1962 Gotham Bowl

The 1962 Gotham Bowl was the second and final edition of the college football bowl game, played at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Saturday, December 15.[1][2] Part of the 1962–63 bowl game season, it matched the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference and the independent Miami Hurricanes.[3][4]

1962 Gotham Bowl
2nd edition
Nebraska Cornhuskers Miami Hurricanes
(8–2) (7–3)
Big Eight Independent
36 34
Head coach: 
Bob Devaney		 Head coach: 
Andy Gustafson
APCoaches
NR18
1234 Total
Nebraska 61488 36
Miami 61477 34
DateDecember 15, 1962
Season1962
StadiumYankee Stadium
LocationThe Bronx,
New York City, New York
FavoriteEven[1][2]
Attendance6,166
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC (delayed)[1][2]

Teams
Main article: 1962 NCAA University Division football season

Nebraska
Main article: 1962 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The Cornhuskers finished third in the Big Eight Conference under first-year head coach Bob Devaney, but were in a bowl game for the first time in eight years.

Miami
Main article: 1962 Miami Hurricanes football team

It was the second straight bowl appearance for the Hurricanes; they lost fell by one point to Syracuse in the Liberty Bowl the previous year.

Background

A week before the game, most newspaper workers in New York City went on strike, which limited coverage of the game in the city.

The invitation process was also poorly handled. Nebraska only agreed to play 11 days before the game was to be played. Even then, the game almost didn't happen. The pilot of the Cornhuskers' team plane refused to take off until he received word that the expenditures check cleared. The temperature at kickoff was a damp 14 °F (−10 °C). While attendance was officially announced as 6,166, only a couple of thousand people were actually in the stadium.

Scoring
First quarter
  • Nebraska – Bill Thornton 2-yard run (Dennis Claridge run failed), 7:21 remaining
  • Miami – Ben Rizzo 10-yard pass from George Mira (Bobby Wilson kick failed), 0:29
Second quarter
  • Miami – Nick Spinnelli 30-yard pass from Mira (Mira pass failed), 12:31
  • Nebraska – Willie Ross 92-yard kickoff return (Rudy Johnson kick), 12:18
  • Miami – Nick Ryder 1-yard run (Ryder pass from Mira), 7:20
  • Nebraska – Mike Eger 6-yard pass from Claridge (Johnson kick), 0:42
Third quarter
  • Miami – John Bennett 3-yard run (Wilson kick), 8:44
  • Nebraska – Thornton 1-yard run (Claridge run), 0:08
Fourth quarter
  • Nebraska – Ross 1-yard run (Thornton run), 13:32
  • Miami – Ryder 1-yard run (Wilson kick), 9:29
Source:[5]

Mira was driving his team for the win in the closing minutes, but was intercepted by Bob Brown; the Huskers held on to win the second and last Gotham Bowl.[3][4][6]

Statistics
StatisticsNebraska   Miami   
First Downs1234
Rushing Yards150181
Passing Yards146321
Passes (C-A-I)9–14–024–46–2
Total Yards296502
Punts6–371–35
Fumbles lost22
Yards penalized695
Source:[3][4]

Aftermath

Though the Gotham Bowl was disbanded, postseason football returned to New York with the advent of the Pinstripe Bowl, in 2010. Nebraska returned to bowl action the following year in the Orange Bowl. Miami returned to bowl action in 1966. The two teams would meet up five more times (1984, 1989, 1992, 1995, & 2002) over the next four decades, with all those games helping to determine the national champion.

Both final polls were released in early December, prior to the bowls.

See also

References
  1. Reichler, Joe (December 14, 1962). "Stage set for Gotham Bowl". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. p. 23.
  2. "Go-ahead given in Gotham Bowl". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. December 15, 1962. p. 11.
  3. "Nebraska wins Gotham Bowl, 36–34". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 16, 1962. p. 1B.
  4. "Nebraska edges Miami, 36–34". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 16, 1962. p. 1, section 4.
  5. "Bowl games: 1962 Gotham Bowl" (PDF). 2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers football media guide. (supplement). 2005.
  6. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=132
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