Year Game Played: | 1961 |
Game Name: | Sugar Bowl |
Football Season: | 1960 |
Visitor Name Short: | Ole Miss |
Visitor Nickname: | Rebels |
Visitor School: | University of Mississippi |
Home Name Short: | Rice |
Home Nickname: | Owls |
Home School: | Rice University |
Visitor Record: | 9–0–1 |
Visitor Conference: | SEC |
Home Record: | 7–3 |
Home Conference: | SWC |
Visitor Coach: | Johnny Vaught |
Home Coach: | Jess Neely |
Visitor Rank Ap: | 2 |
Visitor Rank Coaches: | 3 |
Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
Home 1Q: | 0 |
Home 2Q: | 0 |
Home 3Q: | 6 |
Home 4Q: | 0 |
Date Game Played: | January 2 |
Stadium: | Tulane Stadium |
City: | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Referee: | E.D. Cavette (SEC; split crew: SEC, SWC) |
Attendance: | 82,851 |
The 1961 Sugar Bowl featured the second-ranked Ole Miss Rebels and the unranked Rice Owls. After winning the game, the Rebels were named national champion by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), although Minnesota was the pick of AP and Coaches' Polls.
In the first quarter, Rebels quarterback Jake Gibbs scored on an 8-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter, Rice scored on a 2-yard run by Blume, but the extra point missed and Rice was still trailing, 7–6. In the fourth quarter, Ole Miss put the game away with a 3-yard touchdown run from Gibbs as Ole Miss won, 14–6. Rice won the statistical battle, but their quarterback threw 4 interceptions, and the team made some key mistakes.
Jake Gibbs was named the game's MVP.