Year-by-Year: 1959

Big Plays Propel Sooners

Oklahoma   21
Syracuse     6

Oklahoma hit Syracuse with three "homerun" plays, and was fortunate to escape the Silver Anniversary Orange Bowl with a 21-6 win. Syracuse dominated the Sooners in every category, including total yardage.

Oklahoma utilized their team speed and scored before the game was yet three minutes old. Fullback Prentice Gautt took a pitchout and went 42 yards around left end for the score. A more spectacular long play came with 2:56 remaining in the initial quarter. Following a Syracuse fumble deep in Oklahoma territory, right halfback Brewster Hobby took a lateral and passed to Ross Coyle in the flat. Coyle took off on a 79-yard touchdown sprint and the Sooners had a 14-0 lead.

Each team's defense frustrated the other's offense. Late in the third, Hobby got through Syracuse's punt coverage and returned the football 40 yards for a 21-0 lead. Syracuse scored its only points in the fourth on a 69-yard drive that ended in Mark Weber's 15-yard run.

                         Oklahoma        Syracuse

First Downs      12        18

Rushing Plays   44        56

Rushing Yards  152      239

Passes Attempted         4          25

Passes Completed        3          10

Had Intercepted           0          2

Passing Yards   93        72

Total Offense    245      311

Punting/Avg.     8/37.0  8/31.2

Fumbles/Lost    2/1       2/2

Penalties/Yards 3/35     4/20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Oklahoma        14        0          7          0          21

Syracuse          0          0          0          6          6

SCORING SUMMARY

OU: Gautt 42 run (run failed); OU: Coyle 79 pass from Hobby (Sandefer to Hobby); OU: Hobby 40 punt return (Boyd kick); SU:  Weber 15 run (run failed)

Oklahoma Head Coach Bud Wilkinson

Syracuse Head Coach Ben Schwartzwalder