The 1985 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 49th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1984âÂÂ85 bowl game season, it matched the No. 8 Boston College Eagles (independent) and the unranked Houston Cougars of the Boston College never trailed and won 45âÂÂ28.
Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie gained national attention on November 23, when he led the Eagles to a memorable win at Miami, in what would be called Hail Flutie. He left school as the NCAAâÂÂs all-time passing yardage leader with a consensus All-American, and the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy in This was BC's first Cotton Bowl appearance in 45 years, since January 1940. Boston College finished the regular season with a 9âÂÂ2 record, and was the recipient of the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (emblematic of the 'Eastern championship' in Division I FBS).
Houston shared the Southwest Conference title for the first time since 1979. By virtue of their defeat of conference co-champion SMU during the season, the Cougars made their first Cotton Bowl appearance in five years. SMU defeated Notre Dame in the Aloha Bowl on December 28; the Mustangs finished with ten wins and were eighth in the final AP poll. Houston was the first unranked team to represent the SWC in the Cotton Bowl in 17 years.
The game kicked off shortly after 12:30 p.m. CST, as did the Fiesta Bowl on NBC. The game time temperature in Dallas was with gusty winds, freezing rain, and the artificial turf was slick.
The Eagles rolled to a 31âÂÂ14 lead at halftime on Flutie's three touchdown passes (to three different receivers) and a Steve Strachan 2-yard touchdown run, despite the Cougars' two quick ways of scoring touchdowns, one of which occurring when Larry Shepherd caught a Gerald Landry pass for a touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half.
Raymond Tate narrowed the lead with his touchdown late in the third quarter. Audray McMillian intercepted a Flutie pass and returned it 25 yards to the end zone to make it 31âÂÂ28 as the third quarter ended. But the Eagles scored with 5:45 remaining on a Strachan 4-yard touchdown run. Troy Stradford sealed the game with a 18-yard touchdown run with 1:06 to go in the fourth quarter as Boston College won their first Cotton Bowl.
Boston College improved to 10âÂÂ2 and climbed to No. 5 in the final AP poll. Through , neither team has returned to the Cotton Bowl Classic.