1976 Cotton Bowl Classic
40th Cotton Bowl Classic
Arkansas Razorbacks Georgia Bulldogs (9–2) (9–2) SWC SEC 31 10 Head coach:  Frank Broyles Head coach:  Vince Dooley AP Coaches 18 15 AP Coaches 12 11
1 2 3 4 Total Arkansas 0 10 0 21 31 Georgia 10 0 0 0 10
Date	January 1, 1976
Season	1975
Stadium	Cotton Bowl
Location	Dallas, Texas
MVP	HB Ike Forte (Arkansas) LB Hal McAfee (Arkansas)
Favorite	Arkansas by 6
Referee	Vance Carlson (Big Eight)
Attendance	77,500
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS
Announcers	Lindsey Nelson and Alex Hawkins
Cotton Bowl Classic  < 1975  1977 >

The 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football bowl game between the co-Southwest Conference champion Arkansas Razorbacks^[1] and the Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas defeated Georgia, 31–10 in front of 77,500 spectators.^[2]

Arkansas finished the regular season 9–2, came into the game on a five-game winning streak. The Hogs were part of a three-way tie for the Southwest Conference Championship with Texas and Texas A&M. The Hogs lost to Texas, 18–24, but gave #2 Texas A&M its first loss in the regular season finale. The 31-6 upset of the Aggies in War Memorial Stadium is one of the most memorable games in Razorback football history.

Georgia was 9–2 entering the game, tied for second in the Southeastern Conference.

The Bulldogs took an early 10–3 lead. Arkansas wouldn't score a touchdown until Georgia's QB Ray Goff tried a 'shoestring' play. He bent as if to tie his shoe and flipped the ball to Gene Washington, a legal play as long as in one motion, but Razorback Hal McAfee scooped up the ball at the 13 yard line.^[3] Ike Forte scored for the Hogs, knotting the game at 10. The two teams were scoreless in the third period, with Arkansas missing three field goals, before the Hogs exploded for 21 unanswered to close the game.