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Home , Bob Brodhead, Bud Wilkinson, Clendon Thomas, Cotton Bowl (stadium), Don Stiller, Gator Bowl

Bowl . A capacity crowd of more than 76,000 sun-drenched fans witness the half-time spectacle in the New Year's Day football classic in the Orange

Bound for the

The past football season wasn't the best the Sooners have known . There were a ti intller of close calls, one upset. BUI Oklahoma won the conference title.

the event had already been called IJD WILKINSON KNldw-though no one ule and emerged winner of nine games, game, that Belse seemed to-that the 1957 season loser of only one. Since the Wilkinson the "toughest." It didn't turned out Pitt's was going to be a controversial one. Months group once again took the conference title, way . Almost 59,000 fans flocked to genuinely expecting a start- ago, before the Sooners had played their it found itself ()range Bowl bound. , many young and first football game, Wilkinson warned that Just how good a team is Oklahoma of-the-season upset. Oklahoma's game Oklahoma was doomed to be overrated. sending to , Florida, for the New inexperienced team ran off with the Thomas, How right he was. At season's end, Year's goings-on.' Everyone has his own 26-0, and players like Clendon lakie O . U. was still in the top ten of all news- opinion, and some of these speculations , Carl Dodd, , and David Baker wire polls, but down several notches below seem more emotional than factual. Prob- Sandefer, the hot, humid the number one position it had occupied ably it has been years since the rating of looked like a million. In indication of at the time of the first, Pittsburgh game. the Sooners has proved so difficult . weather Sooners gave every were Still, Oklahoma plowed through its sched- When Oklahoma played the first 1957 making up another great team . There

PACs: 4 SOONER MAGAZINE

the brilliant cutbacks of Thomas, a scoring f)odd-to-Stiller pass that flew 17 yards, valuable quick kicks by Baker. Next came Iowa State, and, though Oklahoma won 40-14, it wasn't as easy as the score indicated. The Sooners did score twice in the first quarter, and they are known for playing best in the third . It was 19-7 at half time. Baker racked up 61 .yards in passes to Coyle, and Sandefer car- ried back an Iowa State punt for 81 yards to the touchdown. But it was a tough one, 11 the same. "We were fortunate to defeat owa State," said Wilkinson. Both offen- ively and defensively, Iowa State was my a dandy. No one knew quite what to expect from e University of on October 12 in e . A year earlier the Sooners held the Texans scoreless while Coach of the Uni- rolling up 45 points for themselves. Now versity of Oklahoma guided foot- were pitted against a team which, it hall teams to a modern record of they forty-seven consecutive victories. was suspected, would be stronger; , a former player under Wilkinson, was Texas' new . As things turned out, Oklahoma won 21-7, but it was a battle all the way . The score was tied 7-7 through the third quar- ter. Oklahomans expect much aerial activ- The game against brought the Until the game against , the ity when they meet a team from the South- desired higher score, Oklahoma triumph- weather stayed unusually warts. Sitting in west Conference, and there was much pass- ing 47-0. Sooners still weren't feeling well, the broiling sun slanting down into Owen ing on this occasion . Not all of it was suc- recovering from a bout with the Asian flu, Stadium, fans at earlier games had waited cessful, by any means, for 0. U. inter- and Wilkinson felt they weren't quite up through to the final gun with maddening cepted five passes, Texas four. Many of the to their usual form. But Kansas, also flu- thirst and singed foreheads above their 75,000 fans came away disappointed be- bitten, was feeling worse. 0. U.'s alternate visors, or else they simply got up out of cause of a low score. Some said they could team scored five of the seven touchdowns. their seats and left during the games' have sworn that Oklahoma was playing The close of the first quarter was indica- fourth quarters. Oklahoma that day, because Royal's tactics tive of the final result, for the score was A miserably cold, knife-sharp wind came so closely resembled those of Wilkinson . 21-0 at that point. to Norman for the Colorado game on Oc- tober 2(i. It seemed that perhaps only the sports writers in the press box were com- fortable . Yet few fans dared leave their seats until the last few seconds of play. Colorado gave the Sooners the scare of their lives. Again, said Wilkinson, Oklahoma was fortunate to win-at a score of 14-13 . Colorado's coaching was brilliant, and its offense was fine. Near the end of the game Colorado led 13-7, but Oklahoma brought the ball all the way back froth a kickoff and clinched the victory with a conversion boot from Carl Dodd . The single wing of the Golden Buffaloes had worked fine- almost too well, in fact, and Colorado had been quick to cover Sooner fumbles. The crowd of 61,000 which saw the nail-biter against Colorado was the largest to ever witness a game in Owen Stadium. November 2 at Manhattan, Kansas, was the time and place for the 13-0 victory over Kansas State. A defensive game, the fracas seemed literally filled with forced Coach Bill hlurray of , North Carolina, calls his Blne Devils "spirited, organized." punts and fumbles. Kansas State fought

