1949 Sun Bowl
The 1949 Sun Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Texas Western Miners and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Background
- For information on the controversy, see 1949 Sun Bowl controversy
Controversy had surrounded this game before it was even played. 44 days earlier, Lafayette College was invited to play in the Sun Bowl against the Texas College of Miners (the 2nd place team in the Border Conference), under the condition that their star running back, David Showell does not play; the player being black. Four days later, the school rejected the bid. West Virginia was selected to play against the Miners. The game of the Leopoards-Miners that was never played is referred to as "The Greatest Game They Never Played", which was turned into a song. This was Texas Western's second bowl appearance and first since 1937, which was also in the Sun Bowl. This was West Virginia's first bowl game since 1938.
Game summary
After a scoreless first quarter, the Miners struck first quickly on a Harvey Gabrel touchdown dive. The extra point was not converted, leaving it at 6-0. The Mountaineers soon responded when James Walthall threw a 25 yard pass to Clarence Cox, who ran into the end zone to give West Virginia a 7-6 lead at halftime. They struck back in the second half with two James Devonshire touchdown runs before the third quarter ended to make the lead 21-6. Texas Western did make it 21-12 on a Fred Wendt 60 yard kickoff return, but that was as close as they would get, never scoring again as West Virginia won. [1]
Statistics
| Statistics | West Virginia | Texas Western |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 13 | 12 |
| Rushing Yards | 183 | 245 |
| Passing Yards | 122 | 57 |
| Passes Intercepted | 1 | 0 |
| Total Offense | 305 | 302 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 4-4 |
| Penalties-Yards | 6-50 | 3-25 |
| Punts-Average | 9-27.0 | 5-42.5 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 3-25 | 3-18 |
| Kickoff Returns-Average | 3-27 | 2-34 |
Aftermath
This was the final Sun Bowl played with no MVP awarded. The following year, the C.M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player Trophy would be awarded, starting in 1950. West Virginia wouldn't win a bowl game again until 1969. The Miners returned to the Sun Bowl the following year and won, while going to four Sun Bowls in the decade.