1954 Gator Bowl (January)


The 1954 Gator Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on January 1, 1954, at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the ninth annual playing of the Gator Bowl. The game pitted the Texas Tech Red Raiders against the Auburn Tigers

Background

The Red Raiders finished as champions of the Border Conference for the fifth time in eleven years while winning ten games for the first time since 1938, with a 27–14 loss to Texas A&M being the only blemish. This was their first-ever Gator Bowl appearance. As for Auburn, they started the season 2-1-1, with two victories, a tie to #13 Mississippi State, and a loss to #8 Georgia Tech. The Tigers would promptly win their next five games to rise to #16 in the rankings leading into the Iron Bowl matchup with Alabama, which they lost 10–7, as Auburn finished third in the Southeastern Conference. This was Auburun's first bowl game since 1938.

Game summary

  • Auburn – Bobby Duke, 1-yard touchdown run
  • Texas Tech – Bobby Cavazos, 6-yard touchdown run
  • Auburn – Vince Dooley, 10-yard touchdown run
  • Texas Tech – Paul Erwin, 52-yard touchdown pass from Kirkpatrick
  • Texas Tech – Don Lewis, fumble recovery in end zone
  • Texas Tech – Cavazos, 59-yard touchdown run
  • Texas Tech – Cavazos, 2-yard touchdown run
Texas Tech outrushed the Tigers 226 to 195, outthrew them 145 to 72 while forcing two four turnovers. Bobby Cavazos ran for 141 yards on 13 carries. Vince Dooley went 4-of-8 for 49 yards while rushing for 56 yards on 14 carries. Both were named MVP.

Aftermath

As for Tech, they finished champions of the conference for two more seasons before becoming independent in 1957 and member of the Southwest Conference in 1960. They reached the Gator Bowl five years later in 1965. Tech did not win a bowl game again until 1973. Auburn would finish 8–3 the following year, while competing in the Gator Bowl once again, played on December 31, 1954, becoming the first school to play the same bowl twice in the same year. This time, they won, beating Baylor 33–13.