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North Carolina Tar Heels: Looking Back at 33 Bowl Games

By John Woodcock

Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jordon Brown (2) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal defense at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jordon Brown (2) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal defense at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 24, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Rice Owls helmet during the game against the Army Black Knights at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of a Rice Owls helmet during the game against the Army Black Knights at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

24. 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1950 Cotton Bowl marked the end of the Charley Choo Choo Justice era at Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels were Southern Conference champions that year and 16th in the AP Poll with a 7-3 record. This was to be Coach Carl Snavely’s final bowl appearance as well.

The opposition that year was the Rice Owls. While that may seem odd in a modern context, Rice was quite the team coming out of the Southwest Conference in those years. Being in the Cotton Bowl was familiar territory for them and they were rated fifth in the country at the time. Well more familiar to them than it was to the Heels. The Owls were 9-1 and SWC Champions.

The Owls had control of the game from the opening snap. After a slow start for both teams, the Owls went on a twenty-one point tear in the game’s second and third quarters. Down 21-0, the Tar Heels attempted a fourth quarter comeback and Justice found Paul Rizzo in the end zone to put a score on the board. Though Rizzo scored again, the game ran out of time and the final read 27-13.
North Carolina has not been back to a traditional big time bowl since.

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