DECEMBER, 1957 PACE 5

harder than anyone had expected . The Sputnik, giant football players, and the was playing on a national television net- two Sooner scores came in the middle of like. work, and in color too. Another super- the second and third quarters. Governor Raymond Gary had declared stitiously claimed he had known from the By the time Oklahoma met Missouri, in the day Day as a kickoff, because of a bad omen : the foot- Columbia, fans and experts alike were tribute to the progress made by the 65- ball fell over twice when the Oklahoma trying hard not to think This Is Probably year-old institution, and he and such ce- player tried to kick, and finally a team- It. But the chilly crowd-thankful that lebrities as Will Rogers, Jr., were on hand mate had to hold it up. the rains of the past week had ceased-saw to wish the school well in person. Down The Sooners played the game as well as O. U. win 30-14. The game decided the for the Notre Dame game, also, were mem- they knew how. Notre Damc was simply conference championship of the Big Eight bers of the 1907 football team and their a better team that day. Ended was an Okla- (which now includes Oklahoma State, coach, the "grand old man" of Oklahoma homa winning streak of 47 games, a mod- though that school will not compete until football, . Tickets to the game ern record. It was the first game in a total 1960) . It also determined the Orange were well-nigh impossible to get hold of, of 123 that Oklahoma had not scored . The Bowl bid. A record crowd saw Missouri and Norman bulged turgid with holideers. last time the Sooners had lost a game was let go with a passing attack, stopped cold The game came, the game became his- in 1953, and that had been against Notre by an (). U. interception . Also in evidence tory, and, as Wilkinson said, Oklahoma Dame, too. was an Oklahoma record of 120 offensive lost to a great football team that clay . Thou- Besieged by newsmen after the game, plays. sands left Owen Stadium, most stunned, Wilkinson admitted that, no, "it was not a No one is going to forget November 16 . some joyous, but all with downright dis- relief" to finally lose. Newspapers and na- Oklahomans had been looking forward to belief. They had witnessed a nerve-wrack- tional news magazines ran lengthy stories the day for 50 years, so to speak . It was ing game which went scoreless into the on the game as though it was the sports Statehood Day, the official day of the Semi- fourth quarter, then saw Notre Dame event of the year. Some of the stories were, centennial . It was also Homecoming at the score and win 7-0 . frankly, a little silly. Two in particular University, and students had worked hard, The eyes of the nation were on Norman hard-pedaled the grey weather over the often in the rain, to build lawn decorations that afternoon . One fan remarked that the game, the moodiness of the last quarter, featuring Indians, the Russian satellite upset mould have to come when Oklahoma and, in general, sought to make Okla-

Thousands left Owen Stadium, most stunned, some joyous, but all with down- right disbelief. Wilkinson told reporters, No, it was not a relief to lose.

A swift end run in the 1956 Orange between Oklahoma and Maryland stim I up plenty of excitement. Oklahoma won, final score 20-6

