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Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

2005 HALL OF FAME

Lydell Mitchell

  • Position Tailback, Penn State
  • Hometown Salem, New Jersey
  • Height 6-0
  • Weight 200
  • Classic Memories 1972 Classic: Penn State 30, Texas 6

Biography

With Lydell Mitchell supplying the firepower, Penn State turned a first half defensive battle into a runaway victory over Texas. Seldom had a Longhorn team been subjected to such a thorough beating, but Mitchell and his Nittany Lion teammates were more than happy to deliver. Mitchell was unstoppable running the football. The All-America halfback capped a brilliant career by pounding Texas defenders for 146 yards on 27 carries. At halftime, Penn State trailed the Horns 6-3, mustering only a field goal. However, minutes into the second half, Mitchell notched the game's first touchdown on a one-yard run to ignite the Lions' awesome scoring explosion. Texas had no answer for Mitchell and the end result was a resounding 30-6 victory for Penn State.