1995 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1995 Mobil Cotton Bowl was the 59th Cotton Bowl Classic. The USC Trojans defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 55–14. The Trojans took a 21–0 lead less than ten minutes into the game and led 34–0 at halftime. USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who finished with eight catches for a Cotton Bowl-record 222 yards and three touchdowns, was named offensive MVP. Trojan cornerback John Herpin had two interceptions, one for a touchdown, and was named defensive MVP.^[1]

The game was televised nationally by NBC for the third consecutive year. The Cotton Bowl Classic would return to its longtime television home, CBS, the next year. It was also the last year that Mobil served as the game's title sponsor; the following year, the Cotton Bowl organizers began a seventeen-year relationship with what is now AT&T.

USC's appearance was only the third in Cotton Bowl history by a team from the Pacific-10 Conference, following that of Oregon in 1949 and UCLA in 1989. Texas Tech's appearance was the last by a team from the Southwest Conference, which disbanded a year later. The Red Raiders finished 1–3 against ranked opponents, beating #19 Texas, but losing to #1 Nebraska, #21 Oklahoma, and #10 Texas A&M. They earned a share of the Southwest Conference championship, splitting it with Texas, Baylor, TCU, and Rice. Undefeated Texas A&M had the best record in the conference, but was ineligible for the conference title and could not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions.

A complex tiebreaker was required to determine the SWC's representative to the Cotton Bowl. Since Rice was 5-6 and thus ineligible for a bowl game, results against the Owls were disregarded. Texas and Texas Tech each went 2-1 in the round robin between the Longhorns, Red Raiders, Baylor and TCU, while the Bears and Horned Frogs each went 1-2, leaving Texas and Tech in the running. The Red Raiders' 33-9 victory vs. the Longhorns in Lubbock Oct. 29 gave Tech the ultimate tiebreaker and the trip to Dallas. Texas went to the Sun Bowl, Baylor to the Alamo Bowl and TCU to the Independence Bowl.

• USC - Shawn Walters 11-yard touchdown run (Ford kick), 6:51 remaining
• USC - Terry Barnum 19-yard touchdown pass from Rob Johnson (Ford kick), 6:39 remaining
• USC - John Herpin 26-yard interception return (Ford kick), 5:35 remaining
• USC - Keyshawn Johnson 12-yard touchdown pass from R. Johnson (Ford kick), 2:22 remaining
• USC - Ford 39-yard field goal, 6:50 remaining
• USC - Ford 42-yard field goal, 0:17 remaining
• USC - K. Johnson 22-yard touchdown pass from R. Johnson (Ford kick), 10:29 remaining
• USC - K. Johnson 86-yard touchdown pass from R. Johnson (Ford kick), 7:51 remaining
• Texas Tech - Zebbie Lethridge 5-yard touchdown run (Davis kick), 2:15 remaining
• USC - Jeff Diltz 2-yard touchdown pass from Brad Otton (Ford kick), 2:40 remaining
• Texas Tech - Stacy Mitchell 45-yard touchdown pass from Sone Cavazos (Davis kick), 0:00 remaining

Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson caught 8 passes for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns as USC trounced Texas Tech, who did not score until it was 48–0.^[2]