The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Celebrating 500 games at Memorial Stadium
11.11.2018 | Football
Texas plays its 500th game inside DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday vs. Iowa State.
PHOTO GALLERY
Seating more than 100,000 fans and home to one of the nation's all-time winningest football programs, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is one of the nation's most iconic and revered facilities. With the vision of legendary Texas Athletics Director L. Theo Bellmont and the help of a group of student leaders on campus, the Board of Regents approved the stadium in 1923 and the project began in January 1924. Completed in the fall of 1924 with $275,000 raised by students and alumni, the stadium's initial capacity was 27,000 and it was dedicated to the Texans who fought and those who lost their lives in World War I. The stadium has had many facelifts, changes and upgrades over the years, but the infrastructure, history and pride of UT's great landmark remains intact.
Since the first game inside then-Texas Memorial Stadium on Nov. 8, 1924, it has been home to many memorable games and unforgettable moments. Saturday's matchup with Big 12 challenger Iowa State will mark Texas' 500th game inside the stadium, and throughout the week TexasSports.com will be celebrating some of the remarkable feats and notable victories in the stadium's illustrious history. We know every Longhorns fan has their personal DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium favorite memories, and we'd love to hear about them. Be sure to tweet your photos or stories to @TexasLonghorns and use the hashtag #DKR500 to share.
Texas Longhorns Milestone Football Games
• First football game: Texas 18, Dallas U 16 in Dallas (11/30/1893)
• First home football game: Texas 30, San Antonio 0 at Varsity Athletic Field (became Clark Field) (12/16/1893)
• Last game at Clark Field: Texas 7, Florida 7 (10/25/1924)
• First game at Texas Memorial Stadium: Baylor 28, Texas 10 (11/8/1924) Attendance: 13,500
• Texas Memorial Stadium dedication game: Texas 7, Texas A&M 0 (11/27/1924 - Thanksgiving Day) Attendance: 35,000
• First night game: Texas Tech 20, Texas 14 (9/17/1955) Attendance: 47,000
• First game on Astro Turf: Texas 49, Texas Tech 7 (9/27/1969) Attendance: 65,200
• Last game on Astro Turf: Texas 21, Baylor 13 (11/23/1995) Attendance: 58,497
• First game at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium: Texas 40, Missouri 10 (8/31/1996) Attendance: 70,613
• First game back returning to grass field: Texas 40, Missouri 10 (8/31/1996) Attendance: 70,613
• Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium dedication game: Notre Dame 27, Texas 24 (9/21/1996) Attendance: 83,312
• Field named for longtime UT benefactor Joe Jamail (Joe Jamail Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium): 1997
• Last game prior to track removal: Texas 26, Texas A&M 24 (11/27/1998) Attendance: 83,687
• Last game on grass field: Texas 49, Texas A&M 9 (11/27/2008) Attendance: 98,621
• First game on FieldTurf artificial surface: Texas 59, ULM 20 (9/5/2009) Attendance: 101,096
Texas 14, Arkansas 13
October 21, 1939
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
With Texas trailing 13-7 and just 30 seconds remaining in the game, many of the crowd of 17,000 were heading for the exits when UT fullback R.B. Patrick flipped a short pass to Jack Crain. Sixty-seven dramatic yards later, those same fans were pouring from the stands after Crain crossed the goal line with the tying score. After several minutes, the field was cleared and Crain booted the extra point. It was UT's first SWC-opening win since 1933, and the win single-handedly revitalized the Texas program.
Texas 7, Texas A&M 0
Thursday, November 28, 1940
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Noble Doss' "impossible catch" on the third play of the game set up Texas' only touchdown, a Pete Layden 1-yard run on the very next play, as the Longhorns ended Texas A&M's 20-game winning streak with a 7-0 victory at Memorial Stadium. The UT win prevented the Aggies from repeating as National Champions and also knocked A&M from a sure Rose Bowl appearance. Texas finished the season 8-2, its best record since 1932.
#1 Texas 7, #7 Arkansas 3
Saturday, October 20, 1962
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Arkansas, both undefeated at 4-0, teed it up in Austin in the first of what was to be a memorable string of games between the Longhorns and Razorbacks in the 1960s. Arkansas jumped out to a 3-0 lead and carried that advantage into the third quarter. It was then that the Hogs mounted a drive that took them to the Texas 5-yard line. With Arkansas first-and-goal, UT linebacker Johnny Treadwell told his teammates, "All right, we've got them right where we want them. They have run out of room. They can't throw a long pass. They've got to come right at us." Two plays later, Arkansas fullback Danny Brabham rammed into the line from the three and was met by Treadwell and Pat Culpepper. Culpepper's helmet popped the football loose from Brabham and Texas recovered in the end zone for a touchback. The Longhorns turned the ball back over but again stopped the Hogs, this time on fourth-and-one at the Texas 12-yard line. It was after a 2-yard loss by quarterback Duke Carlisle that Texas began a 20-play, 90-yard drive that culminated in a game-winning 3-yard touchdown run by Tommy Ford with 36 seconds remaining. Prior to Texas' "Big Drive," the Longhorns had just one first down in the second half.
