1945 Sugar Bowl
Alabama Crimson Tide Duke Blue Devils
(5–1–2) (5–4)
SEC SoCon
26 29
Head coach: 
Frank Thomas		 Head coach: 
Eddie Cameron
AP
11
1234 Total
Alabama 12707 26
Duke 7679 29
DateJanuary 1, 1945
Season1944
StadiumTulane Stadium
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
RefereeJ.D. Thomason (SEC;
split crew: SEC, Southern)
Attendance72,000[1]

The 1945 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1944 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1945, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Duke Blue Devils, representing the Southern Conference (SoCon). Duke won the game 29–26.[2]

Teams

Alabama

The 1942 Alabama squad finished the regular season 5–1–2 with its loss coming to the Georgia Bulldogs and the two ties coming against the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers. With most of America's youth still serving in the armed forces, Frank Thomas scrambled to assemble a team in 1944. Finally he was able to fill out a roster, mostly composed of 17-year-old freshmen and students who had been rejected as unsuitable for military service. This team went down in Tide history as the "War Babies".[3] On November 25, the Crimson Tide was invited to compete in the Sugar Bowl, marking the first time that a school had competed in the four major bowls at that time (Rose, Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls).[4] The appearance marked the first for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and their eighth overall bowl appearance.[4]

Duke

Game summary

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Alabama Duke
1 12:35 67 yards, 5 plays Duke George Clark 14-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good 0 7
1 64 yards, 6 plays Alabama Norwood Hodges 1-yard touchdown run, Hugh Morrow kick no good 6 7
1 97 yards, 7 plays Alabama Norwood Hodges 1-yard touchdown run, Hugh Morrow kick blocked 12 7
2 80 yards, 6 plays Alabama Ralph Jones 12-yard touchdown reception from Harry Gilmer, Hugh Morrow kick good 19 7
2 63 yards, 4 plays Duke Tom Davis 2-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick no good 19 13
3 64 yards, 12 plays Duke Tom Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good 19 20
4 Alabama Interception returned 78 yards for touchdown by Hugh Morrow, Hugh Morrow kick good 26 20
4 Duke Harry Gilmer intentionally grounded the ball in endzone for a safety 26 22
4 40 yards, 2 plays Duke George Clark 20-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good 26 29
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 26 29

References

  1. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). "Bowl/All-Star Game Records" (PDF). 2011 NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA.org. p. 33. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Duke ralley in final minutes beats fighting Tide in Sugar Bowl clash". The Tuscaloosa News. January 2, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  3. ↑ Scott, Richard. Legends of Alabama Football. Sports Publishing LLC, 2004, ISBN 978-1-58261-277-5, p. 12
  4. 1 2 Bassett, Norman (November 26, 1944). "Alabama will play Duke eleven in Sugar Bowl game New Years Day". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 6. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
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