By Darin The Day Joe Montana Met a Chilly Dallas Day
In college football history, few bowl games are remembered with the mystique and sheer grit of the 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic. On January 1, 1979, the stage was set for a matchup between No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 9 Houston, but the real opponent was the weather. Dallas was brutalized by a deep freeze, with wind chills plummeting to a bone-chilling minus-6 degrees.
Notre Dame’s legendary quarterback, Joe Montana, was already fighting a losing battle. Struggling with the flu and the icy elements, he was pulled from the game and, alarmingly, diagnosed with hypothermia. The Fighting Irish looked defeated, trailing the Cougars by a massive 34-12 margin as the fourth quarter began.
The Most Famous Halftime Meal
What happened next became football legend. In a desperate attempt to revive their star player, trainers swaddled Montana in blankets and, in one of the most famous field remedies, fed him cup after cup of hot chicken soup. It was a race against the clock—and the cold—to get “Joe Cool” functional again.
When Montana emerged for the final quarter, he unleashed one of the most stunning rallies ever witnessed. He swiftly guided the Irish offense, finding open receivers and closing the gap one score at a time. With only seconds left, Montana capped the astonishing comeback, throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kris Haines as time expired to tie the game at 34. Kicker Joe Unis secured the historic win with the game-winning extra point, making the final score 35-34.
Article from Jan 2, 1979 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)
The Legacy of “Joe Cool”
The “Chicken Soup Game” solidified Joe Montana’s reputation for ice-cold composure under extreme pressure, earning him the nickname “Joe Cool.” It remains a defining moment not just in Notre Dame history, but in the lore of college football, proving that sometimes, all a legend needs is a little bit of warmth and a lot of heart.
