The 1950 Gator Bowl was the fifth edition of the Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...

 and featured the Maryland Terrapins

Maryland Terrapins football

The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

 representing the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 and the Missouri Tigers

Missouri Tigers football

The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...

 representing the University of Missouri

University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

. It was the first-ever meeting of the two teams.

Maryland was led by third-year head coach Jim Tatum

Jim Tatum

James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...

, who had engineered one season turn-arounds at Maryland and previously Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners football

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

. Missouri was coached by his former boss, Don Faurot

Don Faurot

Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...

, under whom Tatum had previous been an assistant coach for the U.S. Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

's Iowa Pre-Flight

Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football

The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...

 team. This game was the first in a six-game series between the former colleagues and would last for the remainder of Tatum's tenure at Maryland.

The game was described as a "proving ground" for the split-T

Split-T

The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...

 formation, which was employed by both teams. Several prominent Southern coaches were in attendance at the game to watch the formation, including Bob Neyland of Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers football

The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....

, Wally Butts

Wally Butts

James Wallace "Wally" Butts, Jr. was an American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of Georgia from 1939 to 1960, compiling a record of 140–86–9...

 of Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

, Frank Howard

Frank Howard (football coach)

Frank J. Howard was an American college football player and coach. He played college football for Alabama. After a career-ending injury, Howard joined the staff at Clemson College and became head coach in 1939. Howard would coach the Clemson Tigers for 30 years, amassing the 15th most wins of...

 of Clemson

Clemson Tigers football

The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

, George Barclay of Washington & Lee, and Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent

Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3...

 of VMI

VMI Keydets football

The VMI Keydets football team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. The Keydets compete in the Big South Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS, and are currently coached by Sparky Woods, now in his 4th year...

.

Game summary

In the first quarter, Maryland scored on an 11-yard run by Bob Shemonski

Bob Shemonski

Bob "Shoo Shoo" Shemonski was an American football player. He played college football as an end and back for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected in the 1952 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.-Biography:...

. Ed Modzelewski

Ed Modzelewski

Ed Modzelewski is a former football player, who played professionally for the Cleveland Browns. His brother, Dick Modzelewski, also played in the NFL and at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft, but did not make the active roster....

 rushed for a three-yard 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:...

 in the second quarter, followed by a six-yard touchdown run by Shemonski again. 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...

 kick was unsuccessful, however. In the final quarter, Phil Klein recorded Missouri's only score on a five-yard touchdown run.

Statistical comparison

Maryland recorded 282 yards of total offense

Total offense

Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...

, 266 yards of which came on the ground

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...

. Missouri recorded 267 yards total, with 100 rushing and 167 passing yards. Maryland achieved 11 first downs, compared with Missouri's 13. The Terrapins lost two fumble

Fumble

A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...

s for one yard while the Tigers lost five fumbles for five yards.

Maryland offensive guard Bob Ward was named the game's Most Valuable Player.