1947 Sun Bowl - Game Summary

Game Summary

The game was played in extremely cold and icy conditions, still the worst in Sun Bowl history. Three inches of snow fell on top of a layer of frozen rain the day before the game, and at kickoff the teams took the field under cloudy skies and in below-freezing temperatures. Despite the inclement weather, 15,000-seat Kidd Field was approximately half full, and bowl officials estimated the crowd at around 10,000 people.

Weather conditions allowed both teams' defenses to dominate in the first half. Virginia Tech had the best chance to score of either team in the first half when it drove to a first down inside the Cincinnati two-yard line late in the first quarter. On four straight running plays, however, the Bearcats' defense held, and Virginia Tech was denied a scoring opportunity.

In the second half, however, Cincinnati's offense managed to begin moving the ball effectively. On Cincinnati’s first play of the second half, halfback Roger Stephens broke through the Virginia Tech defensive line for 26 yards, taking the ball inside Virginia Tech territory. Cincinnati's drive would overcome two 15-yard penalties and one five-yard penalty en route to a touchdown just a few plays later. On its next possession, Cincinnati's All-American Roger Stephens again broke off another long run, this time for 19 yards, setting up another Bearcats' touchdown. Virginia Tech countered with a long drive that reached the Cincinnati 23-yard line before an errant pass was intercepted by the Bearcats in the end zone. Virginia Tech managed a defensive stop, however, and marched down the field for a touchdown to climb within six points. Cincinnati sealed its victory, however, when Bearcats' halfback Harold Johnson intercepted a Virginia Tech pass late in the fourth quarter, returning it all the way to the Virginia Tech 25-yard line. That return set up a Cincinnati touchdown and put the Bearcats up by the game's final score, 18–6.