#1 Texas 7, Baylor 0
Saturday, November 9, 1963
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
In the biggest play of Texas' National Championship season, Duke Carlisle made a sensational leaping interception of what looked like a sure last-minute, game-tying Baylor touchdown pass. With 29 seconds remaining in the game and Baylor at the Texas 19-yard-line, Bears quarterback Don Trull dropped back looking for his favorite receiver, Lawrence Elkins. Elkins, running a post pattern, eluded UT's Joe Dixon and looked to be wide open as he approached the goal line. It was then that Carlisle, who had covered nearly 15 yards since the ball left Trull's hand, closed on Elkins to make the miraculous interception. "Thank you, Duke. You saved my life," said Dixon to Carlisle after the game. Texas went on to finish the season 11-0 and win its first National Championship in school history.
#2 Texas 20, #13 UCLA 17
Saturday, October 3, 1970
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
In one of the most dramatic plays in school history, quarterback Eddie Phillips and wide receiver Cotton Speyrer combined on a 45-yard catch-and-run to raise UT's unbeaten streak to 23 games, eclipsing the old mark of 22 set by Arkansas in 1963-65. On third-and-19 with 20 seconds left, Texas called for "86 pass, Ted crossing, Sam post." Speyrer, who lined up at right end, angled over the middle, jumped and hauled in the pass at the 20-yard-line, then raced to the end zone with 12 seconds remaining on the clock. The Memorial Stadium crowd erupted as yet another Darrell Royal gamble paid off for the Longhorns.
Texas 45, #3 Houston 24
Saturday, November 10, 1990
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Undefeated, third-ranked Houston rolled into Austin with its unstoppable "run-and-shoot" offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate David Klingler. In the previous three years, UH had run up 173 points (57.7 per game) on the Longhorns in winning three consecutive games. In 1990, it was a different story. The UT defense, that would go on to finish the season ranked No. 1 nationally in pass defense, grounded the Cougars in impressive fashion. At the same time, Texas rolled up 626 yards of total offense of its own, the most by a Longhorns team since 1969. In all, UT intercepted Klingler four times and held the Cougars to 81 yards on 31 plays when the game was being decided in the second and third quarters. In the meantime, UT quarterback Peter Gardere completed 20-of-28 passes for 322 yards and fullback Butch Hadnot rushed for 134 yards and two TDs to lead the Longhorns. A raucous sellout crowd enjoyed every minute of the win that helped propel Texas into the 1990 Cotton Bowl.
#16 Texas 17, #14 Virginia 16
Saturday, October 21, 1995
Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
In a pivotal game that ignited a six-game winning streak, a run to the final Southwest Conference Championship and a berth in the Nokia Sugar Bowl, Phil Dawson became the first Longhorns place-kicker to win a game on the final play when he connected on a 50-yard field goal into a stiff 20 mph headwind to lift No. 16 Texas past No. 14 Virginia, 17-16. It marked the first time in history that the Longhorns claimed a victory in a home game on the final play and only the second time on record that UT won a game as time expired. The Longhorns' final series, a 14-play, 47-yard drive, was loaded with dramatic plays. With less than one minute left, UT was faced with a fourth-and-one at its own 43-yard-line. Wane McGarity kept the drive alive by diving over left tackle and barely getting the first down. After three incomplete passes, Texas was faced with a fourth-and-10 with 30 seconds left. James Brown patiently waited, stepped up in the pocket and found Mike Adams on the sideline for 12 yards and the first down. Brown stopped the clock by spiking the ball. With 10 seconds left, on a designed play, Brown then gained 11 yards on a keeper to set up Dawson's dramatic kick.
Texas 26, #6 Texas A&M 24
Friday, November 27, 1998
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Although the Longhorns' loss to Texas Tech on Nov. 14 prevented the UT/Texas A&M rivalry from being a battle for the Big 12 South Division title, there was no lack of enthusiasm as the two teams met for the 105th time. The atmosphere at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was electric as a record crowd of 83,687 fans were on hand, a national audience tuned in via ABC Sports and a star-studded cast lined the sidelines as Ricky Williams rushed to history and the Longhorns waged war with the No. 6 Aggies.
Leading 23-7 at one point, the Longhorns saw their rival come charging from behind to take a 24-23 lead with only 2:20 remaining in the game. Texas made one of the most dramatic drives of the season as it took over at its own 23-yard-line. The drama began as Major Applewhite converted on a 6-yard strike to TE Derek Lewis on third-and-two pass with 1:22 left in the contest. Again facing third-and-two, Applewhite moved the ball to midfield on a 4-yard pass to Bryan White with less than a minute left. Then, following a 7-yard toss to Wane McGarity, Applewhite found Kwame Cavil on a 25-yard pass which moved the ball to A&M's 19-yard-line. Williams 7-yard run set up Kris Stockton's second game-winning field goal of the season. Stockton's 24-yarder split the uprights and secured the Longhorns' 26-24 upset victory.
