[2] The game was sponsored by the Houston Optimist Club, through agreement reached with the Lone Star Conference in April 1946; the game was to be contested annually for five years, matching the conference champion against a nationally-rated team.
[3] The 1946 conference champion was North Texas State (now the University of North Texas) coached by Odus Mitchell, and organizers extended an invitation to coach Amos Alonzo Stagg and his College of the Pacific team (now the University of the Pacific), who accepted.
With 2:40 to go in the fourth quarter, Pacific quarterback Bud Klein broke a 7-7 tie with a 22-yard strike to Bob Heck.
But the extra point failed, which turned out to be the difference in the game: North Texas QB Billy Dinkle then drove his team down the field, and with just nine seconds left, fired a nine-yard touchdown pass to Louis Rienzi.
Dinkle himself booted the extra point, and the Eagles won their first-ever bowl game.