1947 Sun Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1947 Sun Bowl
was a post-season American college football
bowl game
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
of the Southern Conference
and the Cincinnati Bearcats
. It took place on January 1, 1947 at Kidd Field
in El Paso, Texas
. Cincinnati defeated Virginia Tech 18–6 in cold and icy conditions that led to a scoreless first half and three blocked extra point
s by Virginia Tech. The game was the first NCAA
-sanctioned post-season football contest for Cincinnati, and was the first bowl game in Virginia Tech history. The 1947 game was also the 13th edition of the Sun Bowl, which had been played every year since 1935. In exchange for their participation in the event, each team received $9,438.
, champions of the Border Conference, declined a Sun Bowl bid, as did the second-place team, Texas Tech
. With no other option, a member of the Sun Bowl Committee—who happened to be an alumnus of Virginia Tech—suggested inviting the Hokies to play against Cincinnati, which had already accepted an invitation.
. Kitts, in his first year replacing coach H. M. McEver, had coached the team in 1941 before the outbreak of World War II
interrupted the Virginia Tech football program. During the 1946 season, Kitts' team defeated the No. 12 N.C. State Wolfpack
for the first win over an Associated Press
Top 25 team in school history, the Washington and Lee University
Generals, and the Hokies' traditional rivals, the Virginia Military Institute
Keydets. During Virginia Tech's preparations before its departure for El Paso, heavy snow fell on Blacksburg, Virginia
, forcing the team to use snowplow
s and construction equipment to clear a space for the team to practice. The Hokies traveled to El Paso without star punter and rusher Bobby Smith, who had been injured in Virginia Tech's final regular-season game.
, Michigan State
, and Ohio
.
The 1947 Sun Bowl was the Bearcats' first official bowl game, but two 1902 post-season games in New Orleans, Louisiana
may be considered the first bowl games in Cincinnati football history. In 1902, Cincinnati completed a 7-1-1 season, losing only to the Carlisle Indians
. Following the conclusion of its football schedule, the Bearcats were invited to New Orleans by the Southern Athletic Club to play a football game on New Year's Day. Cincinnati easily defeated the Athletic Club team, and at the victory party following the win, students from nearby Louisiana State University
invited the Cincinnati players to come to their school to play another game. That game, which took place a few days later, resulted in a 22–0 Cincinnati win, and may be considered the first bowl game.
Weather conditions allowed both teams' defenses to dominate in the first half. Virginia Tech had the best chance to score of either team in the first half when it drove to a first down inside the Cincinnati two-yard line late in the first quarter. On four straight running plays, however, the Bearcats' defense held, and Virginia Tech was denied a scoring opportunity.
In the second half, however, Cincinnati's offense managed to begin moving the ball effectively. On Cincinnati’s first play of the second half, halfback
Roger Stephens broke through the Virginia Tech defensive line for 26 yards, taking the ball inside Virginia Tech territory. Cincinnati's drive would overcome two 15-yard penalties and one five-yard penalty en route to a touchdown
just a few plays later. On its next possession, Cincinnati's All-American Roger Stephens again broke off another long run, this time for 19 yards, setting up another Bearcats' touchdown. Virginia Tech countered with a long drive that reached the Cincinnati 23-yard line before an errant pass was intercepted by the Bearcats in the end zone. Virginia Tech managed a defensive stop, however, and marched down the field for a touchdown to climb within six points. Cincinnati sealed its victory, however, when Bearcats' halfback Harold Johnson intercepted a Virginia Tech pass late in the fourth quarter, returning it all the way to the Virginia Tech 25-yard line. That return set up a Cincinnati touchdown and put the Bearcats up by the game's final score, 18–6.
attempts, while Virginia Tech's sole extra point kick missed. Cincinnati's kicking woes were also reflected in their punt
ing game. Cincinnati averaged just 19 yards a punt, setting the record for the lowest punting average in Sun Bowl history. All 24 of the game's points were scored in the second half. Virginia Tech earned just 34 rushing yards against the Bearcats' defense while allowing 369 yards to Cincinnati's rushing offense. Those two totals are the least-gained and most-allowed marks in Virginia Tech bowl game history.
Prior to 1954, the Sun Bowl did not award most valuable player
honors, but Harold Johnson from Cincinnati was statistically the game's most valuable player, intercepting two Virginia Tech passes (one in the end zone) and scoring the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard run.
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
was a post-season American college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
of the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
and the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
. It took place on January 1, 1947 at Kidd Field
Kidd Field
Kidd Field is an athletic facility used primarily by UTEP in El Paso, TX. Contstructed for its then-primary use as a football field in 1938, it was the site of the Sun Bowl until 1963 when Sun Bowl Stadium opened. Kidd Field is used for track and field meets today. Kidd Field cost $2,000 to build,...
in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. Cincinnati defeated Virginia Tech 18–6 in cold and icy conditions that led to a scoreless first half and three blocked extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s by Virginia Tech. The game was the first NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
-sanctioned post-season football contest for Cincinnati, and was the first bowl game in Virginia Tech history. The 1947 game was also the 13th edition of the Sun Bowl, which had been played every year since 1935. In exchange for their participation in the event, each team received $9,438.
