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January 1, 1954: The celebrated bench tackle by Alabama’s Tommy Lewis
overshadowed the awesome performance of Rice’s Dicky Maegle, who set
all-time bowl records with 265 yards rushing and touchdown runs of 79,
95, and 34 yards. For the day, Maegle (then known as Moegle) averaged an
unbelievable 24.1 yards per play on just 11 carries (video).
Yet, it’s Lewis who people seem to remember best.
Lewis put the Crimson Tide ahead early on a one-yard plunge, but a
blocked extra point left the score 6-0. Maegle tied it up on the first
play of the second period with a magnificent 79-yard run- at that point,
the longest scoring run ever in the Classic. Leroy Fenstemaker’s extra
point gave Rice the lead for good, but there was plenty more to come.
Minutes later, Alabama moved back into scoring position but fumbled the
ball away to the Owls at the Rice 10-yard line. On the first play, Rice
was penalized five yards for illegal procedure. Now, facing a
first-and-15 situation, history was in the making. Taking a handoff from
Fenstemaker, Maegle began his famous run around right end. The Owl line
blocked perfectly. Blois Bridges made the block which allowed Maegle to
turn the corner. Mac Taylor flattened another Alabama defender, and
Gordon Kellogg took out the last man — Bart Starr, the defensive left
halfback- and Maegle was long gone.
As Maegle approached midfield, Lewis leaped off the bench, stepped
around a couple of teammates, ran laterally down the sideline before
throwing a perfect block into Maegle’s blind side as he hit the 42-yard
mark (video). As some 75,000 fans looked on
in disbelief, game announcers fumbled for words to describe what had
just taken place. Maegle lay motionless on the turf. Referee Cliff Shaw,
who had been following the play up the field, hesitated for a moment,
and then shot his arms over his head, signaling touchdown. Some
sportswriters were divided in their opinions on whether Maegle would
have scored, although Meagle had teammate Dick Chapman nearby to screen
Bill Oliver, the only Alabama player who appeared to have a shot at
making a touchdown saving tackle.
Almost a year later, writers participating in an Associated Press
year-end poll, voted the 95-yard play as the sports oddity of 1954.
Maegle went on to score his third touchdown of the day, a 34-yard run
which may have been his best individual effort of the game, and the Owls
walked away with a 28-6 victory. It was the third Classic triumph in as
many visits for Rice. But, no matter what else may have happened that
day, it was the Maegle-Lewis collision that will be remembered most. A
quick check of the record book and one can understand why. Complete with
an asterisk, Maegle’s 95-yard gallop remains as the longest- if not the
most talked about- play in Cotton Bowl history (video).
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Attendance - 75,000
Scoring Summary
First Quarter:
Ala- Lewis 1 run (Luna kick blocked)
Second Quarter:
Rice- Maegle 79 run (Fenstemaker kick)
Rice- Maegle awarded 95 run after bench tackle by Lewis (Fenstemaker
kick)
Third Quarter:
Rice- Maegle 34 run (Fenstemaker kick)
Fourth Quarter:
Rice- Grantham 7 run (Burk kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Ala- Oliver 2-56, Starr 11-54, Lewis 9-44
Rice- Maegle 11-265, Kellogg 14-32, Taylor 9-20
Passing
Ala- Starr 7-16-67
Rice- Grantham 3-5-43, Fenstemaker 1-4-16
Receiving
Ala- Cummings 2-37, Stone 2-20, Oliver 1-15
Rice- Holland 2-28, Bridges 1-16, Garbrecht 1-15
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