1957 Cotton Bowl Classic
| MVP | Jim Brown (Syracuse RB) Norman Hamilton (TCU T) |
|---|---|
The 1957 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 21st edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1956–57 bowl game season, it matched the independent and eighth-ranked Syracuse Orangemen and #14 TCU Horned Frogs of the Southwest Conference (SWC).[2] Favored TCU held on to win by a point, 28–27.[3]
Teams
Syracuse
The Orangemen had just one loss (in September at Pittsburgh,[4][5][6] who lost in the Gator Bowl), but they were ranked eighth, led by senior running back Jim Brown, a consensus All-American. This was the second bowl appearance for Syracuse; their first was four years earlier in the Orange Bowl.
TCU
TCU was runner-up in the Southwest Conference, but was invited due to first place Texas A&M being under NCAA sanctions.[7] This was the Horned Frogs' fifth Cotton Bowl appearance; they won their first in 1937 (with quarterback Sammy Baugh), but dropped their next three (1945, 1952, 1956).
Game summary
TCU had two 14-point leads, both near the end of the halves. John Nikkel started the scoring for TCU with a touchdown catch from Chuck Curtis, and in the second quarter, Jim Shofner caught a touchdown to make it 14–0. But Jim Brown ran for two touchdowns in a span of 6:52 to tie the game at halftime. Late in the third quarter after Brown fumbled the ball back to TCU, Curtis scored on a touchdown run to give TCU the lead back. After another Brown fumble in the fourth quarter, Jim Swink ran in for a touchdown to give TCU a 28–14 lead with 11:44 to go. But Brown would not be stopped as Syracuse went 49 yards in 13 plays and scored on a Brown run. Brown went up for his third PAT attempt of the day to try and narrow the lead to 7.
But TCU's Chico Mendoza blocked the extra point, keeping the lead at eight points. But Syracuse had one last drive in them, going 43 yards in 3 plays and with 1:17 left, Jim Ridlon caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Charles Zimmerman; Brown's kick narrowed the lead to 28–27. (The two-point conversion was introduced until the 1958 season.) Syracuse opted to kick it deep, but TCU held on and did not let give up the ball, in what was TCU's last bowl win until 1998. Brown (back) and Norman Hamilton (line) were named the outstanding players of the game.
Scoring
First quarter
- TCU – John Nikkel 6-yard pass from Chuck Curtis (Harold Pollard kick)
Second quarter
- TCU – Jim Shofner 8-yard pass from Curtis (Pollard kick)
- SYR – Jim Brown 2-yard run (Brown kick)
- SYR – Brown 4-yard run (Brown kick)
Third quarter
- TCU – Curtis 7-yard run (Pollard kick)
Fourth quarter
- TCU – Jim Swink 3-yard run (Pollard kick)
- SYR – Brown 1-yard run (Brown kick blocked by Chico Mendoza)
- SYR – Jim Ridlon 27-yard pass from Charles Zimmerman (Brown kick)
Statistics
Statistics TCU Syracuse First Downs 15 16 Yards Rushing 133 235 Yards Passing 202 63 Total Yards 335 298 Punts-Average 4–37.5 2–46.5 Fumbles-Lost 3–2 3–3 Interceptions 0 1 Penalties-Yards 4–40 1–5
References
- ^ "College football season reaches climax Tuesday". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 31, 1956. p. 7.
- ^ Ratliff, Harold V. (January 1, 1957). "Offensive tilt seen in Cotton". Youngstwon Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 20.
- ^ "Blocked PAT earns 28-27 win for TCU". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1957. p. 2B.
- ^ Smith, Chester L. (September 30, 1956). "Panthers defeat Syracuse, 14 to 7". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, section 4.
- ^ "Pitt hands Syracuse 14-7 loss". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. September 30, 1956. p. 44.
- ^ "Pitt downs Syracuse". Sunday Star-News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). United Press. September 30, 1956. p. 3C.
- ^ "26-37.pmd" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
External links
- Cotton Bowl Classic – January 1, 1957