| Memphis, making its first major bowl appearance ever, trailed 3-0 early in the opening period until a blocked punt by Tom Carlsen, who was named the defensive player of the game, gave the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish. |
| Carlsen blocked John McMillen's punt at the 15-yard line and fell on the loose ball in the end zone for the score. A 13-yard pass from Al Harvey to Dornell Harris, who was named the offensive player of the game, was one of the highlights of a 65-yard drive early in the second period that gave Memphis a 14-3 lead at intermission. Following the pass, Harris broke loose for 20 yards and then took the ball in from the 9-yard line on the very next play from scrimmage. |
| The Tigers kicked off to begin the second half. San Jose State couldn't move but got a second chance when Paul "Skeeter" Gowen fumbled on Memphis' first offensive play. Bill Brown recovered on the Tiger 24 and a 14-3 Memphis lead looked very precarious. The Spartans moved all the way to the Tiger 2-yard line. But on fourth down, the Tiger defense buckled down by meeting running back Joe Hicks at the line of scrimmage and slammed him to the Rose Bowl turf to end San Jose's only real threat. |
| After a scoreless third period, the Tigers went to work again. David Johnson picked off his second pass of the game and returned it 17 yards to the San Jose State 18-yard line, where Paul "Skeeter" Gowen sprinted in for the score. |
| San Jose's only touchdown was set up when a pass from center sailed over punter John Kidwell's head and was recovered at the Memphis 20-yard line. A quarterback keeper by Brad Metheany with 36 seconds left in the contest got the Spartans their only touchdown. The extra point attempt was wide to the left. |