1949 Sun Bowl

American college football game December 2025 August 2023 Sun Bowl 15th Sun Bowl January 1 1949 1948 Texas Mines Miners 8–1–1 Jack Curtice Border Conference 0 6 0 6 West Virginia Mountaineers 8–3 Dudley DeGroot Independent 0 7 14 0 bg Kidd Field El Paso, Texas Harry Phillips 13,000 The 1949 Sun Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Texas Mines Miners and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Background 1949 Sun Bowl controversy Controversy surrounded this game before it was played. In late November, the independent Lafayette Leopards of Easton, Pennsylvania, were invited to play in the Sun Bowl against Texas Mines, the second-place team in the Border Conference, under the condition that their star halfback, David Showell, an African-American, did not play. Four days later, Lafayette rejected the bid. West Virginia was selected to play against the Miners. The Lafayette–Texas Mines contest that was not held is referred to as "The Greatest Game They Never Played", which was turned into a song.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Od-dRVczY The Greatest Game They Never Played Terry Kitchen October 20, 2015 Terry Kitchen January 6, 2020 YouTube This was the second bowl appearance for Texas Mines, and first since 1937, which was also in the Sun Bowl. This was West Virginia's first bowl game since 1938. Game summary After a scoreless first quarter, the Miners struck first quickly on a Harvey Gabrel touchdown dive. The extra point was not converted, leaving it at 6–0. The Mountaineers soon responded when James Walthall threw a 25-yard pass to Clarence Cox, who ran into the end zone to give West Virginia a 7–6 lead at halftime. They struck back in the second half with two James Devonshire touchdown runs before the third quarter ended to make the lead 21–6. Texas Mines closed the score to 21–12 on a Fred Wendt 60-yard kickoff return, but did not score again as West Virginia won.http://www.sunbowl.org/the_sun_bowl_game/recap/15 West Virginia 21, UTEP 12 | Recaps - Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | December 31, 2021 | el Paso, Texas Statistics Statistics West Virginia Texas MinesFirst downs 13 12Rushing yards 183 245Passing yards 122 57Passes intercepted 1 0Total offense 305 302Fumbles–lost 1–0 4–4Penalties–yards 6–50 3–25Punts–average 9–27.0 5–42.5Punt returns–yards 3–25 3–18Kickoff returns–average 3–27 2–34 Aftermath This was the final Sun Bowl played with no MVP awarded. The following year, the C. M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player Trophy was awarded. West Virginia did not win a bowl game again until 1969. The Miners returned to the Sun Bowl the following year and won, while going to four Sun Bowls in the decade. References Sun Bowl Category:Sun Bowl Category:UTEP Miners football bowl games Category:West Virginia Mountaineers football bowl games Category:January 1949 sports events in the United States Sun Bowl