College Football Stories

College football teams with winning seasons are rewarded with bowl invitations. Typically, the bowls take place in warm weather environments, like Miami, Orlando, Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. There are even games in tropical paradises like Hawaii and the Bahamas. Players, coaches, and their families can look forward to a relaxing week on the beach, soaking up the sun and the waves. It really is a great reward for a fantastic season.

Northwestern Louisiana is not typically known as a hot-spot among holiday traveling destinations. But, on December 31st, 2000, Shreveport, LA would host one of the more memorable New Year’s Eve bowl games of all time. Temperatures that afternoon were in the mid-twenties, accompanied by intense wind chills and more than a half-foot of snow. By kickoff, the scene in Independence Stadium was more reminiscent of an NFL playoff game at Lambeau Field; aside from the much smaller crowd.

Over 36,000 fans braved the elements to witness the Mississippi State Bulldogs battle the Texas A&M Aggies in an overtime thriller. This game had everything you would expect from a wacky weather match-up: slips, trips, stumbles, mishandled snaps, poor kicking, and of course, 84 combined points. This game would be remembered in college football lore as the “Snow Bowl”.

Maroon Ties

Long before they were conference opponents, Texas A&M and Mississippi State shared something else in common (other than maroon and white uniforms). State’s head coach Jackie Sherrill had the same position at A&M from 1982 to 1988. He resigned from his role in College Station after the Aggies were put on probation by the NCAA for recruiting violations. Sherrill was 52-28-1 during his seven years at Texas A&M, and won three Southwest Conference championships. After a two-year hiatus from coaching, Sherrill took the State head coaching job in 1991.

R.C. Slocum is, in fact, a football coach, not a Texas oil tycoon as his name implies. Slocum was hired at Texas A&M in 1972 as an offensive assistant coach. From 1973 until 1988, aside from one year at USC, Slocum stayed in College Station as a defensive assistant and/or coordinator. When Sherrill resigned after the 1988 season, Slocum took over as head coach. Slocum had great success early on with the Aggies, winning three consecutive Southwest Conference titles from 1991-1993, and a Big 12 championship in 1998.

2000 Independence Bowl

This was the first meeting between the two schools since 1937, a 14-0 Aggies victory. Mississippi State came into this game with a 7-4 record. The Bulldogs started hot at 7-2, with wins over Florida, Auburn, and Alabama before dropping their final two contests to Arkansas and Ole Miss. Two of their four losses came in overtime. Slocum’s Aggies were very similar, also starting the year 7-2. A&M lost a close game to Oklahoma in late-November after blowing a fourth quarter, double-digit lead. They got pummeled against their rival, the Texas Longhorns, in their season finale. Both teams were looking for some positive momentum to take into the 2001 season.

First Half

On the first play from scrimmage, surely as a sign of things to come, Mississippi State quarterback Wayne Madkin mishandled the snap from under-center and fumbled. Aggies defensive lineman Ronald Flemons fell on the ball and Texas A&M took over deep in State territory only 17 seconds into the game. Texas A&M QB Mark Farris led a quick, four-play scoring drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by running back Richard Whitaker to give the Aggies the early first quarter lead.

Mississippi State went three and out and punted on the ensuing possession. On A&M’s next drive, 6-foot, 275-pound fullback Ja’Mar Toombs broke off big runs of 19- and 34-yards. With eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, Toombs capped off the drive with a 4-yard TD run to put the Aggies up 14-0.

Madkin mishandled the first snap on State’s next drive, but was able to fall on the ball and retain possession. On the very next play, in shotgun formation, a low snap went through Madkin’s legs, but fortunately, he recovered and even gained seven yards. After a lengthy, six-minute drive, State picked up several first downs to flip the field position, but were forced to punt again.

For the remainder of the first quarter and early second quarter, the Bulldogs and Aggies traded short drives and punts. With 11 minutes left in the second period, State took over on their own 41-yard line. A pass interference call against the Aggies on third down gave the Bulldogs offense some life. Several plays later, RB Dontae Walker ran right up the middle for a 40-yard touchdown to bring the score to 14-7 in favor of A&M. Through their first five offensive possessions, Mississippi State ran 17 plays for 41 yards; Walker’s score capped a 5 play, 60-yard drive.

