1968 Tangerine Bowl

1968 Tangerine Bowl
Richmond Spiders Ohio Bobcats
(7–3) (10–0)
Southern Conference MAC
49 42
Head coach: 
Frank Jones		 Head coach: 
Bill Hess
APCoaches
1518
1234 Total
Richmond 721147 49
Ohio 714138 42
DateDecember 27, 1968
Season1968
StadiumTangerine Bowl
LocationOrlando, Florida
MVPBuster O'Brien, Richmond (back)[1]
Walker Gillette, Richmond (lineman)[1]
FavoriteOhio
Attendance16,114[2]
Tangerine Bowl
 < 1967  1969 > 

The 1968 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 27, 1968, at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Richmond Spiders of the Southern Conference defeated the Ohio Bobcats of the Mid-American Conference by a score of 49–42. The Tangerine Bowl is the former name of what is now called the Citrus Bowl.

Heading into the game, Ohio University finished their regular season slate with a perfect 10–0–0 record. The Bobcats also held a #15 Associated Press (AP) national ranking. The 1970 Ohio Bobcats football team had one of the most potent offenses the nation and was spearheaded by quarterback Cleve Bryant. Ohio was one of only three NCAA programs to finish their regular season with an unbeaten and untied record.

The University of Richmond entered with an 8–3–0 record. They were Southern Conference champions after having finished 6–0–0 in conference play. They were decided underdogs against Ohio and the national media did not give them much of a chance to compete, let alone win the game. The upset-minded Spiders did just that, however, winning their first-ever postseason bowl game 49–42. It would ultimately be Richmond's only bowl victory (they lost in their only other bowl appearance, the 1971 Tangerine Bowl).

After the loss, the Bobcats finished #20 in the final AP Poll.

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP UR OU
1 10:51 OU Todd Snyder 49-yard touchdown reception from Cleve Bryant, William Pataki kick good 0 7
1 2:51 UR Jim Livesay 24-yard touchdown reception from Buster O'Brien, Mike Dussault kick good 7 7
2 12:59 UR Buster O'Brien 31-yard touchdown run, Mike Dussault kick good 14 7
2 10:37 OU Cleve Bryant 7-yard touchdown run, William Pataki kick good 14 14
2 8:39 UR Joe Kellum 1-yard touchdown run, Mike Dussault kick good 21 14
2 4:50 UR Walker Gillette 5-yard touchdown reception from Buster O'Brien, Mike Dussault kick good 28 14
2 0:33 OU Todd Snyder 3-yard touchdown reception from Cleve Bryant, William Pataki kick good 28 21
3 10:22 OU Todd Snyder 45-yard touchdown reception from Cleve Bryant, William Pataki kick good 28 28
3 4:06 UR Joe Kellum 4-yard touchdown run, Mike Dussault kick good 35 28
3 1:30 UR Jim Crenshaw 12-yard touchdown reception from Buster O'Brien, Mike Dussault kick good 42 28
3 OU Dave LeVeck 2-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed 42 34
4 5:29 UR Jim Livesay 15-yard touchdown reception from Buster O'Brien, Mike Dussault kick good 49 34
4 1:33 OU Bob Houmard 3-yard touchdown reception from Cleve Bryant, 2-point run good 49 42
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 49 42
  1. ^ a b Hayes, Ed (December 28, 1968). "\We Didn't Expect Anything Like This -- Richmond's Jones". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ MacDonald, Jim (December 28, 1968). "Wow! Richmond Claims Offensive Explosion, 49-42". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via newspapers.com.