Year-by-Year: 1958

Oklahoma Flurry Breaks Open Game

Oklahoma 48
Duke       21

Fourth-ranked Oklahoma unleashed a furious attack in the fourth quarter, scoring 27 unanswered points to break open a close game with Duke. With the score 21-14, Oklahoma capitalized on three Duke miscues, scoring three times in the next 3:23 and turning this one into a 48-21 rout. A crowd of 76,561 was on hand.

Duke, which began the season 5-0 but slipped to 6-2-2, was replacing probation-plagued N.C. State. The fourth-quarter disaster began for Duke when it tried a trick play that had been designed at halftime. Center Wade Byrd got mixed up on the fake kick call and centered the ball to halfback George Dutrow. The ball hit Dutrow in the chest and shot into the hands of Oklahoma fullback Dennit Morris. Two plays later, Jakie Sandefer took it 4 yards for a Sooner score. Following a Duke fumble and blocked kick, the Sooners used the combination of Brewster Hobby to David Baker and Baker to Hobby for two more scores.

In the first quarter, Baker's 94-yard interception return of a Bob Brodhead pass gave the Sooners a 7-0 lead and marked the longest such return in Orange Bowl history. The night's scoring ended on a similar play-a 68-yard interception returns that Bennett Watts stole and pitched a lateral to Dick Carpenter at the Duke 30.

Although Oklahoma was penalized 150 yards and turned the ball over four times, it was never a factor in the game. Duke could not capitalize on three Sooner interceptions by turning the ball over four times.

GAME STATISTICS

                               Oklahoma        Duke

First Downs                    11               16

Rushing Attempts           44               69

Rushing Yards                165             231

Passes Attempted          18               13

Passes Completed           9                8

Had Intercepted              3                2

Passing Yards                114              97

Total Offense                279              328

Punting/Avg.               7/34.7          10/28.1

Fumbles/Lost                2/1              3/2

Penalties/Yards           12/150          3/25    

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Oklahoma        7          7          7          27        48

Duke               0          7          7           7         21

SCORING SUMMARY

OU: Baker 94 pass interception (Dodd kick); OU: Thomas 13 run (Dodd kick); DU:  McElhaney 1 run (Carlton kick); OU: Dodd 1 run (Dodd kick); DU:  Dutrow 8 run (Carlton kick); OU: Sandefer 4 run (Dodd kick); OU: Baker 29 pass from Hobby (Boyd kick); OU: Hobby 9 pass from Baker (kick failed); DU: McElhaney 4 run (Carlton kick); OU: Carpenter 73 intercepted lateral return (McDaniel kick)

Oklahoma Head Bud Wilkinson

Duke Head Coach Bill Murray