1953 Orange Bowl

1953 Orange Bowl
1953 Orange Bowl
19th Orange Bowl
Syracuse Orangemen	Alabama Crimson Tide
(7–2)	(9–2)
Independent	SEC
6	61
Head coach: ; Ben Schwartzwalder	Head coach: ; Harold Drew
AP	Coaches
14	NR
AP	Coaches
9	9
Date	January 1, 1953
Season	1952
Stadium	Burdine Stadium
Location	Miami, Florida
Favorite	Alabama by 13
Referee	William Halloran (EAIFO;; split crew: EAIFO, SEC)
Attendance	66,280
United States TV coverage
Network	CBS
Announcers	Red Barber
Orange Bowl
< 1952	1954 >

Last updated July 17, 2024

The 1953 Orange Bowl , part of the 1952 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1953, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Syracuse Orangemen, competing as a football independent. Alabama won the game by a record margin of 61–6. The 55-point margin of victory remained the largest for a bowl game until the 2008 GMAC Bowl, and still stands as the largest margin of victory for an Alabama football team in a bowl game.

Teams

Alabama

The 1952 Alabama squad posted their best overall record the 1950s, finishing 9–2 leading into the postseason. However, losses to Tennessee and Georgia Tech cost the Tide an SEC title. The day after defeating Maryland 27–7, Alabama accepted a bid to play in the Orange Bowl on New Years Day.^[2] The appearance marked the second for Alabama in the Orange Bowl, as they defeated Boston College 37–21 in the 1943 game.

Syracuse

The 1952 Syracuse squad finished the regular season with a record of 7–2 and as winners of the Lambert Trophy for the first time in school history.^[1] The Orangemen accepted a bid to play in the Orange Bowl after Navy declined the initial bid.^[3]^[4]

Game summary

Alabama opened the scoring on the afternoon with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Clell Hobson to Bobby Luna to take a 7–0 lead.^[5] Syracuse responded on the following possession with their lone points of the game on a 15-yard, Joe Szombathy touchdown run. After the extra point failed, the score was 7–6. The Orangemen did not score again while the Crimson Tide scored 54 unanswered points.^[5] Alabama extended their lead to 21–6 at the half with two touchdowns on a one-yard Bobby Marlow run and a 50-yard Thomas Tharp reception from Hobson.^[5] The scoring continued in the third quarter with three more touchdowns on a 38-yard Bobby Luna run and runs of one and 30-yards by Tommy Lewis.^[5] Leading 41–6, Alabama scored another three touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard Joe Cummings reception from Bart Starr, an 80-yard Hootie Ingram punt return and a 60-yard Marvin Hill interception return.^[5]

The final score of 61–6 set an NCAA record for largest margin of victory in a bowl game, surpassing the previous record of 49 points set by Michigan in both the 1902 and 1948 Rose Bowl Games.^[6]^[7]^[8] The 55-point margin of victory stood as the all-time record for a bowl game through the 2008 GMAC Bowl where Tulsa defeated Bowling Green 63–7 for a 56-point margin of victory.^[9] The 55-points still stands as the largest margin of victory for an Alabama football team in a bowl game.^[10]^[11]

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	Syracuse	Alabama
1	8:13				Alabama	Bobby Luna 27-yard touchdown reception from Clell Hobson, Bobby Luna kick good	0	7
1	2:45				Syracuse	Joe Szombathy 15-yard touchdown run, kick failed	6	7
2	13:11				Alabama	Bobby Marlow 1-yard touchdown run, Bobby Luna kick good	6	14
2	4:40				Alabama	Thomas Tharp 50-yard touchdown reception from Clell Hobson, Bobby Luna kick good	6	21
3					Alabama	Bobby Luna 38-yard touchdown run, Bobby Luna kick good	6	28
3					Alabama	Tommy Lewis 1-yard touchdown run, Bobby Luna kick good	6	35
3					Alabama	Tommy Lewis 30-yard touchdown run, Bobby Luna kick failed	6	41
4	14:50				Alabama	Joe Cummings 21-yard touchdown reception from Bart Starr, Bobby Luna kick good	6	48
4					Alabama	80-yard punt return by Hootie Ingram, Bobby Luna kick failed	6	54
4					Alabama	Interception returned 60 yards for touchdown by Marvin Hill, Bobby Luna kick good	6	61
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							6	61

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References

1 2 3 Funk, Ben (January 1, 1953). "Syracuse puts up eastern prestige against Alabama". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 8. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Tide gets bowl bid". The Tuscaloosa News. United Press Associations. November 24, 1952. p. 1.
↑ Funk, Ben (November 25, 1952). "Syracuse signed for Orange Bowl". Beaver Valley Times. p. 10. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Syracuse Lands in Orange Bowl After Navy Refuses Bid". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. AP. November 25, 1952. p. 22. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
1 2 3 4 5 Watkins, Edwin (January 2, 1953). "Bama smashes records, Syracuse, 61 to 6". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Alabama routs Syracuse in 'Worst mismatch,' 61–6". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 2, 1953. p. Section 2, Page 4. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Alabama eleven wins greatest bowl mismatch". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. January 2, 1953. p. 8. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Bama gains most lop-sided win in bowl history, 61–6". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press Associations. January 2, 1953. p. 25. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
↑ "Smith's 14th straight 300-yard game leads Tulsa past Bowling Green". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 6, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
↑ Hurt, Cecil (January 2, 2011). "Capital punishment: Alabama takes down Michigan State". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
↑ "2011 Capital One Bowl Postgame Notes". RollTide.com. January 1, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011.

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[January_1,_1953-1] 1 2 3 Funk, Ben (January 1, 1953). "Syracuse puts up eastern prestige against Alabama". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 8. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[November_24,_1952-2] "Tide gets bowl bid". The Tuscaloosa News. United Press Associations. November 24, 1952. p. 1.

[November_25,_1952-3] Funk, Ben (November 25, 1952). "Syracuse signed for Orange Bowl". Beaver Valley Times. p. 10. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[4] "Syracuse Lands in Orange Bowl After Navy Refuses Bid". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. AP. November 25, 1952. p. 22. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

[January_2,_1953-5] 1 2 3 4 5 Watkins, Edwin (January 2, 1953). "Bama smashes records, Syracuse, 61 to 6". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[January_2,_1953MKE-6] "Alabama routs Syracuse in 'Worst mismatch,' 61–6". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 2, 1953. p. Section 2, Page 4. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[January_2,_1953Ellen-7] "Alabama eleven wins greatest bowl mismatch". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. January 2, 1953. p. 8. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[January_2,_1953Pit-8] "Bama gains most lop-sided win in bowl history, 61–6". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press Associations. January 2, 1953. p. 25. Retrieved January 4, 2011.

[9] "Smith's 14th straight 300-yard game leads Tulsa past Bowling Green". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 6, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2011.

[MSUTCL1-10] Hurt, Cecil (January 2, 2011). "Capital punishment: Alabama takes down Michigan State". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved July 23, 2011.

[MSUNotes-11] "2011 Capital One Bowl Postgame Notes". RollTide.com. January 1, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011.

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v t e Orange Bowl
History & conference tie-ins	History Miami Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Atlantic Coast Conference Big Ten Conference Southeastern Conference Notre Dame
Games	1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 (January) 1996 (December) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 (January) 2014 (December) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 (January) 2021 (December) 2022 2023
Notes	The game was also the national title game (Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series) in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2005. There was an Orange Bowl in January and December in 1996, 2014, and 2021. The 2015, 2018, and 2021 (December) editions were College Football Playoff semifinals.