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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Former University of Missouri football head coach Gary Pinkel and tailback Tony Temple are among seven inductees set to be inducted into the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to begin at Noon CT on the West End Zone Plaza at AT&T Stadium. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. and is free and open to the public to attend. Free parking will be available in Lot 10.
The honorees in the 13th Hall of Fame class include former Florida State defensive back Terrell Buckley, Texas A&M quarterback Edd Hargett, Auburn linebacker Will Herring, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, Past CBAA Chairman Fred McClure, along wtih Pinkel and Tony Temple.
These seven honorees are adding their names to a group that has grown to 85 men and women who have left an indelible mark on the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, one of America’s original bowl games.
Mizzou alumnus Brad Sham, the Voice of the Dallas Cowboys and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, is set to return as Master of Ceremonies for the enshrinement activities. Each member of the Hall of Fame Class will receive a personalized bronze statue in the likeness of a 1930s football player, the era in which the Classic was founded.
A judging committee comprised of media representatives and athletic administrators voted from a long list of former players, coaches, bowl administrators and others to select the 2023 Class. Selection criteria for the Hall of Fame include the following:
• Voting was based solely upon the nominee’s performance or impact upon the success of the Cotton Bowl Classic rather than on the person’s overall college and/or professional career.
• An individual is eligible five years after his/her final Classic appearance.
INDUCTEE BIOS
HEAD COACH GARY PINKEL, MISSOURI
2008 Classic: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7
2014 Classic: Missouri 41, Oklahoma State 31
Classic Record: 2-0-0
Don’t mess with Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, especially in Texas. He knocked off Arkansas 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl Classic in 2008 and then beat Oklahoma State 41-31 in 2014. Pinkel’s Tigers literally flew past the Razorbacks. Mizzou rolled up 323 rushing yards and 459 yards in total offense, produced four rushing touchdowns and returned an interception for another score. The Tigers rode the momentum of the victory to a No. 4 finish in the final national rankings. Six years later, Coach Pinkel had Missouri back in North Texas to face Oklahoma State. The SEC Eastern Division Champions led the Cowboys by a narrow 17-14 margin entering the fourth quarter, then exploded for 24 points to ice the game away and post a 41-31 victory. Missouri’s all-time winningest coach was simply unbeatable in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
TONY TEMPLE, MISSOURI, TAILBACK
2008 Classic: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7
Rushing: 24 attempts, 281 yards, 4 TDs
Nothing could slow down Missouri tailback Tony Temple. A tweaked hamstring couldn’t do it, and neither could Arkansas. In the 72nd Cotton Bowl Classic in 2008, Temple ran for 281 yards to erase the Classic’s 54-year-old rushing record and registered four touchdowns to help secure a 38-7 victory. The exclamation point on Temple’s amazing afternoon came on his final carry. Breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage and then spinning away from another defender, he raced 40 yards straight up field and dove into the end zone for the game’s final score. Then came his biggest challenge of the day – getting back to the Missouri bench after his record-setting touchdown run. Exhausted and nursing that aching hamstring, Temple’s teammates happily scooped him up with tender loving care and carried him to the sideline. The Tigers’ victory celebration was well underway.
GET YOUR 2023 TICKETS NOW!
Mizzou will open the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, against South Dakota inside Faurot Field. The Tigers’ robust home schedule features games against Kansas State, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.
Purchase your 2023 season tickets now by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or buying online.
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