Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming

The story of “one of the most tumultuous and important years in American history” (The Denver Post)—a remarkable week in which irresistible social change and thrilling sports met head-on—in the 1969 version of college football’s game of the century.

On December 6, 1969, the Texas Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks met in what many consider the game of the century. Both teams were undefeated; both featured devastating and innovative offenses; both boasted stingy defenses; and both were coached by superior tacticians and stirring motivators: Texas’s Darrell Royal and Arkansas’s Frank Broyles. Moreover, President Richard Nixon was on hand to present his own national championship plaque to the winners. Even if it had been just a game, it would have been memorable. But it was much more, because nothing was so simple in December 1969.

In this “delightful, well-researched chronicle of a turbulent era” (Library Journal), Terry Frei deftly weaves the social, political, and athletic trends together for an unforgettable look at one of the landmark college sporting events of all time. Gripping, nimble, and clear-eyed, Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming is a great story, well told with more delicious details than a linebacker could tackle” (San Antonio Express News).