1947 Sun Bowl The 1947 Sun Bowl was a post - season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Southern Conference and the Cincinnati Bearcats . It took place on January 1 , 1947 at Kidd Field in El Paso , Texas . Cincinnati defeated Virginia Tech 18 – 6 in cold and icy conditions that led to a scoreless first half and three blocked extra point s by Virginia Tech . The game was the first NCAA - sanctioned post - season football contest for Cincinnati , and was the first bowl game in Virginia Tech history . The 1947 game was also the 13th edition of the Sun Bowl , which had been played every year since 1935 . In exchange for their participation in the event , each team received $ 9 , 438 . Pregame buildup . The 1947 Sun Bowl game was held as the culminating event of the Sun Carnival and was held at 15 , 000 - seat Kidd Field on the campus of Texas Western University , today known as the University of Texas El Paso . The matchup of Virginia Tech and Cincinnati was out of character for the Sun Bowl , which traditionally matched the champion of the Border Conference with the best possible opponent . Hardin - Simmons University , champions of the Border Conference , declined a Sun Bowl bid , as did the second - place team , Texas Tech . With no other option , a member of the Sun Bowl Committee — who happened to be an alumnus of Virginia Tech — suggested inviting the Hokies to play against Cincinnati , which had already accepted an invitation . Virginia Tech . Virginia Tech came into the game having gone 3 - 3 - 3 under coach James Kitts . Kitts , in his first year replacing coach H . M . McEver , had coached the team in 1941 before the outbreak of World War II interrupted the Virginia Tech football program . During the 1946 season , Kitts ' team defeated the No . 12 N . C . State Wolfpack for the first win over an Associated Press Top 25 team in school history , the Washington and Lee University Generals , and the Hokies ' traditional rivals , the Virginia Military Institute Keydets . During Virginia Tech ' s preparations before its departure for El Paso , heavy snow fell on Blacksburg , Virginia , forcing the team to use snowplow s and construction equipment to clear a space for the team to practice . The Hokies traveled to El Paso without star punter and rusher Bobby Smith , who had been injured in Virginia Tech ' s final regular - season game . Cincinnati . The Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to El Paso having amassed an 8 – 2 record under second - year head coach Ray Nolting , who took the head coaching position in Cincinnati with the revival of the football program after the end of World War Two . The Bearcats ' two losses came against Kentucky and at Tulsa , and they earned wins against tough opponents such as Indiana , Michigan State , and Ohio . The 1947 Sun Bowl was the Bearcats ' first official bowl game , but two 1902 post - season games in New Orleans , Louisiana may be considered the first bowl games in Cincinnati football history . In 1902 , Cincinnati completed a 7 - 1 - 1 season , losing only to the Carlisle Indians . Following the conclusion of its football schedule , the Bearcats were invited to New Orleans by the Southern Athletic Club to play a football game on New Year ' s Day . Cincinnati easily defeated the Athletic Club team , and at the victory party following the win , students from nearby Louisiana State University invited the Cincinnati players to come to their school to play another game . That game , which took place a few days later , resulted in a 22 – 0 Cincinnati win , and may be considered the first bowl game . Game summary . The game was played in extremely cold and icy conditions , still the worst in Sun Bowl history . Three inches of snow fell on top of a layer of frozen rain the day before the game , and at kickoff the teams took the field under cloudy skies and in below - freezing temperatures . Despite the inclement weather , 15 , 000 - seat Kidd Field was approximately half full , and bowl officials estimated the crowd at around 10 , 000 people . Weather conditions allowed both teams ' defenses to dominate in the first half . Virginia Tech had the best chance to score of either team in the first half when it drove to a first down inside the Cincinnati two - yard line late in the first quarter . On four straight running plays , however , the Bearcats ' defense held , and Virginia Tech was denied a scoring opportunity . In the second half , however , Cincinnati ' s offense managed to begin moving the ball effectively . On Cincinnati ’ s first play of the second half , halfback Roger Stephens broke through the Virginia Tech defensive line for 26 yards , taking the ball inside Virginia Tech territory . Cincinnati ' s drive would overcome two 15 - yard penalties and one five - yard penalty en route to a touchdown just a few plays later . On its next possession , Cincinnati ' s All - American Roger Stephens again broke off another long run , this time for 19 yards , setting up another Bearcats ' touchdown . Virginia Tech countered with a long drive that reached the Cincinnati 23 - yard line before an errant pass was intercepted by the Bearcats in the end zone . Virginia Tech managed a defensive stop , however , and marched down the field for a touchdown to climb within six points . Cincinnati sealed its victory , however , when Bearcats ' halfback Harold Johnson intercepted a Virginia Tech pass late in the fourth quarter , returning it all the way to the Virginia Tech 25 - yard line . That return set up a Cincinnati touchdown and put the Bearcats up by the game ' s final score , 18 – 6 . Statistical summary . Virginia Tech blocked all three Cincinnati extra point attempts , while Virginia Tech ' s sole extra point kick missed . Cincinnati ' s kicking woes were also reflected in their punt ing game . Cincinnati averaged just 19 yards a punt , setting the record for the lowest punting average in Sun Bowl history . All 24 of the game ' s points were scored in the second half . Virginia Tech earned just 34 rushing yards against the Bearcats ' defense while allowing 369 yards to Cincinnati ' s rushing offense . Those two totals are the least - gained and most - allowed marks in Virginia Tech bowl game history . Prior to 1954 , the Sun Bowl did not award most valuable player honors , but Harold Johnson from Cincinnati was statistically the game ' s most valuable player , intercepting two Virginia Tech passes ( one in the end zone ) and scoring the first touchdown of the game on a 13 - yard run .