Sul Ross Hall of Honor

1948 Tangerine Bowl Football Team

  • Sport Football
  • Induction Year 2018

Biography

  • The 1948 Lobo football team is the only team in the history of Sul Ross Athletics to finish with an undefeated season. Sul Ross capped their 10-0-1 record with a 21-21 tie against Murray State University (Kentucky) in the Tangerine Bowl. Lobo All-American Ted Scown was named game MVP in that contest and finished the 1948 season as the leading scorer in the nation with 24 touchdowns.
  • The 1948 Lobos dominated their opponents finishing the season with a 452-135 scoring margin while claiming the New Mexico Conference championship.
  • The Lobos opened the 1948 slate with a 20-19 victory over Sam Houston State. Sul Ross then defeated Daniel Baker, 34-7 before shutting out conference foe Eastern New Mexico, 52-0. The Lobos then posted a pair of routs over Panhandle A&M (44-7) and New Mexico A&M (47-12) before beating Corpus Christi College in a 21-14 homecoming decision.
  • That setup the rivalry game with Texas A&I in the seventh contest of the season.
  • A 33-19 victory over the Javalinas set the Lobos up as the only undefeated and untied team in the state of Texas and one of only 34 in the nation at the time. Sul Ross went on to defeat Adams State, 34-24 before coasting to 69-6 and 77-6 victories over New Mexico Teachers College and St. Michaels.
  • In the contest against Murray State, the Lobos took a large 21-7 lead to the half. Sul Ross struggled to maintain the advantage late in the game as Scown and teammate J.M. Harrell suffered injuries in the fourth quarter. Murray State went on to tie the game at 21 but a post-game coin flip awarded the Tangerine Bowl trophy to Sul Ross.