Redemption For the MAC in El Paso Awaits After 59 Years
After Ohio's 1962 appearance in the Sun Bowl, a MAC team has yet to appear in the bowl again until now.
As we have written before, Central Michigan’s appearance in the Sun Bowl is a rare occurrence worth celebrating. It only makes sense to now profile the last MAC team to go to the bowl in the West Texas town of El Paso.
The 1962 Ohio Bobcats hold that honor becoming the fifth and last MAC team to play in the Sun Bowl. Anytime we write about a drought, its always fun to look at how different times were, so here’s your December 31, 1962 time capsule:
President: JFK
Gas prices: $0.31/gallon
Billboard #1 Song: Telstar by the Tornadoes
#1 Box Office Movie: Lawrence of Arabia
NFL MVP: Jim Taylor (A fullback!!)
Number of bowl games: 10 (!)
After a quick 7-0 start, the Bobcats finished 8-2 on their way to El Paso with a defense that allowed only 10 points per game leading the way. Their opponent in El Paso was another 8-2 school in West Texas A&M, who defeated Texas Tech of the Southwest Conference for one of their victories and also allowed only 10 points per game.
The game itself is mostly forgotten in the long, illustrious history of the Sun Bowl, but still competitive. In a game not televised live, and only tape-delayed in Ohio the following day, West Texas A&M topped Ohio 15-14 on a late touchdown pass from halfback Dave Gibson to Jerry Richardson. Highlights for Ohio included a Sun Bowl-record 52-yard field goal by Jim McKee and a 91-yard pick-six by Don Hoovler that set another Sun Bowl record.
Despite the loss, Ohio was in the midst of a fruitful decade as they would bowl again in 1968, going to the Tangerine Bowl after winning the MAC and landing in the AP Top #25. However, the Bobcats would not win a bowl until the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Chippewas have the weight of history on their shoulders, searching for the MAC’s first win in a Sun Bowl since 1948. Despite the MAC entering the Sun Bowl with a 2-5 record in bowl season, Central Michigan can give the MAC another signature non-conference win for the year in the revered Sun Bowl.