Attendance: 72,611 Drizzle, Fog (66 Degrees) Mississippi State 0 3 0 8 11 Texas 7 7 24 0 38 First Quarter 2:17 UT - Wane McGarity 59-yd pass from Major Applewhite (Kris Stockton kick); Drive: 7 plays, 97 yards Second Quarter 5:11 UT - McGarity 52-yd pass from Applewhite (Stockton kick); Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards 2:32 MSU - Brian Hazelwood 39-yd field goal; Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards Third Quarter 12:34 UT - Ricky Williams 37-yd run (Stockton kick); Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards 6:39 UT - Stockton 47-yd field goal; Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards 2:42 UT - Williams 2-yd run (Stockton kick); Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards 0:14 UT - Kwame Cavil 18-yd pass from Applewhite (Stockton kick); Drive: 1 play, 18 yards Fourth Quarter 10:07 MSU - Lahitia Grant 5-yd pass from Matt Wyatt (James Johnson run); Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards Team Statistics MSU UT First Downs 18 27 Att-Net Yards Rush 32-87 43-238 Pass Comp-Att-Int 16-40-1 15-26-0 Net Yards Passing 205 225 Total Plays-Yards 72-292 69-463 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-0 Punts-Avg 7-41.0 6-37.2 Penalties-Yards 9-89   Time of Possession 27:59 32:01   Individual Statistics Texas Rushing (Att./Yds/TD): Ricky Williams (30-203-2); Hodges Mitchell (7-26-0); Ricky Brown (3-15-0); Major Applewhite (3-minus 6-0). Passing (Comp./Att./Int./Yds/TD): Major Applewhite (15-26-0-225-3). Receiving (No./Yds/TD): Wane McGarity (4-132-2); Ricky Williams (5-45-0); Kwame Cavil (3-31-1); Derek Lewis (2-26-0); Ryan Nunez (1-minus 9-0). Punting (No./Yds/Avg.): Ryan Long (5-189-37.8); Kris Stockton (1-34-34.0). Mississippi State Rushing (Att./Yds/TD): James Johnson (22-112-0); Dennis McKinley (2-7-0); Chris Rainey (1-2-0); Pig Prather (1-minus 3-0); Wayne Madkin (4-minus 11-0); Matt Wyatt (2-minus 20-0). Passing (Comp./Att./Int./Yds/TD): Matt Wyatt (12-24-0-156-1); Wayne Madkin (4-16-1-49-0). Receiving (No./Yds/TD): Lahitia Grant (4-62-1); Kevin Cooper (4-38-0); Kelvin Love (2-33-0); James Johnson (1-22-0); Dennis McKinley (1-20-0); Reggie Kelly (2-14-0); Kevin Prentiss (1-8-0); Matt Butler (1-8-0). Punting (No./Yds/Avg.): Jeff Walker (5-223-44.6); Matt Wyatt (2-64-32.0).

DALLAS -- It was a perfect ending to a storybook season for the 20th-ranked Longhorns as first-year head coach Mack Brown led his 8-3 squad to its first Cotton Bowl since 1991. In Dallas, through the fog and drizzle, Texas exorcised its postseason demons and took home its first New Year’s Day bowl win since the 1981 season with a 38-11 trouncing of No. 25 Mississippi State.

Fresh off a whirlwind tour, which saw him take home several postseason honors including UT’s second Heisman Trophy and another Dr Pepper Doak Walker Award, Ricky Williams, playing in his 49th and final game as a Longhorn, dominated the contest. He racked up 203 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 30 carries, caught five balls for 45 yards and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.

Texas set the tone for the game near the end of the first quarter when Major Applewhite found Wane McGarity for a 59-yard bomb and a 7-0 Longhorns lead.

On the first play of the second quarter, Bulldogs RB James Johnson broke loose from the Mississippi State seven-yard line and appeared on his way to the end zone. However, Aaron Babino, the game’s defensive MVP, caught Johnson from behind and made the shoe-string tackle to prevent the score.

UT’s defense tightened and the teams traded punts. With 5:11 left in the half, Applewhite again hooked up with McGarity, this time a 52-yard score to put Texas on top 14-0.

Brian Hazelwood got the Bulldogs on the board with a 39-yard field goal late in the half and Texas led 14-3 at intermission.

The second half was all Texas as Mississippi State was unable to stop Williams, who rushed for 104 yards and two scores in the third quarter alone. Williams scored on a 37-yard run, Kris Stockton hit a 47-yard field goal, and Williams plowed in from two yards out as UT extended its lead to 31-3 with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

The final Texas score came after the tough Texas defense, which allowed Johnson only one yard in the third quarter after a 105-yard first half, stuffed the Bulldogs on fourth-and-one at their own 18.

One play later, Applewhite hit Kwame Cavil in the back of the endzone to finish off the scoring.

Williams’ 203 rushing yards were a Texas bowl game record.