for the first down at the Houston 40. With 0:23 left Staubach over-threw Reeves at the flag. The next pass fell incomplete and Staubach ran for no gain. With two seconds left Mike Clark attempted
a 47-yard field goal which was wide left.

Houston's Roy Hopkins (36) runs behind Glen Ray Hines's (78) block on Cornell Green (34).

Dallas' Calvin Hill tries to score against George Webster (80) and the Oilers.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

HOU- FG  Gerela. 30

Third Quarter

DAL- Rentzel 34 yard pass from Morton (Clark kick).

Fourth Quarter

DAL- Hill 3 run  (Clark kick)

HOU- Beirne 3 yard pass from Trull  (Granger pass  from  Trull).

Att- 55,310

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