1972 Sugar Bowl (January)

American college football game August 2023 December 2025 Sugar Bowl 38th Sugar Bowl File:TulaneStadiumFront1.jpg Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted the Sugar Bowl. January 1 1972 1971 Auburn Tigers 9–1 Ralph Jordan SEC 5 5 0 0 7 15 Jack Mildren(Oklahoma QB) Oklahoma Sooners 10–1 Chuck Fairbanks Big Eight 3 3 19 12 3 6 ABC Chris Schenkel andBud Wilkinson bg James M. Artley (SEC)(split crew: SEC, Big 8) Tulane Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana Ella Fitzgerald 84,031 Oklahoma by 10 points https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b-0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZPoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3536%2C48385 Lakeland Ledger Florida Associated Press Sugar(y) explosion favors Sooners January 1, 1972 1B 1972 (Dec.) The 1972 Sugar Bowl (January) was the 38th edition of the college football bowl game, played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, on Saturday, January 1. It featured the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners of the Big Eight Conference and the #5 Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The favored Sooners won 40–22. This was the last Sugar Bowl played in January until 1977, as it moved to New Year's Eve night for the next four editions. Teams 1971 NCAA University Division football season Although the runner-up in their respective conferences, both teams were ranked in the top five in the polls, as this game was a tale of duality. Both teams averaged over 300 yards on the season, though Oklahoma's record setting 566 yards a game was more notable than Auburn's 393. Both teams started the season 9–0, with both teams losing late in the season to their respective arch-rivals, who were likewise undefeated and untied. Oklahoma 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team On Thanksgiving day, Oklahoma lost a late lead to visiting #1 Nebraska in a memorable game, and fell from second to third in the rankings. This was the Sooners' fourth appearance in the Sugar Bowl, but first since 1951. Auburn 1971 Auburn Tigers football team Auburn lost 31–7 to Alabama in late November; they remained at fifth in the rankings and were invited to their first Sugar Bowl. Alabama and Nebraska matched up in the Orange Bowl for the national championship, essentially making this a runner-up game. http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site435.php dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130628165407/http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site435.php 2013-06-28 1972 - How They Got There / Allstate Sugar Bowl Game summary Televised by ABC, the kickoff was in the morning at 11 a.m. CST, two hours before the Cotton Bowl on CBS.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_s4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oBEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6308%2C170737 Milwaukee Sentinel Bowl lineups: Cotton Bowl January 1, 1972 4, part 2 May 2022 InternetArchiveBot yes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=040hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=85kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6531%2C147235 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Mearns M. Gene High score forecast in New Orleans January 1, 1972 10https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TpJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5704%2C3971638 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press Offensive stars meet in contest December 31, 1971 10 Despite all tickets being sold, the Sugar Bowl refused to lift the blackout in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Though he threw only four passes (with one completion), Oklahoma quarterback Jack Mildren used his legs to help win the game and the MVP award, running thirty times for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Leon Crosswhite helped start the scoring with a touchdown run on OU's first drive. Mildren scored three straight touchdown runs to make it 25–0 by the second quarter and after a punt return touchdown by Joe Wylie, it was 31–0 at halftime.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2xAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KZwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4956%2C157500 Tuscaloosa News Alabama Darling Ed Sooners rip Tigers, 40-22 January 2, 1972 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1u9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Xe0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4348%2C916908 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Sooners zap Eagles 40-22 January 2, 1972 1, sportshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1I0hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=85kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3773%2C978244 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Oklahoma rips Auburn, 40-22 January 2, 1972 61https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oKBYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5975%2C214697 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Sooner standout praises Sullivan January 3, 1972 18 Sooner kicker John Carroll made a 53-yard field goal before Auburn finally got on the scoreboard with a touchdown run by fullback Harry Unger, and the score was 34–7 after three quarters. The Sooners responded as halfback Greg Pruitt made it an even forty points, and Auburn then scored two late touchdowns. The first was a pass from Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan to Sandy Cannon with less than four minutes remaining, and Unger added another on the ground to complete the scoring at 40–22. Oklahoma had more yards, fewer turnovers (2 to 3), and more first downs, and won their first Sugar Bowl since 1950.http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site125.php 1972-Jan Game Recap / Allstate Sugar Bowl 2015-01-11 2014-10-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20141031172622/http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site125.php dead http://issuu.com/soonersports.com/docs/2014_media_guide_1?DB_OEM_ID=31000 1972 Sugar Bowl (January) 157 Oklahoma Sooners Football Media Guide Oklahoma Sooners Athletics January 10, 2015 Scoring First quarter Oklahoma – Leon Crosswhite 4-yard run (kick failed) Oklahoma – Jack Mildren 5-yard run (John Carroll kick) Oklahoma – Joe Wylie 71-yard punt return (pass failed) Second quarter Oklahoma – Mildren 4-yard run (run failed) Oklahoma – Mildren 7-yard run (pass failed) Third quarter Oklahoma – Carroll 53-yard field goal Auburn  – Harry Unger 2-yard run (Gardner Jett kick) Fourth quarter Oklahoma – Greg Pruitt 2-yard run (kick failed) Auburn  – Sandy Cannon 12-yard pass from Pat Sullivan (Jett kick) Auburn  – Unger 1-yard run (David Beck run) Source: Statistics {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Statistics !! Oklahoma !!   Auburn   |- | align=left|First Downs || 28|| 15 |- | align=left|Rushes–Yards|| 87–439|| 19–40 |- | align=left|Yards Passing || 11|| 250 |- | align=left|Passes || 1–4–0 || 20–45–2 |- | align=left|Total yards || 91–450|| 64–290 |- | align=left|Punts-Average || 5–35.4|| 5–48.6 |- | align=left|Fumbles–Lost ||5–2|| 5–1 |- | align=left|Turnovers|| 2|| 3 |- | align=left|Penalties–Yards ||3–12|| 0–0 |} Source: Aftermath Oklahoma moved up to second in the final AP poll, followed by Colorado, the only time the top three teams were from the same conference. Alabama fell to fourth and Auburn dropped to twelfth.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s9hVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6398%2C828787 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Nebraska king with Big Eight in 1-2-3 spots Associated Press January 4, 1972 1-Chttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=67deAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hzAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5747%2C733207 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Voters unanimously pick Nebraska as top grid team January 4, 1972 11 The Sooners returned to the Sugar Bowl in December and defeated Penn State, becoming the only school to win the same bowl game twice in a calendar year. Auburn waited twelve years for their next Sugar Bowl, a victory over Michigan. Ella Fitzgerald, who performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the Sugar Bowl, was part of the Super Bowl VI halftime show at Tulane Stadium fifteen days later. References Sugar Bowl Category:Sugar Bowl Category:Auburn Tigers football bowl games Category:Oklahoma Sooners football bowl games Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl