| Year Game Played: | 1961 |
| Game Name: | Orange Bowl |
| Subheader: | 27th Orange Bowl |
| Football Season: | 1960 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Missouri |
| Visitor Nickname: | Tigers |
| Home Name Short: | Navy |
| Home Nickname: | Midshipmen |
| Visitor Record: | 10–0 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big 8 |
| Home Record: | 9–1 |
| Home Conference: | Independent |
| Visitor Coach: | Dan Devine |
| Home Coach: | Wayne Hardin |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 5 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 4 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 4 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 6 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
| Home 1Q: | 6 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 8 |
| Date Game Played: | January 2 |
| Stadium: | Orange Bowl |
| City: | Miami, Florida |
| Odds: | Missouri by 6½ points |
| Referee: | W. P. Astle (Big Eight; split crew: Big Eight, EAIFO) |
| Attendance: | 72,212 |
| Us Network: | CBS |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Ray Scott, Paul Christman |
The 1961 Orange Bowl was the 27th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1960–61 bowl game season, the No. 5 Missouri Tigers of the Big Eight Conference defeated the No. 4 Navy Midshipmen, 21–14.[1] [2]
New Year's Day was on a Sunday in 1961; the college bowl games were played the following day.
See main article: 1960 college football season.
See main article: 1960 Missouri Tigers football team. Missouri won its first nine games; they lost to visiting Kansas,[3] [4] but the Jayhawks used an ineligible player and later forfeited.[5] [6]
See main article: 1960 Navy Midshipmen football team. Navy's only loss was in early November at Duke;[7] the Blue Devils went on to win the Cotton Bowl. Senior halfback Joe Bellino won the Heisman Trophy.
The game kicked off at 1 pm.[3]
Navy jumped to a 6–0 lead with a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown. But Missouri answered when Norm Beal intercepted Navy's Hal Spooner, rumbling down the sideline for a 90-yard return, giving Missouri a 7–6 advantage. They then drove 80 yards for a second touchdown, and led 14–6 at halftime.
Missouri's defense shut down the Midshipmen's running game, including Heisman Trophy winner Joe Bellino, forcing Navy to pass. But Missouri continued to run the ball, grinding it out for 223 rushing yards. After a scoreless third quarter, Missouri drove down 64 yards and capitalized with a 1-yard run from quarterback Ronnie Taylor. Taylor, who went 1 for 6 passing, threw for only five total yards. Down 21–6, Bellino caught a 27-yard pass from Spooner, and then made the two-point conversion, cutting the lead to 21–14. Missouri held on for the win. President-elect John F. Kennedy attended the game.[1] [2]
Missouri's next major bowl appearance was after the 1965 season, a win in the Sugar. Their only Orange Bowl since this one was in January 1970.
This remains Navy's only Orange Bowl; their next major bowl appearance is their most recent, the Cotton following the 1963 season.
This was the last telecast of the Orange Bowl by CBS for 35 years.