Sul Ross Hall of Honor

Football - Tangerine Bowl 1948

  • Sport Football
  • Induction Year 2018

Biography

Coach by Paul Pierce,  the Lobos were the first and so far (2025) only football team  to finish with an undefeated season. Sul Ross capped their 10-0-1 record with a 21-21 tie against Murray State in the Tangerine Bowl.  Ted Scown was named game MVP and ended up leading the country in scoring with 144 points (24 touchdowns)

The 1948 Lobos dominated their opponents finishing the season with a 452-135 scoring margin while claiming the New Mexico Conference (NMC) 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 Oklahoma Panhandle State (44-7) and New Mexico State (47-12) before beating Texas A&M Corpus Christi in a 21-14 homecoming decision

A 33-19 victory over Texas A&M Kingsville 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 Western New Mexico and St. Michaels (N.M.), respectively

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

Earning All-NMC honors were Frank Barton, Bob Mathis, Ted Scown and John Waldrum.  Scown and Waldrum would go on to earn All-American honors