1966 Gator Bowl
| MVP | QB Dewey Warren (Tennessee) |
|---|---|
The 1966 Gator Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Tennessee Volunteers and the Syracuse Orangemen.
Background
The Volunteers had finished 5th in the Southeastern Conference, with an 11–10 loss to #3 Alabama being especially damaging. Nevertheless, they were invited to their 2nd straight bowl appearance, the first time they had made consecutive bowl seasons since 1956–57. As for the Orange, this was their fourth bowl appearance in the decade. This was the first Gator Bowl for either team.
Game summary
Gary Wright kicked two 38 yard field goals to make it 6–0, and Dewey Warren threw touchdown passes to Austin Denney and Richmond Flowers to make it 18–0 at halftime. On the first drive of the second half, Larry Csonka scored on a 8-yard touchdown plunge to make it 18–6 (after a failed conversion play). With only 46 seconds left in the game, Floyd Little made it 18–12 on a 3-yard touchdown plunge (with another failed conversion play), but it wasn't enough. Little (216 on 29 carries) and Csonka (114 on 18 carries) combined for 330 yards rushing in losing efforts. Warren 17-of-29 for 244 yards.[1]
Aftermath
The Orange did not play in a bowl game for 13 years. They returned to the Gator Bowl 30 years later. The Vols returned to the Gator Bowl three years later.
Statistics
| Statistics | Syracuse | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 20 | 14 |
| Rushing Yards | 348 | 85 |
| Passing Yards | 16 | 244 |
| Total Yards | 364 | 329 |
| Passes Intercepted | 3 | 1 |
| Punts-Average | 2/39.5 | 3/43 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-1 | 2-2 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-79 | 4-44 |