1969 Tangerine Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1969 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 26, 1969 at the Citrus Bowl
in Orlando
, Florida
. The Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference
defeated the Davidson Wildcats of the Southern Conference
by a score of 56–33. The Tangerine Bowl is a former name of what is now called the Capital One Bowl
.
Heading into the game, the University of Toledo
finished their regular season slate with a first-ever perfect 10–0–0 record. The Rockets also held a #20 Associated Press
(AP) national ranking—their first ever appearance in a national poll. The 1969 Toledo Rockets football team was led by All-American defensive tackle Mel Long
and quarterback Chuck Ealey
.
Davidson College
, meanwhile, qualified as Southern Conference champions for the first time ever. They finished their regular season with a 7–4–0 record. The 1969 Tangerine Bowl is still Davidson's only postseason bowl appearance.
In the game, the Rockets accumulated 324 yards of total offense and scored 42 points in the first half alone. Quarterback Chuck Ealey
was voted the game's most valuable player. Ealey ran nine times for 83 yards and threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 10-of-13 passing. Don Fair caught four passed for 78 yards while Charles Cole ran 22 times for 152 yards. Toledo finished the season with a #20 national ranking in the final AP Poll.
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
defeated the Davidson Wildcats 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...
by a score of 56–33. The Tangerine Bowl is a former name of what is now called the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
.
Heading into the game, the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
finished their regular season slate with a first-ever perfect 10–0–0 record. The Rockets also held a #20 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...
(AP) national ranking—their first ever appearance in a national poll. The 1969 Toledo Rockets football team was led by All-American defensive tackle Mel Long
Mel Long
Mel Long is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Toledo and high school football for Macomber. In 1998 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 6-1, 230-pound Long played defensive tackle and was a two-time All-America, a First-team in 1970...
and quarterback Chuck Ealey
Chuck Ealey
Charles "Chuck" Ealey is a former football player for Notre Dame High School, University of Toledo, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.-High school and college years:...
.
Davidson College
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
, meanwhile, qualified as Southern Conference champions for the first time ever. They finished their regular season with a 7–4–0 record. The 1969 Tangerine Bowl is still Davidson's only postseason bowl appearance.
In the game, the Rockets accumulated 324 yards of total offense and scored 42 points in the first half alone. Quarterback Chuck Ealey
Chuck Ealey
Charles "Chuck" Ealey is a former football player for Notre Dame High School, University of Toledo, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.-High school and college years:...
was voted the game's most valuable player. Ealey ran nine times for 83 yards and threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 10-of-13 passing. Don Fair caught four passed for 78 yards while Charles Cole ran 22 times for 152 yards. Toledo finished the season with a #20 national ranking in the final AP Poll.