PAGE 6 SOONER MACAZINL

horna's defeat look a bit like Creek trag- in Sugar and Gator Bowls on New Year's edy . For example, one story had Okla- Day. homans shuddering in a silence greyer Four years ago the Sooners met Mary- than the weather, Sooners bursting into land, the number one team in the country, tears as they returned to the dressing room at Miami and defeated her 7-0. One of the and one sobbing, "We should have pulled most stirring plays in Oklahoma's gridiron it out. We've been doing it for a long history occurred when a determined Soon- time." er eleven held Maryland for four downs Another concentrated on Wilkinson's when the latter was a few feet from the faint and presumably forced smile when goal . Two years ago the two met in the interviewed by reporters, and oil the way Orange Bowl again. This time Oklahoma he kicked cigarette butts in frustration was top-ranked and, again, threw Mary- while standing on the sidelines during the land (third-ranked) for a loss. Final score game. was 20-6. What the press seemed to have inissLd The Orange Bowl has, in a sense, grown ight of was that, though no Oklahomans up fairly recently. Whereas at one time all elt really "relieved" to finally watch a los- eyes appeared to be turned to 's ing game, few took the defeat so hard that , that attraction now comes in they went home weeping. The crowd gave for some sturdy competition from the both the Sooners and the Irish individual Florida festival, and from other bowl hands at game's end. The public address games. The Orange Bowl has strengthened system jokingly urged fans to tune in their its bid for attention in the manner followed radios the following Saturday, to listen to by most bowls: national televising, spec- O. U. start "another winning streak," and tacular and expensive parades and corona- there was nothing forced in the humor. Oklahoma's tions, and, through good fortune or just Oklahomans felt a sharp, momentary plain good thinking, by often latching on sense of disaster when they finally realized to top teams . Notre Dame had got the best of the Soon- will over Oklahoma State, 53-6. These This year all bowl games look like fairly ers. Then they went home and did some last. two games were, naturally and unfor- good bets. Ohio State will meet Oregon at writing : on the Monday following the tunately, anti-climactic . The Wilkinson Pasadena's Rose Bowl. Mississippi meets game, Wilkinson's office was flooded with edition had won its conference champion- Texas in the at New Orleans. letters and telegrams, hundreds of them, ship and was headed for Miami. spectators in Jacksonville will from loyal fans who wanted the coach to This will be Oklahoma's fourth game in watch Tennessee challenge Texas A&iM, know just how remarkable they considered the ()range Bowl . The first performance and the Cotton Bowl brings Rice and Navy his record . there was in 1939, and Oklahoma lost to to Dallas. Two weeks later a news magazine Tennessee, 17-0. Sooners have also played Oklahoma, of course, challenges Duke learned that there were obviously a large University, choice of the Atlantic Coast number of other football fans around the Conference . The Duke Blue Devils, country that had been eager to see Okla- coached by William D . Murray, are tra- homa lose. In their Letters to the Editor ditionally a tough crew . Taking into ac- column, the magazine printed remarks count the performance of all football teams from readers to this effect : "Oklahoma for the past quarter-century, the Associ- didn't even have the best football team in ated Press listed Duke as fourth best Norman . . . November 16, much less the (numbers one through three are Notre best one in the nation ." "One tough game Dame, Tennessee and Oklahoma) . Of the a year tucked in among a bunch of patsies ten games played by the North Carolina doesn't mean a thing . . . Oklahoma is a school in 1957, six were wins, two were very big frog in a very little puddle." "An ties and there were two losses. Maryland overrated team with a fair defense, no and Rice were a couple of the teams that passing game, and a mediocre running at- went down to Duke, and Duke went tack. And brother, are they dull to watch!" down to Georgia Tech and North Caro- In an article designed to explain what lina. was wrong with the Sooners, the Associ- Outstanding Duke players to watch for ated Press came out and flatly said that a are fullback Harold McElhaney, halfback big factor was the loss-by graduation-of , guard Ambrose Hord, tac- jimmy Harris last year. Har- kle John Topping and end John Thon,p- ris did spark what was Wilkinson's great- son. According to Coach Murray, Duke's est team . Then AP stated that Oklahoma's problem at the start of the season was to usually fine offensive power had "stalled replace "a truly great quarterback" (Sonny this season ." Jurgensen) and six starters from the first Notre Datne was not "the end" for the team line. But Murray predicted a "spir- Sooners. The following week O. U. ited, well-organized squad with enough bounced back and beat Nebraska 32-7, experienced candidates at each position," then went on to close the season with a Duke's Wray Carlton and he was correct.

