The 1953 Orange Bowl

Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...

, part of the 1952 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1953, at the Orange Bowl

Miami Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...

 in Miami, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference

Southeastern Conference

The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

 (SEC) and the , competing as a football independent. Alabama won the game by a record margin of 61–6. The 55-point margin of victory remained the largest for a bowl game until the 2008 GMAC Bowl

2008 GMAC Bowl

The 2008 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 9th annual playing of the game...

, and still stands as the largest margin of victory for an Alabama football team in a bowl game.

Alabama

The 1952 Alabama squad posted their best overall record the 1950s, finishing 9–2 leading into the postseason. However, losses to and cost the Tide an SEC title. The day after defeating Maryland

1952 Maryland Terrapins football team

The 1952 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football in its 32nd season as a member of the Southern Conference. However, during the 1952 season, Maryland underwent sanctions by the Southern Conference that...

 27–7, Alabama accepted a bid to play in the Orange Bowl on New Years Day. The appearance marked the second for Alabama in the Orange Bowl, as they defeated Boston College

Boston College Eagles football

The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...

 37–21 in the 1943 game.

Syracuse

The 1952 Syracuse squad finished the regular season with a record of 7–2 and as winners of the Lambert Trophy

Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy

The Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the Northeast in Division I FBS college football.The Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, August. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue...

 for the first time in school history. The Orangemen accepted a bid to play in the Orange Bowl after Navy

Navy Midshipmen football

The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

 declined the initial bid.

Game summary

Alabama opened the scoring on the afternoon with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Clell Hobson to Bobby Luna to take a 7–0 lead. Syracuse responded on the following possession with their lone points of the game on a 15-yard, Joe Szombathy touchdown run. After the extra point failed, the score was 7–6. The Orangemen did not score again while the Crimson Tide scored 54 unanswered points. Alabama extended their lead to 21–6 at the half with two touchdowns on a one-yard Bobby Marlow run and a 50-yard Thomas Tharp reception from Hobson. The scoring continued in the third quarter with three more touchdowns on a 38-yard Bobby Luna run and runs of one and 30-yards by Tommy Lewis

Tommy Lewis (American football)

Tommy Lewis of Greenville, Alabama played fullback for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1951, 1952 and 1953 seasons. He wore number 34...

. Leading 41–6, Alabama scored another three touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard Joe Cummings reception from Bart Starr

Bart Starr

Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....

, an 80-yard Hootie Ingram

Hootie Ingram

Cecil W. "Hootie" Ingram is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He played for the University of Alabama from 1952 to 1954 and was selected as an All-SEC defensive back in 1952...

 punt return and a 60-yard Marvin Hill interception return.

The final score of 61–6 set a NCAA record for largest margin of victory in a 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...

, surpassing the previous record of 49 points set by Michigan

Michigan Wolverines football

The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...

 in both the 1902

1902 Rose Bowl

Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," what is now known as the Rose Bowl Game was first played on January 1, 1902 in Pasadena, California, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games.The inaugural game featured Fielding H...

 and 1948

1948 Rose Bowl

The 1948 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948. It was the 34th Rose Bowl Game, and the second since the Big Nine Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference reached an exclusive agreement to match their champions in the game each year. In the game, the Michigan...

 Rose Bowl Game

Rose Bowl Game

The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...

s. The 55-point margin of victory stood as the all-time record for a bowl game through the 2008 GMAC Bowl

2008 GMAC Bowl

The 2008 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 9th annual playing of the game...

 where defeated Bowling Green

2007 Bowling Green Falcons football team

The 2007 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University in the 2007 NCAA football season. The team was coached by Gregg Brandon and played their home games in Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. It was the 89th season of play for the Falcons. Bowling Green...

 63–7 for a 56 point margin of victory. The 55-points still stands as the largest margin of victory for an Alabama football team in a bowl game.