1946 Sugar Bowl

1946 Sugar Bowl
Saint Mary's Gaels Oklahoma A&M Cowboys
(7-1) (8-0)
13 33
Head coach: 
James Phelan		 Head coach: 
Jim Lookabaugh
AP
7
AP
5
1234 Total
Saint Mary's 7600 13
Oklahoma A&M 77613 33
Date January 1, 1946
Season 1945
Stadium Tulane Stadium
Location New Orleans, Louisiana
Favorite Oklahoma A&M (–13)[1]
Attendance 68,822

The 1946 Sugar Bowl was the eleventh edition of the bowl game and matched the Oklahoma A&M Cowboys and the St. Mary's Gaels. It was played on Tuesday, January 1, 1946, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2][3]

The radio broadcast was carried by the ABC network.[4]

Background

The undefeated Cowboys repeated as champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, and had won the previous year's Cotton Bowl. St. Mary's was a small independent from northern California that was making its second bowl appearance (1939 Cotton Bowl). The Gaels started the season 6–0 with notable wins over USC, California, and Nevada, before a loss to UCLA in the last game ending the unbeaten streak. Both teams were invited after Alabama (9–0) accepted the invite to the Rose Bowl and undefeated Army continued their bowl abstinence.[5]

The final AP poll was released in early December: Oklahoma A&M was fifth and St. Mary's was seventh.

Game summary

The Gaels were small compared to the Cowboys, being undersized by at least fifteen pounds (6.8 kg) to a team that averaged 203 pounds (92 kg) and that had war veterans such as Jim Reynolds and Burt Cole. But St. Mary's scored first on a Herman Wedemeyer touchdown pass to Dennis O'Connor. Bob Fenimore responded with a touchdown pass to Cecil Haskins, and Fenimore scored on a touchdown run later in the half. Wedemeyer contributed to the Gaels' final touchdown as he lateraled to guard Carl DeSalvo, who ran 20 yards for a touchdown. But the kick failed, making it only 14–13 at halftime.

Fenimore and Reynolds added in touchdown runs in the second half as the lineman size started to make a difference, with St. Mary's four turnovers mattering more than Oklahoma A&M's. Joe Thomas caught a touchdown in the final five minutes to make the final score 33–13 as the Gaels were shut out in the second half, and the Cowboys won their second straight bowl game.[6]

Aftermath

After a Bowl appearance the following year, the Gaels never qualified for a bowl game again, later playing in Division II and Division I-AA; the program was disbanded prior to the 2004 season. The Cowboys did not return to the Sugar Bowl for seventy years, until January 2016.

Statistics

StatisticsSMCA&M
First Downs815
Yards Rushing61217
Yards Passing166112
Total Yards238339
Punts-Average5–43.04–47.2
Fumbles-Lost2–20–0
Interceptions24

Source:[2]

References

  1. ↑ Hand, Jack (January 1, 1946). "Tide, Aggies rate edge over foes". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 4, part 2.
  2. 1 2 "Aggies trip St. Mary's, 33-13". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. January 2, 1946. p. 10.
  3. ↑ "Aggies crush Gaels, 33-13". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 2, 1946. p. 4, part 2.
  4. ↑ "Games on the air". Milwaukee Journal. December 31, 1945. p. 4, part 2.
  5. ↑ Casey Bienvenu. "1946 - How They Got Here / Allstate Sugar Bowl". allstatesugarbowl.org. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  6. ↑ Casey Bienvenu. "1946 Game Recap / Allstate Sugar Bowl". allstatesugarbowl.org. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
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