The Aggies couldn’t move the ball on their next drive, aside from a defensive pass interference call against the Bulldogs. After the punt, State took over on their own 14 yd line with under seven minutes remaining in the half. After a few productive rushes from Walker, the drive stalled and State punted.

The kick pinned the Aggies at their own 5-yard line. Through A&M’s first 20 plays, Toombs had 14 carries for 94 of A&M’s 116 yards. After Farris was sacked at his own 1-yard line, A&M’s punt was partially blocked and State took over deep in Aggies territory with a minute and a half remaining in the second quarter. Three plays later, Madkin found RB Dicenzo Miller on a screen pass for a score. The game was 14-14 with 54 seconds left in the first half.

After a dreadful 7-yard kickoff by State, Farris threw a deep touchdown pass to WR Robert Ferguson to take a 20-14 lead with 46 seconds left. The Aggies’ point after attempt was blocked by State defensive lineman Willie Blade. The Aggies lead by six points heading into the locker room.

Second Half

The Aggies received the ball to start the third quarter and took over at their own 10-yd line. On a third-down run, Whitaker fumbled and State took over. Attempting to give the ball right back to A&M, Madkin fumbled the Buldogs’ first snap, but was able to recover it. After several runs from Miller and a late hit call against the Aggies, Walker punched it in from the 1-yard line to give State a 21-20 lead with less than 12 minutes left in the third quarter.

The teams exchanged poor punts for the rest of the third quarter. On 2nd-and-20 from the State 35 yard-line, Farris found WR Bethel Johnson on a quick pass to the flats. Johnson shook a defender and took it to the house to give the Aggies the lead. Whitaker took a draw play into the end zone for the two-point conversion and A&M led 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.

After slipping on the ensuing kick-off, State was backed up to their own 7-yard line. The Bulldogs went three-and-out quickly, and a dreadful 28-yard punt gave the Aggies great field position. Toombs capped off a strong drive with a 13-yd TD run. A&M led 35-21 with 9:20 left in the ball game.

After Huntington’s big kick return, State started their next drive at the 45-yard line. Madkin found WR Donald Lee for a big play on first down to the A&M 29. Two plays later, Walker took it in for 32-yard TD run, his third of night. The score was 35-28 with eight minutes remaining. After taking over at their own 30-yard line, the Aggies went three-and-out.

State had an opportunity after a defensive holding call against the Aggies, but gave those yards back after an offensive pass interference call against Huntington. A 13-yard run from Walker set up a more manageable 3rd-and-11 for the Bulldogs. Madkin was pressured and overthrew his intended target. The Aggies took over at their own 6-yard line after great punt by State with 4:34 left.

On A&M’s next possession, Bulldogs DE Dorsett Davis pressured Farris and forced an errant throw. The ball was intercepted by cornerback Marco Minor, who was filling in for the All-American Fred Smoot. With under three minutes remaining in regulation, State took over at the A&M 4-yard line. Three plays later, Madkin found Lee wide open on a delayed middle screen for a score. The game was tied up at 35 each with 1:30 left. The Aggies went three-and-out on their next drive and the game went into overtime.

Overtime

The Snow Bowl was only the third bowl to ever go to overtime. Prior to this game, State had been outscored 14-0 in overtime games in the 2000 regular season. The Aggies got the ball first, and wasted little time.

Toombs took the first play 25-yards off the right side to the pylon for a diving touchdown to give A&M a 41-35 lead. The Aggies extra point attempt was blocked by Blade and then caught on a bounce by DL Eugene Clinton. Thinking quickly on his feet, Clinton lateraled the ball to DB Julius Griffith, who ran it all the way back for two points.

State trailed 41-37 when they got the ball to start their overtime possession. Madkin scrambled to the 6-yard line on first down. Two plays later, he ran it in for the touchdown and State won 43-41. Sherrill defeated his former team and former defensive coordinator Slocum to win his second straight bowl game. The Independence Bowl defeat marked Slocum’s fourth consecutive bowl loss. Willie Blade was named the Capital One Player of the Game by ESPN. On the losing side, Toombs had a phenomenal game, rushing 35 times for 193 yards and 3 TD’s.

The Bulldogs and Aggies would not meet again until Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012. The two became division rivals and have played one another every season. The Aggies hold an 8-6 advantage in the conference series and have won three in a row against the Bulldogs.