DLcl:NIBEA, 1957 PACE 7

BOUND FOR THE be the wiser for planning it that way. 22 Carl Dodd ORANGE BOWL Oklahoma is good on defense, lacking on 51 Dennit Morris Continued offense, and Duke is a fine team . Said 89 Don Stiller Wilkinson, "Duke has played a difficult 76 Byron Searcy schedule most successfully . They are an 68 Joe Oujesky Oklahoma gridders planned to leave exceptionally sound, strong, big football 61 Doyle Jennings Norman on December 26, flying to Flor- team, excellently coached ." 80 Joe Rector ida in two chartered planes. After arrival Wilkinson knew. He and Bill Murray in Miami in the afternoon, the schedule had exchanged five films each of their 1957 called for the team to check into the Bal games. Harbor Hotel on Miami Beach. The Orange Bowl classic is to be tele- DUKE The 's practice field vised. Channels and times will naturally No. Name at Coral Gables was decided on as the site vary with the viewers' locations. Probable 82 Dave Hurm of Sooner workouts. "Although this neces- starting linesups for both teams follow : 76 John Topping sitates a punishing 40-mile daily round 60 Roy 14ord trip bus ride through heavy traffic," said 56 Wade Byrd Harold Keith, O . U. sports publicity di- 63 rector, "the Miami U. athletic facilities are OKLAHOMA 78 John Kersey so superb that it was decided to train there No. Name Position 81 Bill Thompson anyhow . Oklahoma also practiced there in 35 Clendon Thomas RH 17 Bob Brodhead 1953 and 1955 ." 65 Bill Krisher RG 23 Eddie Rushton The schedule called for five days' work- 54 Bob Harrison C 47 George Dutrow out, and some thought the Sooners might 28 Jakie Sandefer LH 35 Hal McElhaney

This y,ar's Orau;gv himl queen 'lit(' fniir tirincesses rct t"() ether un \liami 13cacai . From left, Rosemary Morris, Paula Parsons, t2ueen Marcia Valihus, Francine Coffey, and Site Manion .

PAGE 8 SOONER MAGAZINE

Basking in the famous Florida sun are the City of Miami and City of Miami Beach (back- ground) . Visitors flock to the two resorts for the Orange Bowl.

Parrots, flamingoes, tropical fish, coral, orchids, bougainvillea-draped trees-they're all fairly common sights to residents of Miami and Miami Beach. So are the coronations, parades and grid battles of the Orange Bowl as the new year approaches. This Jamboree attracts 500,000 spectators, nothing unusual, for Miami entertains four million yearly.

Miami was bracing itself for the 1957- tional salute to America's good neighbors. Entertainment ranges from opera 58 festivities. Hotels, motels and tourist About 50 floats and 25 marching bands through horse and dog racing, swimming, attractions expected a record influx of vis- bring the parade's cost to around three football, boxing and stock car racing . itors for the extravaganza (which actually million dollars. There are strange "missing links" in lasts nine days.) The festival starts off The 76,000 persons who jam the Orange Miami's face. For example, there are no Christmas night with the annual Shrine Bowl New Year's Day go for two things : ancient buildings or structures except for a North-South College All-Star football the football game and the halftime show . solitary lighthouse . There are no moun- game. The latter is kept secret until the final tains or even hills in the landscape. Then the five-day Orange Bowl Regatta moment. The show is repeated on the fol- The city's scenery is tropical and marine. gets underway, and on December 31 is lowing night in the Bowl, and in addition The Everglades lie nearby, and the Florida held the Orange Bowl Junior Tennis there is a fireworks pageant. Keys just to the south. Parrots, flamingoes, Tournament. A new item on the festival program this tropical fish, coral reefs, orchids and bou- The King Orange Jamboree, called year is the National Sports Car Races. gainvillea-draped trees are fairly common "America's outstanding nighttime parade," What is Miami like? Residents claim it sights. comes New Year's Eve, and more than is startingly different from any other city It's all pretty fascinating and constitutes 500,000 spectators usually line Miami's anywhere . It is large and metropolitan, another good reason why Oklahomans streets to watch it pass. has a population of 750,000 and grows flock there to see out the old and ring in Theme of this year's extravaganza is "A yearly by about 50,000 . Four million peo- the new, along with people from all over Wink at the World," a sort of interna- ple flock to this resort annually . the United States .

DECEMBER, 1957 PAGE 9