Oklahoma's Best Individual Bowl Performances
*Fullback Leon Heath rushed for 150 yards on 15 carries (11.3 average) and scored two touchdowns to the lead the Sooners to a 35-0 victory over LSU in the 1950 Sugar Bowl. Heath was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. Health followed that by rushing 20 times for 121 yards (6.05 average) in a 13-7 loss to Kentucky in the 1951 Sugar Bowl.
*Halfback Larry Grigg scored the only touchdown in OU’s 7-0 win over Maryland in the 1954 Orange Bowl. As a defensive back, he also intercepted the Terrapins’ pass in the end zone late in the game to thwart a possible tie.
*OU and Maryland met again two years later, and the Terps (trailing 14-6) were driving for a score. Carl Dodd intercepted at the 18-yard line and sailed 82 yards for the game’s final touchdown. The Sooners prevailed, 20-6.
*David Baker returned an interception 94 yards for OU’s first score in a 48-21 rout over Duke in the 1958 Orange Bowl. Baker also caught a touchdown pass and tossed a scoring strike against the Blue Devils.
*Brewster Hobby attempted only one pass in OU’s 21-6 win over Syracuse at the 1959 Orange Bowl—a 79-yard scoring strike to Ross Coyle for a 14-0 lead.
*Prentice Gautt carried only six times at the 1959 Orange Bowl and scored a touchdown. He averaged 15.7 yards each time he touched the pigskin.
*Oklahoma lost to Florida State, 36-19, in the 1965 Gator Bowl, and the only highlight for the Sooners was quarterback Ronnie Fletcher’s 95-yard TD pass to split end Ben Hart.
*Linebacker Steve Casteel had 12 tackles in OU’s 28-27 loss to SMU in the 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl.
*Halfback Greg Pruitt averaged 12.1 yards (8 for 97 yards) each time he touched the ball in the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl. He also scored on runs of 58 and 25 yards in the tie game with Alabama.
*There were two Sugar Bowls in 1972, one on January 1, and the other 365 days later on December 31. OU won both games. Quarterback Jack Mildren rushed 30 times for 149 yards and scored 3 TDs in a 42-22 rout over Auburn. Mildren was named MOP of that game.
*Halfback Joe Wylie returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown in the first Sugar Bowl of 1972.
*John Carroll kicked a 53-yard field goal against Auburn in the first Sugar Bowl of 1972.
*In the second Sugar Bowl that year, freshman receiver Tinker Owens caught 5 passes for 132 yards, including a 27-yarder for a touchdown in OU’s 14-0 victory over Penn State. Owens was named the game’s MOP.
*Noseguard Reggie Kinlaw had 11 tackles in each of the 1978 and 1979 Orange Bowls.
*Tailback Billy Sims carried 25 times for 134 yards and scored 2 TDs in OU’s 31-24 triumph over Nebraska in the 1979 Orange Bowl. This was a rematch of the OU-NU matchup seven weeks earlier where Sims fumbled on the Husker’s 3-yard line and the Sooners lost, 17-14. The next year, Sims rushed 24 times for 164 yards and scored a TD in a 24-7 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
*Quarterback J.C. Watts was named the MVP of the 1980 and 1981 Orange Bowl games. He ran 15 times for 127 yards and a 61-yard score in the 1980 game. A year later, he completed 7 of 12 passes for 128 yards. More importantly, he tossed a 10-yard TD pass and followed it with a two-point pass to Forrest Valora to give OU its 18th, and deciding point, against the Seminoles in the 1981 Orange Bowl.
*In only the second start of his career, safety Bud Hebert intercepted three passes in the 1980 Orange Bowl and was named defensive MVP of the game.
*Mike Keeling nailed a 53-yard field goal to help OU to an 18-17 win over Florida State in the 1981 Orange Bowl.
*Linebacker Mike Coast recorded 15 tackles in the 1981 Orange Bowl.
*Freshman tailback Fred Sims ran for 181 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown in OU’s 40-14 victory over Houston in the 1981 Sun Bowl.
