The 1944 Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...

was the tenth edition of the annual postseason college football bowl game

Bowl game

In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...

. The game was held at Kidd Field

Kidd Field

Kidd Field is an athletic facility used primarily by UTEP in El Paso, TX. Contstructed for its then-primary use as a football field in 1938, it was the site of the Sun Bowl until 1963 when Sun Bowl Stadium opened. Kidd Field is used for track and field meets today. Kidd Field cost $2,000 to build,...

 in El Paso, Texas

El Paso, Texas

El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

 on January 1, 1944 with a crowd of approximately 18,000 spectators in attendance. The game featured the (9–1–1) representing Southwestern University

Southwestern University

Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...

 and the representing the University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...

. Southwestern won with a score of 7 points to 0.

Game summary

The game began in cloudy weather with a temperature of 60°F before the sun came out in the second half. Southwestern entered the game as the favorites and possessed a potent rushing

Rush (American football)

Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...

 offense. However, the game remained scoreless throughout the first three quarters and well into the final period. New Mexico threatened to score twice, in the first and in the second quarter, but could not advance beyond their opponent's 16-yard line. Southwestern began the fourth quarter with possession on their own 13-yard line. Pirates tailback R. W. MacGruder completed

Completion (American football)

A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....

 a pass

Forward pass

In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...

 to fullback F. L. Cooper for 27 yards, and soon afterward, MacGruder rushed 22 yards to the Lobos' 19-yard line. However, New Mexico held firm and recovered the ball on downs

Turnover on downs

In American football, a turnover on downs occurs when a team fails to convert a fourth down into a first down by gaining the required yardage.A team has four chances to gain ten yards or to score. Any ground gained during one down short of these ten yards is kept for the next chance...

, but making no progress themselves, were forced to punt. Cooper then completed a pass to the New Mexico 37-yard line for a first down, and then with seven minutes remaining to play, he connected with MacGruder for the game-winning touchdown

Touchdown

A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

. William "Spot" Collins kicked the extra point

Extra Point

Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...

.

After the game, New Mexico lineman Bill Thompson and Southwestern team captain Spot Collins were named the most outstanding players. New Mexico tied a record set two years earlier by Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...

 for the fewest first downs. The 1944 game featured the fewest combined offensive yards at a Sun Bowl game.

Southwestern returned in the 1945 Sun Bowl

1945 Sun Bowl

The 1945 Sun Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game held at Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas on January 1, 1945 with approximately 13,000 spectators in attendance. The game featured the representing Southwestern University and the representing the National Autonomous University of Mexico...

 to win back-to-back championships. New Mexico returned to win the 1946 Sun Bowl.