SMU vs. Penn State
Thursday, January 1, 1948, Cotton Bowl Share
No. 4 SMU and No. 5 Penn State tied 13–13. It was their first meeting; after it, the series stood even at 0–0–1.
FinalAttendance 43,000Referee: Abb Curtis (SWC; split crew: SWC, EAIFO)
MVPs Steve Suhey (Penn State); Doak Walker (SMU)Wikipedia
On the newsreel
- 13-13 TIE IN COTTON BOWLAfter taking a drubbing in the first half, Penn State surges back to tie things up against Southern Methodist. 47,000 grid cohorts see classic in chilly Cotton Bowl
Universal Newsreel, National Archives (catalog record). Story titles and words as Universal’s release sheet gives them; the films themselves may still be under copyright, so we link to the record rather than show them.
Photos from the game
The Matchday programme available at the Cotton Bowl ClassicPhoto: Susan Natalie Freeman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
From the game’s category on Wikimedia Commons, free licenses only, each credited.
Before kickoff
Our ratings going in
Our ratings (scores only)
Penn State 51% to win.
The series
Every SMU–Penn State gamePenn State leads 2–0–1 in three meetings, counting the two since this game.
| 2024 | Penn State 38, SMU 10 | CFP First Round |
| 1978 | Penn State 26, SMU 21 | |
| 1947 | SMU 13, Penn State 13 | Cotton Bowl |
Around this game
SMU
- Next gameat PittsburghSept. 25, 1948
- SeasonSMU in 1947
- ProgramSMU history and records
Penn State
- Next gamevs. BucknellOct. 2, 1948
- SeasonPenn State in 1947
- ProgramPenn State history and records