*Quarterback Darrell Shepard rushed for 107 yards and scored a couple of touchdowns to be named MVP of the 1981 Sun Bowl.
*Freshman tailback Marcus Dupree rushed 17 times for 242 yards in only three quarters of action in OU’s 32-21 loss to Arizona State in the 1983 Fiesta Bowl.
*Fullback Lydell Carr carried the ball 19 times for 148 yards against Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl. His 61-yard TD scamper in the fourth quarter was an insurance score for the Sooners to help them attain their sixth national championship.
*Tim Lashar’s four field goals set an Orange Bowl record and helped the Sooners beat Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl.
*Safety Sonny Brown had two interceptions in the 1986 Orange Bowl to be named the game’s defensive MVP. A year later he picked off two passes and forced a fumble in the 1987 Orange Bowl. Brown intercepted five passes in three Orange Bowls (1985-87).
*Linebacker Brian Bosworth had 13 solo tackles in the 1986 Orange Bowl.
*Tailback Spencer Tillman ran seven times for 109 yards (15.6 average) and scored on runs of 77 and 21 yards to lead Oklahoma to a 42-8 win over Arkansas in the 1987 Orange Bowl.
*Quarterback Cale Gundy completed 25 of 31 passes for 329 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Sooners to a 48-14 win over Virginia in the 1991 Gator Bowl. Gundy, who also was named the game’s MVP, completed 11 straight passes at one point against the nation's sixth-ranked pass defense. In two bowl games (also the 1993 Sun Bowl win over Texas Tech), Gundy completed 40 of 57 attempts for 544 yards and 5 TDs.
*Tailback Mike Gaddis gained 104 yards on 20 carries and scored 3 TDs in the 1991 Gator Bowl.
*Scott Blanton booted a 78-yard punt against Texas Tech in the 1993 Sun Bowl.
*Linebacker Broderick Simpson had 13 tackles, one sack and broke up a pass in OU’s 31-6 loss to BYU in the 1994 Copper Bowl. Simpson was named the game’s defensive MVP.
*Tailback Quentin Griffin’s 10-yard run with 8:30 remaining drove the final nail in Florida State’s coffin as the Sooners beat the heavily-favored Seminoles, 13-2, to claim their seventh national title. Two years later, he carried 30 times for 162 yards and a score in the 2003 Rose Bowl.
*Safety Roy Williams had six tackles, three behind the line of scrimmage, and two sacks to be named defensive MVP of the 2002 Cotton Bowl. The Sooners held Arkansas to 50 total yards in a 10-3 victory.
*Quarterback Nate Hybl completed 19 of 29 passes for 240 yards and 2 TDs to guide OU to a 34-14 victory over Washington State in the 2003 Rose Bowl. Hybl was named the game’s MVP.
*Defensive end Jonathan Jackson had three tackles for -34 yards, including two sacks for -22, and a forced fumble in the '03 Rose Bowl.
*OU led Oregon 17-14 in the 2005 Holiday Bowl, but the Ducks were threatening with less than a minute remaining in the game. Linebacker Clint Ingram intercepted an Oregon pass on the Sooners' 10-yard line with 33 seconds to go to preserve the win.
*Linebacker Rufus Alexander had 17 tackles and forced a fumble in a 43-42 loss to Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
*Juaquin Iglesias returned seven kickoffs for 195 yards (27.9 average) in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia.
*Linebacker Curtis Lofton recorded 15 tackles in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
*Freshman quarterback Landry Jones completed 30 of 51 passes for 418 yards and 3 TDs to lead OU to a 31-27 win over Stanford in the 2009 Sun Bowl. A year later, he connected 34 of 49 tosses for 429 yards and 3 TDs in a 48-20 victory over Connecticut.
*Linebacker Ryan Reynolds made 12 tackles in the ’09 Sun Bowl.
*Receiver Ryan Broyles hauled in 12 passes for 156 yards and 3 TDs in the 2009 Sun Bowl. The following year, he caught 13 passes for 170 yards and a TD in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.