The Lions were champions of the Lone Star Conference after finishing their regular season 10–0, and they entered the bowl with an 18-game winning streak.
They were coached by "Catfish" Smith, in his second year leading the team.
East Texas State scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, jumping out to a 13–0 lead.
During the final quarter, East Texas State scored three more touchdowns to stretch their lead to 33–0, the game's final score.
Halfback Marvin Brown, who had scored two of East Texas State's five touchdowns, was named the game's most valuable player.