Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Alabama middle guard Warren Lyles saved his best effort of the season for the 1981 Cotton Bowl Classic. His coach, the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant, sensed that Lyles would be the target of Baylor's point of attack. Minutes before kickoff in the Bama locker room, Bryant challenged his defenders to make a statement against the Bears. Obviously, his words touched a nerve because Lyles responded with a tremendous performance. He recorded eight tackles for the Crimson Tide, five of them were unassisted and resulted in 26 yards in losses. The Alabama defense totally disrupted the Baylor game plan, limiting the Bears to 158 yards in total offense, 54 yards rushing and forced seven turnovers. Lyles lived up to his coach's pregame challenge and helped lead the Crimson Tide to a compelling 30-2 victory.