1949 Dixie Bowl

The 1949 Dixie Bowl was the second and final post-season collegiate Dixie Bowl played at Legion Field. The game was sponsored by the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Department and American Legion General Gorgas Post No. 1. Mark Hodo was bowl president with William Pritchard as vice president, Morton Simpson as secretary and Holt Rast as managing director.

During the year, Legion Field was expanded from 33,000 to 45,000 seats. The committee reduced the top ticket price from $6.75 to $4.90 in an attempt to fill the extra seats. Ultimately only 15,000 spectators attended the bowl game. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Santa Clara Bears both declined invitations to the game. Alabama, which had been offered a $50,000 payout or a third of the gate, but faced sanctions from the Southeastern Conference if it accepted, held out for an Orange Bowl invitation. The Tide ended up not playing in the post-season after a loss to LSU.

The match-up between Bob Woodruff's 5–3–2 Baylor Bears and Peahead Walker's 6–3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons was dubbed the "Battle of the Baptists". It was Baylor's first appearance in the bowl game and Wake Forest's second.

Baylor's George Sims intercepted a pass in the first quarter and returned it 52 yards before he was tacked at the 8-yard line. Sammie Pierce pushed into the end zone a few plays later, but Hank Dickerson missed his extra point attempt. In the second quarter, Jerry Mangrum scored on a one-yard run and Ray Painter hauled in a 12-yard Harold Riley pass to give the Bears a 20-0 lead going into the half.

Wake Forest managed to score in the third quarter on Mike Sprock's 3-yard rush, but the game ended with Baylor ahead 20-7. Sophomore Bill Gregus' 98 rushing yards helped the Bears keep possession for most of the game.

References

• "Legionnaires will head Dixie Bowl" (May 28, 1948) Gettysburg Times
• "Dixie Bowl Cuts Top Ticket Prices" (August 18, 1948) Associated Press
• "1949 Dixie Bowl" (October 2, 2012) Wikipedia - accessed May 12, 2015