#18 Texas 24, #3 Nebraska 20
Saturday, October 23, 1999
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
With a record crowd of 84,082 on hand at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the ESPN GameDay set on location, No. 18 Texas upset No. 3 Nebraska 24-20, marking the third consecutive victory for the Longhorns against the Huskers. UT overcame a 13-3 halftime deficit to out score Nebraska 21-7 in the final 30 minutes and deliver the Huskers what would be their only loss of the season.
The game-winning play came with the Longhorns trailing 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter. Two plays after Major Applewhite connected with Ryan Nunez on a 39-yard strike, UT capped its victory-clinching drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Applewhite to Mike Jones with 5:51 remaining in the game. Texas' defense pressured Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch into three consecutive incomplete passes on the final drive and the Longhorns secured their first victory over a Top Five-ranked opponent in Austin since 1990.
The Longhorns scored 14 third-quarter points in the win. Texas' first score came after the Longhorns pinned the Huskers deep in their own territory and forced a short punt. Taking over at its own 35, UT drove for a score in four plays capped by a Chris Robertson 1-yard TD plunge. Two possessions later, UT took over at its own 42-yard-line and Applewhite connected with Kwame Cavil three times in a row, including a 13-yard scoring pass to give the Longhorns their first lead (17-13) since the opening quarter.
Nebraska reclaimed the lead with just less than eight minutes remaining, which set up UT's game-winning drive.
Cole Pittman Dedication Game
#4 Texas 44, North Carolina 14
Saturday, September 8, 2001
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Somehow, somewhere, somebody knew. It was the most poignant of moments as No. 4 Texas played North Carolina in 2001 in a game dedicated to the memory of Longhorn player Cole Pittman, whose life had tragically been taken in a car accident the previous spring. In an emotional pre-game ceremony, Pittman's family had been honored. Much had been made of honoring Pittman's number, No. 44, so it seemed that fate took a hand as the Longhorns put their last touchdown on the board. As the team gathered for an extra point kick attempt, the Texas bench scurried furiously with another plan. As all of the players held up four fingers in tribute to No. 44, Mack Brown ordered quarterback Major Applewhite onto the field for what appeared to be a two point attempt. Instead, Applewhite, ironically a Louisiana native as Pittman was, stepped back and knelt down on one knee. Then, as emotion spread through the stadium, folks realized what was going on. Through a strange accumulation of points, which included safeties and several other quirks in scoring, the Texas total after the final touchdown stood at 44. And that is how Cole Pittman's former teammates chose to leave it, in a 44-14 victory that forever memorialized their fallen friend and teammate.
#6 Texas 56, #19 Oklahoma State 35
Saturday, November 6, 2004
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin)
Sixth-ranked Texas turned in the biggest comeback in Longhorn history by rallying from 28 points down to defeat No. 19 Oklahoma State, 56-35. Trailing 35-7 with 1:21 left in the first half, Texas scored 49 unanswered points. The comeback surpassed the UT record of 19 points set in a 47-43 win over Washington in the 2001 Holiday Bowl and was just three points shy of the largest in NCAA history.
QB Vince Young and TE Bo Scaife sparked the run by connecting on a five-yard TD pass with three seconds to go in the first half to cut the lead to 35-14. The Longhorns scored on their final seven drives of the game and were able to tie the score at 35 with 3:44 left in the third quarter on a 48-yard TD run by freshman RB Ramonce Taylor. UT ended up with 600 yards of total offense as RB Cedric Benson accounted for 141 rushing yards and five rushing TDs. Meanwhile, Young set UT records for consecutive completions with 12 and single-game completion percentage at 85.7 (18-of-21) en route to 278 yards passing and 401 yards of total offense.
Texas 33, Iowa State 7
Saturday, November 10, 2012
DKR- Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin)
The Longhorn family lost a legend with the passing of former head coach Darrell K Royal. The Saturday after his death, the Longhorns honored Royal on their first play from scrimmage against Iowa State by lining up in the Wishbone formation, which Royal pioneered. The Horns went with a trick play and quarterback David Ash handed the ball off to Jaxon Shipley. Shipley threw the ball back to Ash who threw the ball to Greg Daniels for a 47-yard gain. In addition, the team honored Royal by wearing special "DKR" decals on its helmets on that game and until the end of the season. His initials also adorned the logo at midfield and a video tribute was shown at halftime.
Texas 37, USC 14
Saturday, September 15, 2018
DKR- Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin)
Texas won its 900th game in school history earlier in the 2018 season with its 37-14 victory over USC inside of Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium in front of a sellout, record-breaking crowd of 103,507. After falling behind 14-3 at the end of the first quarter, the Longhorns outscored the Trojans 34-0 the rest of the way to take home the victory. The Longhorns' 800th victory in program history also came against USC, as UT claimed the 2005 National Championship by beating the Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
