The Glass Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played from 1946 to 1949.[ 1] It was held at the University of Toledo 's Glass Bowl .
Cover of 1946 official program
Toledo had been a manufacturing center for glass objects, including automotive glass for nearby Detroit factories. Wayne Kohn, a shipyard worker at a Toledo glass company suggested to municipal leaders a "Glass Bowl" would be a way to build the city's and industry's prestige.[ 2] The University of Toledo made the announcement of the new bowl game at a press conference in New York City on October 25, 1946.[ 3]
The University of Toledo operated the Glass Bowl Game as part of its regular schedule. In the four seasons of 1946 through 1949, Toledo had winning records going into the December date. Toledo won the first three contests but their perfect Glass Bowl record was broken by the University of Cincinnati in the fourth bowl.
In 1950, the game was to be played on December 2, however in early November the University of Toledo's athletic board voted to postpone the game until December 1951 – at the time, Toledo's record was 2–4.[ 4] [ 5] In 1951, the University of Toledo called off the game scheduled for December 1, as no schools contacted had indicated they would take part in it;[ 6] the uncertainty of December weather was also cited.[ 7]
Like some other postseason match-ups of the era, such as the Grape Bowl and the Optimist Bowl , results are listed in NCAA records, but the games were not considered NCAA-sanctioned bowls.[ 1]
Date
Winner
Loser
Attendance (est.)
MVP
December 7, 1946
Toledo
21
Bates
12
12,000[ 1]
Art Blanchard, HB, Bates[ 8]
December 6, 1947
Toledo
20
New Hampshire
14
13,500[ 1]
Dick Huston, HB, Toledo[ 9]
December 4, 1948
Toledo
27
Oklahoma City
14
8,500[ 1]
Lee Pete , QB, Toledo[ 10]
December 3, 1949
Cincinnati
33
Toledo
13
8,000[ 11]
Gene Gibson, HB, Cincinnati[ 10]
1946: Toledo 21, Bates 12
edit
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
BAT
TOL
1
2
82
BAT
Al Howlett 66-yard touchdown run, Art Blanchard kick no good
6
0
2
TOL
Tony Wolodzko 5-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick good
6
7
3
11
69
TOL
Dick Ehrhardt 5-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick good
6
14
4
51
BAT
Art Blanchard 5-yard touchdown run, 2-point attempt failed †
12
14
4
TOL
Chuck Hardy 54-yard touchdown reception from Lee Pete , John Shutt kick good
12
21
"TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football .
12
21
[ 12] [ 13]
†Newspaper accounts lack detail of the 4th quarter missed conversion.
1947: Toledo 20, New Hampshire 14
edit
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
UNH
TOL
1
TOL
Dick Huston 9-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick good
0
7
2
TOL
Dick Huston 27-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick good
0
14
3
UNH
Bob Mikszema 83-yard touchdown reception from Bruce Mather, George Kachavos kick good
7
14
4
TOL
Dick Ehrhardt ?-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick no good
7
20
4
UNH
Carmen Ragonese 3-yard touchdown run, George Kachavos kick good
14
20
"TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football .
14
20
[ 14] [ 15]
1948: Toledo 27, Oklahoma City 14
edit
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
OCU
TOL
1
TOL
Jim Hays 9-yard touchdown run, John Shutt kick good
0
7
2
46
TOL
Don Martin 12-yard touchdown reception from Lee Pete , John Shutt kick good
0
14
4
OCU
Jim Wade 8-yard touchdown run, Frank Bruno kick good
7
14
4
TOL
Chuck Hardy 16-yard touchdown reception from Lee Pete, John Shutt kick good †
7
21
4
TOL
Chuck Hardy ?-yard touchdown run, kick no good †
7
27
4
50
OCU
Jim Wade 9-yard touchdown run, Frank Bruno kick good
14
27
"TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football .
14
27
[ 16] [ 17]
†Newspaper accounts are unclear as to which Chuck Hardy touchdown – rushing or passing – happened first in the 4th quarter, and which 4th quarter conversion failed. The Associated Press credited Lee Pete with throwing three touchdown passes in the game in 1950.[ 18]
1949: Cincinnati 33, Toledo 13
edit
Scoring summary
Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score
Plays
Yards
TOP
CIN
TOL
2
CIN
Emerson Cole tackled in end zone for a safety by Jack Tracey
2
0
2
4
38
CIN
Bobby Stratton 15-yard touchdown run, George Schuster kick good
9
0
2
32
CIN
Joe Hauk 21-yard touchdown reception from Tom O'Malley , kick no good †
15
0
2
66
TOL
Emerson Cole 8-yard touchdown run, kick no good †
15
6
3
CIN
Bobby Stratton 29-yard touchdown run, kick no good †
21
6
3
CIN
77-yard punt return by Gene Gibson, kick no good †
27
6
4
CIN
Interception returned 73 yards for touchdown by Gene Gibson, kick no good †
33
6
4
1:00
7
65
TOL
George Miley 2-yard touchdown run, Martin kick good
33
13
"TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football .
33
13
[ 11] [ 19]
†Newspaper accounts lack detail of the missed conversions.
^ a b c d e "BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS" (PDF) . NCAA. 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019 .
^ Hegner, Bill (December 2, 1946). "The Sports Scene" . The Sandusky Register . p. 8. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Toledo Shoots For Place in Grid Big Time" . The Berkshire Eagle . UP . October 25, 1946. p. 19. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "No Glass Bowl Game This Year" . Corpus Christi Caller-Times . AP . November 3, 1950. p. 37. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Toledoans Crippled; Glass Bowl Tilt Off" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . AP . November 4, 1950. p. 15. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ Ada Evening News . Ada, Oklahoma . November 15, 1951
^ "Toledo Cancels Glass Bowl Game" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . AP . November 15, 1951. p. 21. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "It's Brief---And It's News" . Detroit Free Press . December 10, 1946. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Most Valuable Player Chosen" . The Evening Independent . Massillon, Ohio. AP . December 9, 1947. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ a b "HONOR FOR GIBSON" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . December 7, 1949. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ a b Forbes, Dick (December 4, 1949). "UC DEFEATS TOLEDO IN GLASS BOWL, 33-13" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Glass Bowl Game Won By Rockets" . The Zanesville Signal . Zanesville, Ohio . AP . December 8, 1946. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "TOLEDO DEFEATS BATES, 21 TO 12, IN GLASS BOWL" . Chicago Tribune . AP . December 8, 1946. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Wildcats' Win Streak Broken In 20-14 Duel" . The Capital . Annapolis, Maryland . AP . December 7, 1947. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Toledo Passes Shatter New Hampshire in Glass Bowl, 20-14" . Detroit Free Press . UP . December 7, 1947. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Rockets On Top, 27-14, In Glass Bowl Game" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . AP . December 5, 1948. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Toledo Stomps Oklahoma City 27-14, In Glass Bowl Contest" . Valley Morning Star . Harlingen, Texas . UP . December 5, 1948. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Lee C. Pete Joins Green Bay Packers" . The La Crosse Tribune . AP. August 16, 1950. p. 16. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Glass Bowl Tilt Goes To Cincinnati" . Portland Press Herald . AP . December 4, 1949. Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.