Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Eric Dickerson was virtually unstoppable. Figuring out a way to slow him down was hard enough. In the early 1980s, Dickerson teamed up with Craig James to form the “Pony Express”, the most exciting offensive tandem in SMU history, if not all of college football. This dynamic duo led the Mustangs to back-to-back SWC titles, an undefeated 1982 season, a berth into the 1983 Cotton Bowl Classic to face Pitt, and a No. 2 national ranking. Dickerson rushed for 1,617 yards as a senior, scored 17 touchdowns and aver-aged 7.0 yards per carry. SMU’s explosive tailback served as the workhorse in the Mustangs’ 7-3 victory over the Panthers, rushing for 124 yards on 27 attempts. His constant pounding on Pittsburgh defenders propelled the Ponies to their first Cotton Bowl victory in 34 years.