January 1, 1959 – Orange Bowl Stadium
 
Big Plays Propel Sooners
Oklahoma hit Syracuse with three "home run" 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 its team speed and scored before the game was 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 first quarter. Following a Syracuse fumble deep in Sooner 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.
 

                                         
SCORING SUMMARY
OKLA: Gautt 42-yard run (run failed); OKLA: Coyle 79-yard pass from Hobby (Sandefer to Hobby); OKLA: Hobby 40-yard punt return (Boyd kick); SYR: Weber 15-yard run (run failed)
 
Oklahoma Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Syracuse Head Coach: Ben Schwartzwalder