1965 Grantland Rice Bowl

The 1965 Grantland Rice Bowl was an NCAA College Division game following the 1965 season, between the Ball State Cardinals and the Tennessee A&I Tigers.[2] Ball State quarterback Frank Houk was named the game's most outstanding player.[3]

1965 Grantland Rice Bowl
Ball State Cardinals Tennessee A&I Tigers (9–0) (9–0) Indiana Collegiate Conference Midwestern Conference 14 14 Head coach:  Ray Louthen Head coach:  John Merritt
1 2 3 4 Total Ball State 0 14 0 0 14 Tennessee A&I 6 0 0 8 14
Date	December 11, 1965
Season	1965
Stadium	Horace Jones Field
Location	Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Attendance	12,000[1]

Notable participants

Multiple players from Tennessee A&I were selected in the 1966 NFL Draft – wide receiver Willie Walker, defensive tackle Franklin McRae, wide receiver Johnnie Robinson, and guard Jim Carer. Ball State running back Jim Todd was also selected. Tennessee A&I players selected in later drafts include running back Bill Tucker and return specialist Noland Smith in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft, also defensive end Claude Humphrey and quarterback Eldridge Dickey in the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft. Humphrey was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. Ball State quarterback Frank Houk was a 1985–86 inductee to his university's hall of fame.[4]

Tennessee A&I head coach John Merritt was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Ball St. Tenn. St. 1 3:05 Tenn. St. Eldridge Dickey 1-yard touchdown run, Fletcher Smith kick failed 0 6 2 8:43 Ball St. Steve Demuth 25-yard touchdown reception from Frank Houk, Bill Hajec kick good 7 6 2 0:14 Ball St. Jim Todd 18-yard touchdown reception from Frank Houk, Bill Hajec kick good 14 6 4 2:01 Tenn A&I Noland Smith 74-yard punt return, 2-point pass good (Eldridge Dickey to Johnnie Robinson) 14 14 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 14

[1][3]

References

Program cover for 1965 game

1. "Grantland Rice Bowl". Chicago Tribune. UPI. December 12, 1965. Retrieved February 11, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
2. LeMasters, Ron (November 27, 1965). "Ball State Will Play Rice Bowl Game With Tenn. State". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. Retrieved February 11, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
3. "Cards In 14-14 Bowl Tie". The Call-Leader. Elwood, Indiana. UPI. December 13, 1965. Retrieved January 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
4. "Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame". ballstatesports.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.

Further reading

• "Remembering the 1965 Grantland Rice Bowl, Ball State's First Postseason Game". Ball State University. Digital Media Repository. December 4, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
• "1965 Grantland Rice Bowl, Ball State University Cardinals vs. Tennessee State University Tigers". Ball State University. Digital Media Repository. December 11, 1965. Retrieved December 27, 2016. (video)