| 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 11th Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||
 Gameday program | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1947 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Cotton Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Dallas, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | End Alton Baldwin (Arkansas) QBY. A. Tittle (LSU) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Abb Curtis (SWC; split crew: SWC,SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 38,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The1947 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-seasoncollege footballbowl game played on January 1, 1947 in theCotton Bowl stadium at Dallas, Texas, between theArkansas Razorbacks and theLSU Tigers. Due to adversewinter weather, neither team scored, and Arkansas and LSU tied the game, later referred to asIce Bowl, 0–0. The two teams met again in the Cotton Bowl Classic in1966.[1]
Arkansas and LSU had enjoyed a neighboring-staterivalry beginning in 1901, however, the two teams had not met since 1936, the end of a 23-year run of meetings inShreveport. The 9–1 Tigers, led by quarterbackY. A. Tittle, were not invited to play in the1947 Sugar Bowl, and instead matched up with the rival Razorbacks. Arkansas entered at 6–3–1, losing atTexas andTulsa, versusOle Miss, and tyingOklahoma A&M. The rain, sleet, snow, and ice from a winter storm would keep many members of the sellout crowd home, but 38,000 still showed up to watch the icy skirmish.[2] Unused to the wintry conditions, the LSU team used oil drums filled with charcoal on the sidelines as makeshift heaters, while fans reportedly started fires in the stands to keep warm.[3][2]
LSU was 1–3 in bowl games previous to the Ice Bowl. Arkansas, with their tie in the1934 Dixie Classic, was 0–0–1, and 0–0–2 after their second indecisive bowl.
The Razorbacks were statistically beaten by the Tigers, who held a 15–1 advantage in first downs. LSU also held a yardage advantage of 271–54. The Razorback defense stiffened in thered zone, however, holding the Tigers off the board from 1, 6, 7, and 8 yards out. Despite the cold and bad conditions, the final two plays were very dramatic. Tittle threw a pass to Jeff Adams, who was running to theend zone, butClyde Scott of Arkansas tackled him at the one. LSU was in position for a game winningfield goal, but there was a bad snap, and the game ended with a tie.[3]
Tittle was named the game's Most Valuable Player.[4]