El Paso, Texas — Playing in its first bowl game, the New Mexico Lobos were shut out by the Utah Utes 26-0 in the 4th Annual Sun Bowl at Kidd Field in El Paso.
(Note: The remainder of this story was written by Albuquerque Journal Sports Editor Paul Weeks and edited by UNM Media Relations.)
Like a kite that had flown too high, New Mexico’s far-famed “dipsy-doo” football circus blew up and out of control before 13,000 disappointed Sun Bowl fans with a powerful tribe of Utah Indians (as they were called at the time) pouring on a humiliating 26-0 defeat.
The Utes matched their conservative style of the game as taught by Coach Ike Armstrong against the once-colorful attack of the Hilltoppers (as the Lobos were sometimes called) to claim gridiron superiority as Big Seven champions over the Lobos, co-champs of the Border league.
Never did New Mexico fall so miserably during the entire season as against the white-shirted tribe. Observers declared the team had conquered foes with power equal to the Utes, but there were no alibis for the Sun Bowl loss. It was on the same field that the Cherry and Silver met its first defeat of the season against Texas Mines (now UTEP).
Placed on equal ground before the fray, the two teams were as unevenly matched as a flyweight in the ring with a heavy. The Utes smashed across two touchdowns in the first quarter and followed it up with a 20-0 margin at the half. When New Mexico did not take advantage of breaks given them in the last periods, the Utes coasted in to another score, using two teams with equal results.
Though the bowl was not filled to capacity, more than 500 perched on the barren hills surrounding the field. The crowd stripped overcoats and concessionaires did a rush business in sun glasses because of the summery temperature. The tang of autumn football weather was entirely lacking.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Utah | 14 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 26 | |
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Scoring | ||||||
| Utah – Pace 15 run (McGarry kick) | ||||||
| Utah – Peterson 64 interception return (McGarry kick) | ||||||
| Utah – Peterson 9 run (kick failed) | ||||||
| Utah – Gehrke 10 run (kick failed) | ||||||
| Statistics | ||||||
| UNM | Utah | |||||
| First Downs | 12 | 16 | ||||
| Rushing Yards | 179 | 379 | ||||
| Passing Yards | 59 | 18 | ||||
| Passing | 4-11-4 | 1-4-1 | ||||
| Total Offense | 212 | 384 | ||||
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-1 | 1-1 | ||||
| Penalties-Yards | 5-35 | 9-55 | ||||
| Punts-Avg. | 9-40.8 | 8-30.5 | ||||