The 1955 Gator Bowl, part of the 1955 bowl game season, was the eleventh annual contest and took place on December 31, 1955, at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The competing teams were the Auburn Tigers and the Vanderbilt Commodores, both representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt upset favored Auburn 25–13 to secure their first ever bowl victory. This remained the lone bowl victory for the Commodores through their 16–14 victory over Boston College in the 2008 Music City Bowl.

The 1955 Auburn squad finished the regular season 8–1–1. The Tigers lost to Tulane and tied Kentucky en route to their third-place finish in the conference. They accepted an invitation to play in the Gator Bowl against Vanderbilt in the days following their victory over long-time rival Alabama. The appearance was the fifth overall bowl appearance and third consecutive in the Gator Bowl for the Tigers.

The 1955 Vanderbilt squad finished the regular season 7–3. The Commodores lost to Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee. They accepted an invitation to play in the Gator Bowl in the days following their loss to Tennessee. The appearance was the first all-time bowl appearance for Vanderbilt.

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