UH had little to growl about in the first football game played at the Astrodome on 9/11/1965. The Cougars lost, 14-0, to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in a day game.
In 1965, when the Houston Oilers pulled out of the plan to make the brand new Harris County Domed Stadium their home too, it may have been a decision helped along by Judge Hofheinz’s brainstorming choice to commercially rename the groundbreaking new facility in his own baseball club’s favor as the Astrodome. Regardless of the actual cause behind the Oilers’ pick to play their NFL home games at Rice Stadium that year. it left the door open for The University of Houston, the Dome’s other fall sport tenant, to play the first football game in the Astrodome.
The date was Saturday, September 11, 1965, and it was a big deal, at least, for one other reason. The game marked the UH introduction of Warren McVea, the first black player in the university’s history. And it wasn’t just that factor alone. McVea came wrapped in more great expectations than a fully trimmed and decorated Christmas tree.
It just wasn’t meant to be a great day for Warren McVea and the Houston Cougars. From McVea’s fumble of the game opening kickoff to the effective passing arm of Tulsa quarterback Bill Anderson, it was all Golden Hurricane Day in the first football game ever played in the air-conditioned Astrodome.
Here’s how The Ada (OK) Evening News handled the AP story on Page 11 of their Sunday, September 12, 1965 edition:
****************************************************************
GOLDEN HURRICANE WINGS WAY BY HOUSTON, 14-0
Anderson Hurls Two TD Passes
Houston, Tex. (AP) – Bill Anderson, a former defensive halfback, threw two touchdown passes Saturday in leading the 1965 edition of the aerial minded Tulsa Golden Hurricane to a 14-0 victory over the University of Houston in the air-conditioned Astrodome.
A crowd of 37,138 escaped 96-degree temperatures by moving indoors to witness the nationally televised game that brought football to the dusty turf of the $31.6 million (dollar) domed structure.
Houston was a narrow favorite, but Anderson’s passes, spectacular catches by Howard Twilley and Neal Sweeny, and a rugged Hurricane defense that caused four Houston fumbles permitted Tulsa domination most of the way.
Houston crossed midfield only three times – under its own power in the third and final periods and after a Tulsa punt traveled only 18 yards in the fourth. The Cougars got no deeper than the Tulsa 30.
A few fists flew and two players were ejected as the former Missouri Valley Conference rivals met for the 16th time.
Referee John Overby stepped in quickly to end a third period flare-up by ejecting Calvin Enderli, Houston tackle, and Sheldon Moomaw, Tulsa guard, before either connected with a damaging blow.
Anderson specialized on defense last year while serving as a seldom used understudy to Jerry Rhome, the collegiate ebon champion, but his passes triggered every offensive threat as the Bluebonnet Bowl champions moved to their seventh consecutive victory.
Both of Anderson’s touchdown passes came in the second period, a six-yarder to Twilley and an eight-yarder to Sweeny. The scoring drives were good for 67 and 42 yards with Anderson contributing 119 yards by completing 10 of 12 pass attempts.
Starting from his own 41, Anderson got another drive under the way in the closing minutes, before a fumble by Twilley, after a five-yard pass completion, enabled Houston to take over on the Cougar six.
Twilley was the favorite receiver as Anderson completed 25 of 47 passes for 230 yards. He had only one interception. Twilley’s 11 receptions covered 111 yards.
Four Houston first half fumbles were charged to Warren McVea, a sophomore speedster who scored 591 points during his schoolboy career at San Antonio’s Brackenridge High.
McVea carried 11 times for a net of 21 yards. Dick Post led Houston with 37 yards in 10 plays, while Ken Parsons led Tulsa with 34 yards in 10.
| Game Stat Categories | TULSA | HOUSTON |
| First Downs | 15 | 11 |
| Rushing Yardage | 91 | 111 |
| Passing Yardage | 230 | 109 |
| Passes: Comp/Attempts | 25/47 | 8/20 |
| Passes Intercepted By | 1 | 1 |
| Punts-Ave Yards | 8-36.1 | 7-40.3 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 4 |
| Penalty Yards | 56 | 35 |
| Scoring | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| TULSA | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| HOUSTON | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scoring By Players | TULSA | HOUSTON |
| 1st Quarter | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Quarter | ||
| Tulsa– Twilley, TD, 6 yard pass from Anderson (Twilley, PAT) | 7 | 0 |
| Tulsa– Sweeny, TD, 8 yard pass from Anderson (Twilley, PAT) | 14 | 0 |
| 3rd Quarter | ||
| 4th Quarter | ||
| FINAL SCORE | 14 | 0 |
| ATTENDANCE -> | 37,138 |
– Ada (OK) Evening News, Sunday, September 12, 1965, Page 11
********************************************************************************
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 25, 2013 at 2:48 pm |
Bill, my understanding was the HSA (the ownership group led by Hofheinz that owned the Astros) also had a controlling interest in the Dome’s leasing rights, even though the County technically owned the Dome.
Therefore, Hofheinz set the rental price for any events at the Dome and had toyed with the idea of bringing NFL football to Houston. The Oilers, as you’ll recall, were with the upstart AFL and owned by Bud Adams who also could be stingy with a dollar when it suited him.
Adams would not agree to whatever price Hofheinz insisted upon and the two sides wrestled over this which is why the Oilers moved to Rice Stadium instead of the Dome in the mid-60s.
The NFL chose to put expansion teams in Atlanta and New Orleans instead of Houston by 1967 which is when Hofheinz probably relented and came to an agreement with Adams on the rental rate.
September 25, 2013 at 6:22 pm |
Bob, thanks for that enlightening piece of information. It certainly fits what most of us from that era remember about the battle for control that went on back then between Hofheinz and Adams – and also the corporate war that still raged between the established NFL and the upstart AFL in 1965. – Bill
September 25, 2013 at 9:19 pm |
… from a reader in Denver …
Dear Mr. McCurdy,
I attended the Tulsa vs. UH game as well as the exhibition game the previous April with the New York Yankees and then later in 1968 watched the UCLA vs. UH basketball game at the Dome. In 1972, I caught a home run ball hit by Jimmy Wynn; I moved to Denver in 1973 and in 1989 at an old timers game at Mile High Stadium (nee Bear Stadium) asked the Toy Cannon sign the ball–17 years later. I also attended the exhibition game in July of 1973 between the Detroit Tigers and the Astros, when Jerry Lewis played first base for Houston; although I was never a fan of his humor, I was impressed with his skill as a baseball player. My main reason for going to the game was to see Al Kaline. I saw the photo of you and your girlfriend at the first AFL Championship Game at Jeppesen Stadium; I also went to that game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Oilers. My friends from Pearland (Oilers) and I went to all the games and always sat in the south end zone. One game I sat in the east stands behind the New York Titans bench and watched an injured Howard Glenn walk off the field with his arms around two trainers just before half time. He died later that day. I fly down to Hobby the last week in October every year for the annual Pearland Historical Society reunion. Last year, I drove up to UH and walked around and inside Jeppesen (I can’t say Robertson) Stadium and took photos, knowing it would be razed soon. Sorry for the desultory paragraph, but it was such a joy finding your blog. Thanks.
Tom Hunter
Denver, Colorado
September 28, 2013 at 1:15 pm |
How does anyone lose to Tulsa anytime?
August 15, 2019 at 3:45 pm |
Watched game as a 14-year-old kid before having to attend a family wedding. Became a U.of Tulsa and Anderson/Twilley fan! Will never forget that game!