1942 Sugar Bowl

1942 Sugar Bowl
Fordham Rams Missouri Tigers
(7–1) (8–1)
Independent Big 6
2 0
Head coach: 
Jim Crowley		 Head coach: 
Don Faurot
AP
6
AP
7
1234 Total
Fordham 2000 2
Missouri 0000 0
DateJanuary 1, 1942
Season1941
StadiumTulane Stadium
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana[1]
FavoriteMissouri[2]
RefereeWilliam Halloran
Attendance66,154
Sugar Bowl
 < 1941  1943 > 

The 1942 edition of the Sugar Bowl featured the Missouri Tigers and the Fordham Rams.[2][3] It was played at Tulane Stadium on New Orleans, Louisiana, on Thursday, January 1, 1942.[4][5]

Those who watched the game were concerned by the entry of the United States into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, which had occurred less than four weeks earlier. Despite this, the bowl game was played on schedule on New Year's Day 1942.

The game was played in a cold, driving rainstorm. During the first quarter, a blocked Tigers punt, turned back by Fordham tackle Alex Santilli, led to a two-point safety being scored by defensive end Stanley Ritinski. Nearly a touchdown, the referee ruled that the ball was not under control until after Ritinski slid over the end line.[1][4][5]

As the rain continued, no further points were scored. The final score was Fordham 2, Missouri 0, the lowest possible combined point total for an untied American football game, which stands as a bowl game record for an untied game as of 2022 (there have been four scoreless ties).[6] Fordham also won the game without a single forward pass completion; their total yardage was 137 yards, all gained on the ground.[1]

The radio broadcast of the game was carried by the NBC Blue Network.[3]

  1. ^ a b c ""Eighth Annual Sugar Bowl Classic: January 1, 1942"". Allstate Sugar Bowl. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Ram letdown jinx may help Missouri". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 1, 1942. p. 4B.
  3. ^ a b "Facts on the bowl games". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 1, 1942. p. 4B.
  4. ^ a b Wheeler, Romney (January 2, 1942). "Blocked punt gives Fordham 2-0 verdict over Missouri Tigers". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. B3.
  5. ^ a b Kirksey, George (January 2, 1942). "Safety nets Fordham 2-0 Sugar Bowl win". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. p. 60.
  6. ^ Buker, Paul. "The Six lowest-scoring major college bowl games of all time". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 16, 2011.