The 1934–35 NCAA football bowl games were the final games of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 1934 college football season, and featured the debut of the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl, which complemented the only previous annual post-season game, the Rose Bowl. The Sun Bowl was also played for the first time, but with non-collegiate teams.

The Orange Bowl was hosted by the local team, the Miami Hurricanes, who faced the invited Bucknell Bison. Likewise, the Sugar Bowl was also hosted by the in-town team (the Tulane Green Wave), and also invited a Pennsylvania club as their opponents, the Temple Owls. The Rose Bowl featured two national powerhouses, the Stanford Indians of the West and the Alabama Crimson Tide from the South. Alabama's victory sealed their undefeated season and ended Stanford's, leaving Minnesota the only other undefeated team in the US.

Poll rankings The first AP poll for college football was taken in mid-November 1934; it did not become a regular occurrence until the 1936 season. The below table lists top teams, their win–loss records at the time the poll was taken, and the bowls they later played in. Contemporary polls later named different national champions; the Dickinson System chose Minnesota, while the Dunkel System selected Alabama.

AP Team W–L Conf. Bowl Minnesota Golden Gophers Big Ten — Stanford Indians PCC Rose Bowl Alabama Crimson Tide SEC Rose Bowl Pittsburgh Panthers Ind. — Princeton Tigers Ind. — Illinois Fighting Illini Big Ten — Navy Midshipmen Ind. — Colgate Red Raiders Ind. — Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten — Syracuse Orangemen Ind. — The Big Ten Conference did not allow its members to participate in bowl games until the 1947 Rose Bowl.

Bowl schedule DateGameSiteTeamsAffiliationsResults Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Rose BowlPasadena, California Alabama Crimson Tide (9–0) Stanford Indians (9–0–1) SECPCC Alabama 29Stanford 13 Sugar Bowl Tulane StadiumNew Orleans, Louisiana Tulane Green Wave (9–1) Temple Owls (7–0–1) SEC Independent Tulane 20Temple 14 Orange Bowl Miami Field Miami, Florida Bucknell Bison (7–2–2) Miami Hurricanes (5–2–1) Independent Independent Bucknell 26Miami 0 Sun Bowl Jones Stadium El Paso, Texas El Paso All-Stars (N/A) Ranger Bulldogs (5–1) El Paso 25Ranger 21 The inaugural Sun Bowl was contested between high school teams.

Conference performance in bowl games ConferenceGamesRecordBowls W L Pct.Won Lost Independents 3 Orange Orange, Sugar SEC 2 Rose, Sugar Pacific Coast 1 Rose

Game recaps Rose Bowl

Qtr. Team Scoring play Score1STANGrayson 1 yard rush, Moscrip kick goodSTAN 7–02BAMAHowell 5 yard rush, kick failedSTAN 7–6BAMASmith 27 yard FGBAMA 9–7BAMAHowell 67 yard rush, Smith kick goodBAMA 16–7BAMAHuston 46 yard pass from Riley, kick failedBAMA 22–73STANVanDellen 12 yard rushBAMA 22–134BAMAHuston 59 yard pass from Howell, Smith kick goodBAMA 29–13Source:

Sugar Bowl

Qtr. Team Scoring play Score1TEMTester 7 yard pass from Smukler, Smukler kick goodTEM 7–02TEMSmukler 3 yard rush, Smukler kick goodTEM 14–0TULSimons 85 yard kickoff return, Mintz kick goodTEM 14–73TULHardy 11 yard pass from Bryan, Mintz kick goodTIED 14–144TULHardy 25 yard pass from Mintz, kick failedTUL 20–14Source:

Orange Bowl

Qtr. Team Scoring play Score2BUCKSmith 23 yard pass from Jenkins, Dobie kick goodBUCK 7–03BUCKMiller 4 yard rush, kick failedBUCK 13–04BUCKSmith 8 yard rush, Dobie kick goodBUCK 20–0BUCKReznichak 10 yard rush, kick failedBUCK 26–0Source:

See also Prairie View Bowl

References