13 14 Season 1964 Date 12 December 1964 Attendance 8,000 | UMass 0 MVP Bill Cline Stadium Camping World Stadium | |
Champion East Carolina Pirates football Location Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida, United States Similar 1982 Tangerine Bowl, 1992 Florida Citrus Bowl, 1985 Florida Citrus Bowl, 1987 Liberty Bowl | ||
The 1964 Tangerine Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the East Carolina Pirates and the Massachusetts Redmen (UMass), played in Orlando, Florida.
Contents
Background
From 1964 through 1967, the Tangerine Bowl was one of four postseason games in the NCAA College Division, the Atlantic regional final. The 1964 game had the Redmen (UMass' nickname until 1972) of the Yankee Conference and the independent Pirates.
The other three regional finals in the College Division were the Pecan, Grantland Rice, and Camellia bowls, also played on December 12.
Game summary
The game ultimately was decided by special teams. The Redmen scored twice on Jerry Whelchel touchdown passes. However, on the second extra point, Whelchel's kick went wide, as they only led 13–0.
The Pirates came up with a touchdown on a George Richardson run to narrow the lead. But when they tried to make the deficit smaller, the conversion attempt failed, leaving it at 13–6. In the fourth quarter, the Pirates went on a 90-yard drive, culminating in a 9-yard run by Cline. Rather than going for the tie, they went for the win, and Cline's pass this time succeeded, giving the Pirates the lead and ultimately the win.
Aftermath
The Pirates returned to the bowl the following year and joined the University Division in 1966. The Redmen have only played in a bowl game once since, the succeeding Boardwalk Bowl in 1972. UMass moved up to the new Division I-AA (now FCS) in 1978 and to FBS in 2012.