The Texas Longhorns piled up the points on Jan.1, 1946 setting a Cotton Bowl scoring record that stood for 29 years. Bobby Layne played 17 more seasons in college and the pros but was never better than that New Year’s Day in Dallas.
Robert Lawrence Layne graduated from Highland Park high school in 1944 a year ahead of teammate and close friend Doak Walker. While Doak completed his schoolboy career that fall, Bobby called signals for the University of Texas under a wartime waiver of the rule banning freshmen from varsity competition.
After short hitches in the merchant marine, the boyhood buddies went to New Orleans for their discharges. Southern Methodist happened to be in town that night for a game with Tulane, and the reinstated civilians arrived at the stadium in time to watch the visitors lose a nail-biter 21-18.
Although Doak was leaning toward his hometown college, Bobby had not given up on the idea that he might join him in the Texas backfield.
Disappointed by the Mustangs’ defeat, the coveted recruit agreed to meet the Longhorn head coach at a local hotel. But Blair Cherry was nowhere to be found, and the Horns let the future Heisman Trophy winner slip through their hooves.
Exactly a week later, the talented Texans lined up on opposite sides of the ball. Doak gave SMU the lead with a dazzling dash, but Bobby saved the day for UT by passing for the go-ahead touchdown.
With Bobby back as quarterback, the Longhorns stampeded through the rest of the schedule winning the Southwest Conference title and the host berth in the tenth annual Cotton Bowl. With a record of nine victories against a single loss, the SWC representative was a two-touchdown favorite over Big Six champion Missouri.
The partisan crowd of 46,000 smelled a rout after Texas tallied on its initial possession. Bobby connected with Joe Baumgardner on a 48-yard pass-and-run and added the extra point with a perfect place kick.
Missouri needed only four snaps to even the score at seven. The Tiger quarterback caught the Texas defenders napping with a deep strike to a lanky end, who took the ball over his shoulder at the Longhorn 40 and galloped untouched into the end zone.
UT went right back on top with a 60-yard march capped by Bobby’s successful sneak from the one yard line. He again split the uprights, and the scoreboard flashed 14 for Texas.
After missing a field goal on their next possession, the Tigers capitalized on a Longhorn miscue – a fumble at the Missouri 38. Eight plays and an extra point later, the score was tied at 14.
Bobby pulled a razzle-dazzle rabbit out of his helmet to set up Texas’ third TD. He lateraled to a backup halfback, who fooled the Tigers by throwing to end Hubert Bechtol. The trick play gained 56 yards and paved the way for Bobby’s second paydirt plunge.
Compared to the offensive fireworks of the first and second quarters, when the high-powered opponents combined for 35 points, the third period was downright dull. Taking advantage of a fumble recovery at the Missouri 20, Bobby extended the Longhorn lead to 27-14 with a touchdown toss to Baumgardner for the only points of the stanza.
Never-say-die Missouri drove 93 yards in the final quarter to shave the margin to six. But Bobby quickly put the Longhorns back up by 12 with a role-changing reception of a 50-yard pass.
When the final gun sounded, both teams had crossed the goal line one last time. Texas’ 40 points would stand as a Cotton Bowl until 1975.
Bobby had a hand in each of the six Longhorn touchdowns. He carried the ball for three, passed for two and caught the sixth. In addition the versatile quarterback kicked the four extra points.
Bobby played two more years for Texas before turning professional in 1948. After single seasons with the Chicago Bears and New York Bulldogs, he was traded to Detroit and reunited with Doak Walker.
Together they led the Lions to NFL championships in 1952 and 1953, the first in franchise history.
When Bobby called it quits nearly a decade later, he had an impressive list of achievements: most pass attempts, most pass completions, most passing yards and most touchdown passes. But mere statistics never did the Blond Bomber justice.
It was his fiery competitive spirit that put Bobby Layne in a league of his own. As Doak Walker once said, “Bobby never lost a game in his life. Time just ran out on him.”
Before his death from cancer in 1986, Bobby reminisced about the 1946 Cotton Bowl. “I remember it was a wild game. Neither team had much of a defense. It seemed every time one got the ball, it went for a touchdown.”
Pressed for an assessment of his own performance, Bobby conceded, “I would have to call it my biggest day in football.”
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