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By Joe Gulick
Avalanche-Journal
The University of Texas was 6-0 and ranked second in the nation when Texas Tech played the Longhorns in Austin on Oct. 29, 1983.
The Red Raiders were 3-3, but both teams were 3-0 in Southwest Conference play. Texas was a 30-point favorite, so it wasn’t much considered to be a showdown of undefeated teams.
Tech made the game interesting for 30 minutes and led 3-0 at halftime. However, the Longhorns came back in the second half and won 20-3.
Dirk West had a funny idea in this game day cartoon and drew the Longhorn as Mr. T, who was then starring in the hit NBC TV series “The A Team,” which had begun earlier that year.
Mr. T was the stage name of Lawrence Tureaud, a tough-talking, gold jewelry-wearing former bodyguard. He shaved his head in a style inspired by the Mandinka warriors of West Africa that somewhat resembled a Mohawk hairstyle.
Dirk put jewelry — but not much — on Bevo and drew his head shaved — but in a different way from Mr. T. He did a good job characterizing the tough way Mr. T talked.
Moss was wrong about Texas becoming the No. 1 team that week. Nebraska was No. 1 ahead of Texas and beat Kansas State 51-25 to keep the top spot.
The Aggie joke here was based on a running joke in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. Linus of the Peanuts gang would faithfully wait in a pumpkin patch each Halloween, hoping in vain The Great Pumpkin would appear.
Previous Dirk West Cartoons
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