1954 Cotton Bowl Classic

1954 Cotton Bowl Classic
18th Cotton Bowl Classic
"12th Man Tackle Game"
1234 Total
Alabama 6000 6
Rice 01477 28
DateJanuary 1, 1954
Season1953
StadiumCotton Bowl
LocationDallas, Texas
MVPT Richard Chapman (Rice)
End Dan Hart (Rice)
HB Dickey Maegle (Rice)
RefereeCliff Shaw (SWC;
split crew: SWC, SEC)
Attendance75,504
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
Cotton Bowl Classic
 < 1953  1955

The 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1953 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1954, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as conference champions, and the Rice Owls, representing the Southwest Conference (SWC) as conference co-champions. Rice won the game 28–6, but its victory was overshadowed by Alabama's Tommy Lewis and his "12th man tackle" of Rice running back Dicky Maegle in the second quarter.