Pregame buildup
The 1947 Sun Bowl game was held as the culminating event of the Sun Carnival and was held at 15,000-seat Kidd Field on the campus of Texas Western University, today known as the University of Texas El Paso. The matchup of Virginia Tech and Cincinnati was out of character for the Sun Bowl, which traditionally matched the champion of the Border Conference with the best possible opponent. Hardin-Simmons UniversityHardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
, champions of the Border Conference, declined a Sun Bowl bid, as did the second-place team, Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. With no other option, a member of the Sun Bowl Committee—who happened to be an alumnus of Virginia Tech—suggested inviting the Hokies to play against Cincinnati, which had already accepted an invitation.
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech came into the game having gone 3-3-3 under coach James KittsJames Kitts
-External links:...
. Kitts, in his first year replacing coach H. M. McEver, had coached the team in 1941 before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
interrupted the Virginia Tech football program. During the 1946 season, Kitts' team defeated the No. 12 N.C. State Wolfpack
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
for the first win over an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Top 25 team in school history, the Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
Generals, and the Hokies' traditional rivals, the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
Keydets. During Virginia Tech's preparations before its departure for El Paso, heavy snow fell on Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, forcing the team to use snowplow
Snowplow
A snowplow is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, used for removing snow and ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes...
s and construction equipment to clear a space for the team to practice. The Hokies traveled to El Paso without star punter and rusher Bobby Smith, who had been injured in Virginia Tech's final regular-season game.
Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to El Paso having amassed an 8–2 record under second-year head coach Ray Nolting, who took the head coaching position in Cincinnati with the revival of the football program after the end of World War Two. The Bearcats' two losses came against Kentucky and at Tulsa, and they earned wins against tough opponents such as IndianaIndiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
, Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, and Ohio
Ohio Bobcats football
The Ohio Bobcats football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 Bowl Subdivision level...
.
The 1947 Sun Bowl was the Bearcats' first official bowl game, but two 1902 post-season games in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
may be considered the first bowl games in Cincinnati football history. In 1902, Cincinnati completed a 7-1-1 season, losing only to the Carlisle Indians
Carlisle Indians football
The Carlisle Indians football team represented the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in intercollegiate football competition. The program was active from 1893 until 1917, when it was discontinued. During the program's 25 years, the Indians compiled a 167–88–13 record and 0.647 winning percentage,...
. Following the conclusion of its football schedule, the Bearcats were invited to New Orleans by the Southern Athletic Club to play a football game on New Year's Day. Cincinnati easily defeated the Athletic Club team, and at the victory party following the win, students from nearby Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
invited the Cincinnati players to come to their school to play another game. That game, which took place a few days later, resulted in a 22–0 Cincinnati win, and may be considered the first bowl game.
Game summary
The game was played in extremely cold and icy conditions, still the worst in Sun Bowl history. Three inches of snow fell on top of a layer of frozen rain the day before the game, and at kickoff the teams took the field under cloudy skies and in below-freezing temperatures. Despite the inclement weather, 15,000-seat Kidd Field was approximately half full, and bowl officials estimated the crowd at around 10,000 people.Weather conditions allowed both teams' defenses to dominate in the first half. Virginia Tech had the best chance to score of either team in the first half when it drove to a first down inside the Cincinnati two-yard line late in the first quarter. On four straight running plays, however, the Bearcats' defense held, and Virginia Tech was denied a scoring opportunity.
In the second half, however, Cincinnati's offense managed to begin moving the ball effectively. On Cincinnati’s first play of the second half, halfback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Roger Stephens broke through the Virginia Tech defensive line for 26 yards, taking the ball inside Virginia Tech territory. Cincinnati's drive would overcome two 15-yard penalties and one five-yard penalty en route to a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
just a few plays later. On its next possession, Cincinnati's All-American Roger Stephens again broke off another long run, this time for 19 yards, setting up another Bearcats' touchdown. Virginia Tech countered with a long drive that reached the Cincinnati 23-yard line before an errant pass was intercepted by the Bearcats in the end zone. Virginia Tech managed a defensive stop, however, and marched down the field for a touchdown to climb within six points. Cincinnati sealed its victory, however, when Bearcats' halfback Harold Johnson intercepted a Virginia Tech pass late in the fourth quarter, returning it all the way to the Virginia Tech 25-yard line. That return set up a Cincinnati touchdown and put the Bearcats up by the game's final score, 18–6.
Statistical summary
Virginia Tech blocked all three Cincinnati extra pointExtra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempts, while Virginia Tech's sole extra point kick missed. Cincinnati's kicking woes were also reflected in their punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
ing game. Cincinnati averaged just 19 yards a punt, setting the record for the lowest punting average in Sun Bowl history. All 24 of the game's points were scored in the second half. Virginia Tech earned just 34 rushing yards against the Bearcats' defense while allowing 369 yards to Cincinnati's rushing offense. Those two totals are the least-gained and most-allowed marks in Virginia Tech bowl game history.
Prior to 1954, the Sun Bowl did not award most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
honors, but Harold Johnson from Cincinnati was statistically the game's most valuable player, intercepting two Virginia Tech passes (one in the end zone) and scoring the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard run.